“These extremist groups have one agenda: to end fishing and hunting as we know it in America. Their involvement in this fight proves we need to take these threats seriously,” said Luke Hilgemann, Executive Director of the International Order of T. Roosevelt. “If anti-hunting forces are successful, they will continue to chip away at our outdoor heritage until our rights are severely curtailed or eliminated. Hunting is conservation. The fees spent by anglers and hunters fund billions of dollars in conservative efforts that protect our wildlands nationwide. Protecting our rights and cherished traditions for the next generations is imperative if we want the outdoors and wildlife to thrive. Wildlife for All has a radical agenda that would make it a crime to catch a fish or harvest wild game – we must stop their efforts at all costs!”

The threat is real. Around the country, anti-hunting and fishing groups are pushing measures to roll back access to hunting and fishing rights – even criminalizing them. In Oregon, petitions have repeatedly been pushed that would criminalize hunting and fishing.

IOTR believes that future generations deserve to enjoy what past generations have entrusted to our care. By protecting the right to hunt and fish, we can break down barriers to the outdoors and encourage a new generation of anglers and hunters to preserve our traditions and wildlands before they are gone. Find more on the mission here.