Oregon’s IP28: A Ballot Measure That Would Criminalize Hunting — And Why Minnesotans Should Pay Attention

“Citizen-driven” ballot initiatives targeting hunting and fishing aren’t new. But what’s happening in Oregon right now should be a wake-up call for anyone who values outdoor traditions, food security, and constitutional rights. An Oregon proposal known as Initiative Petition 28 (IP28), marketed as the “PEACE Act” (People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions), seeks to place sweeping restrictions on animal use before voters this November.

Behind the feel-good branding is a measure that would effectively criminalize lawful hunting, fishing, trapping — and much more. At 2 If By Sea Tactical, we’ve written extensively about Minnesota’s ongoing gun control push. While Oregon’s proposal focuses on hunting and agriculture, the strategy is strikingly familiar: repackage sweeping prohibitions in emotionally appealing language, and move policy through ballot measures rather than transparent legislative debate.

What IP28 Would Actually Do

IP28 would redefine “animal abuse” under Oregon law to include intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing physical injury or death to any nonhuman mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, or fish — with extremely limited exceptions.

Current exemptions in Oregon law would be eliminated, including those for:

• Lawful hunting, fishing, and trapping

• Livestock slaughter under humane standards

• Agricultural research and teaching

• Pest control

• Wildlife management practices

• “Good animal husbandry” practices

Violations could carry criminal penalties ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, with potential prison terms of up to five years. In plain English, if enacted as written, IP28 would criminalize sustenance hunting, recreational angling, ranching and livestock production. It would also ban commercial poultry operations, scientific animal research, and traditional wildlife management. Even pest control could be jeopardized under the measure’s vague language.

The Emotional Strategy

IP28’s proponents market the measure as simply “ending animal cruelty.” Who could be against “peace” or “eliminating cruelty”? But just as we’ve seen with “gun safety” initiatives in Minnesota, the branding doesn’t match the substance.

This is not about stopping criminal animal abuse — that’s already illegal. It’s about expanding the definition of abuse so broadly that traditional, lawful, and economically essential practices become crimes.

The Economic Fallout

Oregon has more than 15 million acres of farmland. According to USDA data:

• Beef and veal exports exceed $138 million

• Dairy products exceed $120 million

• Poultry products exceed $21 million

• Commercial fishing exceeds $130 million

IP28’s answer to this disruption? A taxpayer-funded “Humane Transition Fund” to help producers exit industries that would become unlawful. Hunters, anglers, and indigenous communities would receive no comparable accommodation — just vague promises of “non-lethal wildlife management.”

The Conservation Reality

What IP28 proponents conveniently ignore is that hunters and anglers are among the largest funders of wildlife conservation in America. Through federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery, and angling equipment — established nearly a century ago — more than $1.2 billion was distributed this year for wildlife and fish restoration. Oregon alone received approximately $30 million.

Ironically, eliminating hunting and fishing would undermine the very conservation funding that sustains wildlife populations.

Why This Matters in Minnesota

If you think this couldn’t happen here, think again. In Minnesota, we’ve already seen sweeping semi-auto firearm ban proposals, magazine bans, expanded background check mandates, and increased regulatory pressure on lawful owners.

The strategy is consistent: use emotional messaging, mobilize urban voting blocs disconnected from rural traditions, and push sweeping restrictions as moral imperatives. Oregon’s IP28 follows that same pattern — just aimed at hunting instead of firearms. Once cultural traditions are framed as shameful or harmful, prohibition becomes easier to sell.

Constitutional Rights Are Not Popularity Contests

Whether we’re talking about the Second Amendment or long-standing outdoor traditions, one principle remains constant: Constitutional rights are not subject to the whims of the moment. They do not rise and fall based on polling. They are not redefined by emotional campaigns. They stand the test of time.

If citizens wish to change constitutional protections, there is a lawful process to amend them. That process is deliberately difficult — because rights are meant to be durable. When policy changes are pursued through emotionally charged ballot initiatives rather than constitutional amendment, we should be cautious.

A Broader Pattern

IP28 is about more than hunting. It reflects a growing movement that seeks to redefine traditional practices as immoral. It hopes to centralize control away from rural communities and override longstanding cultural norms and replace management expertise with ideology.

The same forces pushing aggressive gun control in Minnesota often overlap with those advancing aggressive animal-rights measures elsewhere. The common thread? A belief that established rights and traditions should yield to modern political pressure.

Stay Vigilant

Oregon voters still have an opportunity to reject IP28 if it makes the ballot. Minnesotans should watch carefully. Because once a strategy proves successful in one state, it rarely stays there. We are always watching here at 2 If By Sea Tactical.  We stand firm in defending the Second Amendment.  We also support lawful hunting and outdoor traditions.  We understand that the conservation model that funds wildlife restoration.

The principle that constitutional rights are not fleeting privileges but exists outside of governmental control. Stay informed. Stay engaged. Always — rights endure because people are willing to defend them.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube and Rumble channels and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance. We are proud to be Southern Minnesota source for all things 2A.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.