Amendment 83 – Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish

In 2024 voters rejected Proposition 127 to prohibit sport hunting of bobcats and mountain lions. The group opposing Proposition 127 is in favor of a constitutional right to hunt and fish using traditional methods. Depending on how “traditional methods” is defined, they could include trapping and hunting methods that Colorado currently prohibits, such as baiting bears or using inhumane traps.

Recommendation: No

Hunting and fishing are allowed in Colorado, and there are no efforts, unlike the consumption of natural gas (see Amendment 82), to forbid hunting and fishing. This ballot measure is a solution in search of a problem and shouldn’t be placed in the constitution.

Website for the Yes Side – Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better
https://wildlifedeservebetter.com/
Website for the No Side – Humane World for Animals
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/campaign/vote-no-colorado-amendment-83


Approved Ballot Language
Amendment 83 (CONSTITUTIONAL)

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?

YES/FOR ___
NO/AGAINST ___

Amendment 83 initiative language filed with the Secretary of State
https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/filings/2025-2026/302Final.pdf