Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte weighed in Wednesday on an Oregon ballot initiative that would effectively prohibit hunting, fishing, and trapping in that state, calling the effort “absolutely crazy” and warning Oregonians who support the measure to stay out of Montana.
The Oregon Initiative
Oregon ballot initiative IP28 would reclassify many forms of hunting, fishing, and trapping as criminal acts under state law. The measure’s organizers submitted nearly 130,000 signatures — clearing the approximately 117,000 valid signatures required for ballot qualification. The initiative now faces a review process to determine whether it will appear before Oregon voters.
Industry observers have noted that if IP28 were to pass, it could push hunters and anglers into neighboring states. Montana, with its extensive public land access and robust license system, would likely be among the top destinations absorbing that demand.
Gianforte Responds
The governor used a social media post Wednesday morning to voice his opposition, framing the Oregon measure as a direct threat to a way of life he argued Montana has long protected. “Did you hear what they are trying to do in Oregon? They are literally trying to outlaw hunting and fishing… that’s absolutely crazy!” Gianforte wrote.
He drew a sharp contrast with Montana’s approach to outdoor heritage, adding a pointed message for supporters of the ban: “Here in Montana, hunting and fishing is important to our way of life. To all of those Oregonians who want to outlaw hunting and fishing… please stay out of Montana.”
Gianforte’s remarks reflect a stance consistent with his administration’s broader emphasis on protecting hunting and fishing access as core elements of Montana identity and rural economic life.
Montana’s Hunting and Fishing Economy
While the Oregon measure does not directly affect Montana law, the governor’s response points to real economic stakes for the Treasure State. Montana has sold roughly 40,000 nonresident deer and elk licenses in recent years, and an estimated 20,000 additional out-of-state hunters have traveled to Montana specifically for upland and migratory bird hunting seasons.
Public lands available to hunters and anglers in Montana span areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Montana State Trust Lands. The state has also expanded access through public access programs, which have opened approximately 245,000 acres for outdoor recreation.
In Oregon, hunting and fishing currently generate around $1.9 billion in annual economic activity — a figure that underscores the financial stakes attached to IP28 for businesses, outfitters, and rural communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Broader Political Context
Gianforte’s willingness to comment on a neighboring state’s ballot measure is consistent with a national Republican posture that treats hunting and fishing rights as a policy front worth defending across state lines. Montana Republicans have increasingly framed outdoor access — alongside public land management and timber and wildfire policy — as part of a unified rural identity agenda heading into the 2026 election cycle.
The governor’s comments also come as Montana continues to balance its appeal to nonresident sportsmen with the concerns of resident hunters who sometimes view high nonresident license numbers as competitive pressure on big-game tags. Any significant migration of Oregon hunters into Montana’s license system could sharpen that tension.
IP28 must still survive signature verification before it can appear on the Oregon ballot. Whether it qualifies or not, Gianforte’s response signals that the Montana Governor’s Office views out-of-state restrictions on hunting and fishing as politically relevant — and worth pushing back on publicly — even when the direct legal impact stops at the state line.
