Oregon Hunters Defeat IP28

OHA now shifts focus to proactive long-term protections.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office officially confirmed last Friday that Initiative Petition 28 (IP28) fell short of the required signatures and will not appear on the November ballot. The state’s final review verified 104,262 valid signatures, missing the 117,173 threshold needed to qualify by a wide margin. IP28 proponents may try to challenge the decision in court, but because they fell short by more than 13,000 signatures, it’s extremely unlikely a court will intervene.

Like its predecessors IP13 and IP3, this egregious petition sought to criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, livestock production, and common farming practices. Animal extremists continue to fund these attempts because their ideology demands that hunting be stripped from the landscape – a critical reminder that these radical efforts are being driven by a combination of well-funded national organizations and anti-hunting activists right here in Oregon.

OHA successfully went on a massive media blitz starting back in February, blanketed the airwaves, print, digital news, and podcasts to expose the true dangers of this petition. By aggressively educating the public, we completely shifted the conversation on the ground. As everyday Oregonians learned the destructive reality of the measure, signature gatherers faced overwhelming pushback on the street, making it increasingly difficult – and eventually impossible – for petitioners to advance.

While IP28 is dead for 2026, we know these extremists will be back. To break this cycle, OHA is pivoting from defense to a long-term strategy to permanently protect our hunting heritage. It’s time we went on the offense, and in the coming weeks and months, you’ll see the rollout of a protective framework designed to secure our future once and for all.