Four States Amend Constitutions to Protect Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Rights

Four states approved measures to protect citizens’ rights to hunt, fish, and trap during Tuesday’s election. Constitutional amendments guaranteeing these rights passed with strong margins in Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Wyoming, reports the Associated Press.

With 83 percent of Idaho’s vote counted Wednesday morning, 74 percent of voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment. The new amendment declares that hunting, fishing, and trapping “shall forever be preserved for the people,” and it garnered support from more than 80 percent of voters in 13 counties. Only Blaine County failed to pass the amendment, with 65 percent of voters rejecting the provision.

Idaho and Wyoming joined 13 other states that already amended their constitutions with similar measures. Kentucky and Nebraska voters also passed amendments to protect hunting and fishing rights, but not trapping.

Although only 25 percent of Kentucky’s vote has been counted as of Tuesday night, its hunting and fishing amendment won approval from a whopping 85 percent of voters, according to the AP.

Nebraska voters passed their hunting and fishing amendment with 76 percent approval. Not only does the new amendment guarantee hunting and fishing in the state a right, it also declares hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife the preferred method for wildlife management, reports the Nebraska News Service.

Wyoming has not yet reported voter approval statistics.

These four states were the only states with ballot measures to protect hunting, fishing, and trapping rights, and all four passed. Although some critics argued no threat to these rights existed in the first place, supporters sought to prevent any future attempts by antis to shut down game and fish pursuits.