Colorado’s Conservation Legacy: Why the Right to Hunt and Fish Belongs in the State Constitution
A father kneels beside a mountain stream as his daughter reels in her first trout. Across the state, a family packs elk meat into the freezer after a successful hunt that will feed them through the winter. At sunrise, a wildlife biologist counts wild turkey poults crossing a ranch road while volunteers restore habitat just miles away. These moments may look different, but they're connected by something much bigger than recreation.
They're examples of a uniquely American conservation model; one built on the idea that wildlife belongs to everyone and that caring for it is a shared responsibility. As Colorado celebrates its 150th birthday in 2026 alongside America's 250th anniversary, the state has an opportunity to reaffirm one of the values that helped shape our history and will shape our future: the freedom to responsibly hunt and fish, and the responsibility that comes with it.
A proposed constitutional amendment would recognize the right of Coloradans to hunt and fish, while affirming that hunting and fishing remain the preferred, science-based tools for managing wildlife populations. Just as importantly, the amendment preserves the authority of Colorado Parks and Wildlife to regulate seasons, licenses, harvest limits and wildlife management decisions based on science — not politics.
For many people, the question isn't whether they hunt or fish themselves. It's whether these traditions still have a place in modern Colorado. The answer is yes—not because of nostalgia, but because of conservation.
Long before "conservation" became a household word, hunters and anglers knew wildlife populations could disappear without responsible management. When wild turkey numbers plummeted across North America in the early 1900s, sportsmen partnered with wildlife agencies to restore habitat, fund research and bring birds back. The same story can be told for elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, waterfowl and many native fish species. Today, that work continues.
Every hunting and fishing license purchased in Colorado helps fund wildlife conservation. Every firearm or ammunition purchase and many archery purchases contribute through the federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, returning millions of dollars each year to state wildlife agencies for habitat restoration, research, public access and wildlife management.
Hunters and anglers also provide something money can't buy. Every harvested animal contributes biological information that wildlife managers use to monitor herd health, disease, age structure and population trends. Every season provides data that helps biologists make informed decisions about the future of Colorado's wildlife.
Whether someone chooses to hunt or simply enjoys seeing healthy wildlife while hiking or camping, everyone benefits from those investments.
Why the Constitutional Amendment?
Constitutions are different from ordinary laws. Laws change with legislative sessions. Constitutions express the enduring values a state chooses to protect.
Colorado's constitution already protects freedoms that citizens believe deserve lasting recognition. Supporters of the proposed amendment believe responsible hunting and fishing belong alongside those values, not because they should be immune from regulation, but because they represent a public commitment to conservation, a personal choice about where food comes from, and a meaningful connection to nature and responsible stewardship.
The proposed amendment does not create unlimited hunting rights.
It does not allow trespassing on private property.
It does not eliminate licenses, seasons, bag limits or wildlife regulations.
And it does not take authority away from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In fact, it specifically preserves the state's ability to regulate hunting and fishing whenever necessary for sound scientific wildlife management, public safety, or the future of hunting and fishing opportunities.
Instead, the amendment elevates the principle that responsible hunting and fishing should remain part of Colorado's conservation future. You don't have to hunt to appreciate healthy forests. You don't have to fish to enjoy clean rivers. You don't have to buy a hunting license to value seeing elk on a mountainside or hearing wild turkeys gobble on a spring morning.
“The habitats restored for game species also support songbirds, pollinators, native fish, mule deer, black bear and countless other species,” said Patt Dorsey, NWTF director of conservation operations in the west. “Forest restoration projects reduce catastrophic wildfire risk, improve water quality and strengthen watersheds that supply drinking water to millions of people. These are benefits shared by every Coloradan.”
The proposed constitutional amendment recognizes something many people already understand: hunting and fishing are not separate from conservation. They are among the tools that have helped make modern wildlife conservation possible.
As Colorado enters its next 150 years, the conversation is about more than hunting seasons or fishing regulations. It's about deciding what kind of relationship future generations will have with the outdoors.
Will children still grow up understanding where their food comes from? Will wildlife continue to be managed by professional biologists using the best available science? Will conservation remain a shared responsibility, supported by citizens willing to invest their time, resources and passion into protecting the places that define Colorado?
Those questions reach well beyond hunters and anglers.
They speak to the kind of Colorado we hope to leave behind. A state where wildlife thrives, public lands remain healthy, and the traditions that have helped conserve both continue to serve future generations.