I remember that cold, foggy fall morning from my childhood like it happened yesterday. The morning light was just beginning to chase away the darkness as I sat beside my dad, hidden in the tall grass on the edge of a small pond in northern Colorado. The chill of the air reminded me how glad I was to have a warm camouflage coat. The pinkish-gray sky began to reveal flocks of ducks heading out to feed. Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine. He knew the drill. My dad did too. They were both seasoned veterans. For me, however, this was my first real hunt—and my first duck hunt. Little did I know it would be an experience that stayed with me for a lifetime.
This fall, Colorado will get the opportunity to vote on Amendment 83, creating a constitutional right to hunt and fish. When I read the amendment, I found myself thinking about the rights already recognized in our constitution and why they are important. I then considered why the right to hunt and fish deserves constitutional protection and didn’t have to think long to see its value.
The Colorado Constitution recognizes our natural and inalienable rights, including life, liberty, property, safety, and happiness. Hunting and fishing are connected to all five. Being able to provide food for yourself is one of humanity’s oldest and most fundamental acts. It is how we survived as a species, and the heritage of hunting and fishing is something worth preserving. But these activities provide much more than food.
Hunting and fishing may be activities that not all Coloradans participate in, but all Coloradans benefit from them. Revenue from hunting and fishing license sales provides 68% of funding for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, supporting wildlife management, habitat conservation, state parks, and outdoor recreation. Hunters and anglers also contribute through federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, and boat fuel through the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson programs. This means hunters and anglers contribute quite significantly to conservation, while the benefits extend far beyond them to all Coloradans and our wildlife.
I also believe it is important that the amendment leaves wildlife management in the hands of CPW and the legislature. Colorado is fortunate to have highly qualified biologists and wildlife professionals who have managed our wildlife for generations. CPW’s approach is based on science, data, planning, and adaptive management. The amendment does not remove that authority from the professionals. It protects the opportunity to hunt and fish and the funding that follows it, while allowing wildlife managers to continue making decisions based on sound science. It also does not automatically restore past practices that have been prohibited.
Ultimately, I support a constitutional right to hunt and fish because I want my children and grandchildren to have the same opportunity I had sitting beside my dad on that cold morning in northern Colorado. I believe hunting and fishing are part of our history and heritage, and they provide a connection to the land that is increasingly important in a divided society.
Most importantly, hunting and fishing help fund, protect, and manage the incredible wildlife and diverse landscapes that make Colorado special. For all of those reasons, voting yes on Amendment 83, the constitutional right to hunt and fish, is important for Colorado’s future.
Kody Lostroh is a native Coloradan, family man, lifelong outdoorsman and a Professional Bull Riders world champion.