The Duck Hunters Organization urges Oregon waterfowlers to make their voices heard on Ballot Measure 114—a threat to the future of hunting and hunter-funded conservation.

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Delta Waterfowl strongly encourages Oregon voters to reject Measure 114 (formerly filed as Initiative Petition 117) at the ballot box on Election Day, November 8, 2022. The measure would severely impede hunters and gun owners by establishing a lengthy permit process to purchase a firearm, creating a searchable database of firearm owners’ personal information, and banning standard magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds.

“These draconian restrictions would make it difficult, if not impossible, for duck hunters and other recreational shooters to legally purchase a firearm,” said Cyrus Baird, senior director of government affairs for Delta Waterfowl. “Add to that a searchable database—a clear infringement on the privacy of gun owners—and you’ve got a measure that does nothing for public safety and poses a significant threat to law-abiding sportsmen and women.”

The initiative also poses a plethora of problematic logistics that threaten hunters, including:

• A redundant “permit to purchase” system that would require aspiring gun owners to submit multiple applications, photographs, fingerprints, and an FBI background check, all before stepping foot into a gun store.
• A mandatory state firearms class—to include an undefined live-gun handling and live-fire requirement—that does not currently exist and may take years to develop, during which time hunters would not be able to legally purchase firearms in Oregon.
• A failure to provide a funding mechanism within the ballot measure to implement these new rules, which would require the diversion of resources away from existing law enforcement agencies.
• Uncertain language in Measure 114 expressly compelling law enforcement to issue permits at all, should they lack adequate funding or staffing to do so. Without permits being issued, there would be no gun sales to anyone, hunters included.

Additionally, each year Oregon’s hunters contribute tens of millions of dollars to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife through the Pittman-Robertson Act—a 10 to 11 percent excise tax on the sales of firearms and ammunition. By banning standard capacity magazines and potentially shutting down all firearms sales for an unknown period of time, Measure 114 could damage Oregon’s fish and wildlife species and the habitats upon which they depend.

“Sportsmen and women around the country help provide the vast majority of funding for the great conservation work done by the state fish and wildlife agencies,” Baird said. “Simply put, if Measure 114 passes, this unfunded mandate is likely to halt all firearm sales, burden law-abiding sportsmen and women and decrease the amount of conservation funding the state of Oregon receives.”

Delta Waterfowl’s Defending the Hunt program protects duck hunting anytime, anywhere it’s threatened. If your waterfowl hunting or conservation is ever threatened at the local, state/provincial or federal levels, make your voice heard! Click the links below to access Delta’s Duck Hunters Action Alert System.

United States: https://deltawaterfowlfoundation.formstack.com/forms/defending_the_hunt__united_states

Canada: https://deltawaterfowlfoundation.formstack.com/forms/defending_the_hunt_canada

To find your voting location, research candidate information and more, visit

Delta Waterfowl Election Center (p2a.co)

“Delta Waterfowl is constantly working across the country on behalf of ducks and duck hunters to help shape policy and fight for sportsmen and women at every level,” Baird said. “Working together with partners, we help provide expert insight on a range of issues and can mobilize our powerful network of members and volunteers to engage with their decision makers and truly give ducks and duck hunters a collective voice where we need it the most.”

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

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