Colorado voters rejected a ballot measure that would have made hunting and fishing a constitutional right, dealing a setback to conservation and sportsmen groups that had heavily backed the initiative.
Amendment 83, which needed 55% approval to pass due to its status as a constitutional amendment, garnered only about 44% support in Tuesday’s election, according to preliminary results reported by The Summit Daily. The measure would have designated hunting and fishing as “the preferred way to manage the state’s wildlife.”
Out-of-State Money Fueled Campaign
The push for Amendment 83 was largely bankrolled by the International Order of T. Roosevelt, a hunting advocacy group, The Colorado Sun reported. Other major donors included the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Concord Fund, Safari Club International Colorado Chapter, Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
National Trend Stalls in Colorado
Had it passed, Colorado would have become the 25th state to constitutionally protect hunting rights. Similar measures have succeeded in other Western states including Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, where hunting traditions run deep.
Opponents argued the amendment was unnecessary given Colorado’s existing wildlife management policies and could have limited future conservation efforts. Supporters said it would safeguard an important cultural tradition and management tool against potential future restrictions.
The failure marks a rare defeat for hunting rights advocates in a region where the activity remains popular. Colorado’s changing demographics, with an influx of urban transplants less connected to hunting traditions, may have played a role in the outcome.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/11/04/colorado-amendment-recognizing-hunting-as-a-right-fails-to-pass/