Advocacy
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10/06/2026
PF & QF Supports Amendment 83: Colorado’s Right to Hunt and Fish
This November, Colorado voters will decide whether to add the right to hunt and fish to the state constitution.
by Swanny Evans
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Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever support Amendment 83, and we look forward to seeing this additional layer of protection added for upland hunters in Colorado allowing them to join 24 states that already have this right in their constitution.
How it appears on the ballot
Amendment 83: Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution creating a constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest fish and wildlife by traditional methods, including all species of fish and wildlife managed by the state except non-game species, endangered species, or any species that is illegal to hunt under federal law, and, in connection therewith, establishing hunting and fishing as the preferred means of managing fish and wildlife populations; and preserving the right of the state to regulate hunting, fishing, and wildlife management if necessary for sound scientific wildlife conservation and management, public safety, or to preserve the future of hunting and fishing opportunities for all species?
How it reached the ballot
Amendment 83 began as Initiative 302 and qualified through Colorado's citizen initiative process. Supporters submitted 184,097 petition signatures on July 8. On August 20, the Colorado Secretary of State certified 145,299 of them as valid, more than 21,000 above the 124,238 required statewide.
Why we support it
PF & QF support Amendment 83 as it offers additional protection to upland habitat and hunting in the state of Colorado:
It protects Colorado's hunting heritage. Today, hunting opportunities in Colorado rest on statutes and regulations that a future legislature or ballot measure can change. Amendment 83 would place them in the constitution, which offers another layer of protection.
It protects a major part of Colorado's economy. Hunting and fishing contribute more than $3.25 billion to Colorado's economy every year, support more than 25,000 full-time jobs, and reach all 64 counties, according to the Colorado Wildlife Council.
It protects a system that pays for conservation. Hunting license sales, along with federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment are a core source of funding for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
It keeps management grounded in science. The amendment recognizes hunting as the preferred tools for managing wildlife populations while expressly preserving the state's authority to regulate based on sound science and public safety.
Make your vote count
Constitutional amendments in Colorado need at least 55% of the vote to pass.
Register or update your address at GoVoteColorado.gov by October 26 to receive a ballot in the mail. You can still register and vote in person through Election Day.
All ballots must be in the hands of the county clerk by 7 p.m. on November 3.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever support Amendment 83. Please vote, and encourage others in your community to do the same.
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