The Duck Hunters Organization has signed an amicus brief challenging the constitutionality of Measure 114—a threat to the future of lawful waterfowl hunting.

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2023

PORTLAND, OREGON—Working to safeguard hunting opportunities in Oregon, Delta Waterfowl has joined eight organizations, collectively known as The Sportsmen’s and Women’s Coalition, in filing an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit challenging the implementation of Oregon Ballot Measure 114.

The measure—which passed in November and imposes an arduous permitting process for the legal transaction of firearms and sets a 10-round limit on magazine capacity—makes legally obtaining firearms nearly impossible and threatens the future of lawful hunting, waterfowling included.

The measure is being challenged by four combined federal lawsuits that will be heard by Honorable Karin J. Immergut in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

The amicus brief supports the Eyre vs. Rosenblum lawsuit, backed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Oregon Shooting Sports Association, which contends that Measure 114’s permitting requirement is unconstitutionally burdensome, as it impedes the Second Amendment-protected right to own firearms and doesn’t provide historical justification for the restriction.

The permitting process requires completion of safety courses conducted by local law enforcement agencies and the final decision can be left up to the discretion of a single permit agent. However, these safety courses are not currently available and not expected any time soon due to lack of resources, and there aren’t clear criteria for denying a permit. This makes legally obtaining firearms of any gauge or caliber, for any reason including hunting and recreational shooting, nearly impossible and subject to potential discrimination.

“Measure 114 seeks to unconstitutionally strip the rights of law-abiding waterfowl hunters in Oregon away while making it next to impossible to recruit the next generation of sportsmen and women—all while potentially having damaging impacts to state conservation funding,” said Cyrus Baird, senior director of government affairs at Delta Waterfowl. “Delta Waterfowl is proud to stand with these other sportsmen’s organizations—all of whom represent different species and habitat interests—to unite around the common objective of protecting the rights of sportsmen and women in the Beaver State.”

In addition to Delta, The Sportsmen’s and Women’s Coalition includes Oregon Hunters Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation, Safari Club International, National Deer Association, and Ducks Unlimited.

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For more information contact Cyrus Baird at cbaird@deltawaterfowl.org or (703)-254-6737.

Delta Waterfowl Foundation is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and ensure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.