Group Now Shifts Focus to Proactive Long-Term Protections
(OHA) The Oregon Secretary of State’s office officially confirmed that Initiative Petition 28 (IP28) failed to secure the required signatures to qualify for the November ballot, handing a major victory to Oregon’s conservationists, sportsmen and agricultural communities. The state’s final verification counted 104,262 valid signatures, falling well short of the 117,173-threshold needed.
Like its failed predecessors IP13 and IP3, the petition sought to criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, breeding of all domestic animals, livestock production and common farming practices across the state. The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) engaged in a highly successful public education campaign that ultimately stifled the petition’s signature-gathering momentum on the streets.
“This is a massive victory for everyone who values Oregon’s wildlife management and outdoor heritage, but we cannot afford to simply celebrate and wait for the next attack,” said Todd Adkins, Executive Director of OHA. “Animal extremists continue to fund these attempts because their ideology demands that hunting be stripped from the landscape entirely. This is a critical reminder that these efforts are being driven by a combination of wealthy national organizations and local anti-hunting activists right here in Oregon.”
Beginning in February, OHA went on a massive media blitz, blanketing the airwaves, print, digital news and podcasts to expose the true, realities of the measure. By aggressively educating the public, OHA successfully shifted the conversation on the ground. As everyday Oregonians learned what the petition actually did, signature gatherers faced overwhelming pushback on the street, making it increasingly difficult—and eventually impossible—for petitioners to secure the signatures they needed to advance.
While IP28 is officially dead for the 2026 cycle, OHA leadership warns that anti-hunting groups will inevitably return with another iteration of the same ban.
“Our collective defense made all the difference this cycle, but breaking this exhausting, reactionary loop requires a permanent solution,” Adkins added. “It’s time we went on the offense. In the coming weeks and months, you’ll see the rollout of a protective framework designed by OHA to secure our future once and for all.”
OHA (oregonhunters.org) is the state’s largest Oregon-based pro-hunting organization, with 12,000 members and 26 chapters statewide. Its mission is “protecting Oregon’s wildlife, habitat and hunting heritage.”
