Backers of Amendment 83 argue that once “traditional methods” are in the Constitution, Colorado voters won’t be able to restrict or remove them, They are calling it a ‘lock’ for a reason. The quote below makes their intent clear.

“You want to turn around and restrict it [Hunting and Trapping]? We have the state constitution that denies you the opportunity to do that.”*

Dan Gates, President Colorado Trappers and Furbearers Association

*Source: Dan Gates “Through the Gates” Podcast, Episode 100 "Colorado's Strategy to Save the Hunt" Youtube

If Amendment 83 passes, it creates a direct conflict with Amendment 14, the voter‑approved measure that banned recreational leghold traps, snares, and other inhumane devices on Colorado’s public lands. Because 83 introduces a new constitutional “right” to take wildlife using undefined “traditional methods,” anyone who claims their preferred trapping or hunting technique is being restricted could take the state to court. When two constitutional amendments collide, judges must “harmonize” them — and Colorado precedent shows that the newer amendment carries greater weight. That means Amendment 14 could be narrowed, carved up with exceptions, or partially overridden to make room for 83’s vague language. In practical terms, the door to trapping reopens, and Colorado voters lose the power they exercised in 1996 to stop these devices from harming wildlife, pets, and people.

Who Is behind Amendment 83?

Extremist, out-of-state special interests are trying to rewrite Colorado’s Constitution for their own goals.

The Colorado Right to Hunt initiative is only one in a long line of these Right to Hunt initiatives that are being promoted around the country by the National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International, and here in Colorado - Advance Colorado.

Safari Club International, (SCI) is one of the most aggressive trophy‑hunting lobbying groups in the world, and they have a long record of pushing policies that expand trophy hunting, weaken wildlife protections, and block science‑based management. SCI’s own publications highlight award programs that incentivize killing extremely rare and vulnerable species — including elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and other animals listed as threatened or endangered in parts of their range. Their “Grand Slam” and “Inner Circle” award tiers require hunters to kill dozens of species across multiple continents, and some categories explicitly include animals facing steep population declines. SCI has also spent millions lobbying against restrictions on importing trophy‑hunted wildlife parts, even when those species are under severe conservation pressure. Their involvement in Amendment 83 signals an attempt to embed trophy‑hunting priorities into Colorado’s Constitution, overriding local biologists and community values.

The fiscal agent for the pro Right to Hunt campaign is the International Order of T. Roosevelt .  It is run by Luke Hilgemann.  Hilgemann used to work for Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-funded right wing Republican group. They are based in Wisconsin, spent over one million dollars on paid signature gatherers. These were not grassroots Coloradans, it was from a paid firm!

Advance Colorado, a prominent conservative political nonprofit dark money group in the state, has structural and operational links to the campaign supporting Amendment 83 (formerly known as Initiative 302). 83 seeks to enshrine a constitutional right to hunt and fish in the Colorado Constitution.

Dan Gates, President of the Colorado Trappers and Furbearers Association is a major spokesperson and promoter. He is also the head of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM)

While the initiative is formally championed by a coalition including the Wisconsin-based International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR) and Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM), Advance Colorado is deeply tied to its infrastructure.  The attorney who officially filed the "Right to Hunt and Fish" measure, Suzanne Taheri, runs her law office out of the exact same headquarters used by Advance Colorado. This same address is utilized as the primary campaign hub backing the initiative.

The far-right political network behind Colorado’s Initiative 302 (now Amendment 83) is exposed by WildlifeforAll.us.