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Right to Hunt & Fish Amendment

Right to Hunt & Fish Amendment Facts at a Glance

Right to Hunt and Fish (RTHF) amendments work to protect against future threats to the right to hunt and fish that do not exist today.

The right to hunt and fish has roots in America even before 1776. Historically, the English game laws made hunting a monopoly of those privileged to do so by the Crown, and imposed draconian penalties, by contrast, the American colonists were free to hunt.

22 states recognize the Right to Hunt and Fish (RTHF) in their constitutions. NRA has worked hard to secure these rights and will continue to fight for these rights in all states. 

In 20 of the 22 states RTHF amendments were approved by the voters.

The rest of the RTHF states—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming have passed since 1996.

Florida and New Hampshire statutorily recognize the right to hunt and fish.

California and Rhode Island constitutionally guarantee the right to hunt but not fish.

Alaska’s constitutional language is considered by some to guarantee the RTHF because of its strong case law history

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Tuesday, September 1, 1981

The Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, 2/1/81

A man wielding a sawed-off shotgun forced his way into William Elliot's East St. Louis, Mo., home and ...

Gun Laws  

Tuesday, September 1, 1981

The Sun, Springfield, OH, 4/9/81

Upon returning home from work, Charles Wilkerson heard a prowler upstairs in his Springfield, Ohio, house. Wilkerson got ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 5/26/81

Gladys Kastensmith, 77, was awakened by the sounds of someone trying to break into her Phoenix, Ariz., home. ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Press, Evansville, IN, 5/29/81

Seeing a man carrying a purse run across a nearby yard, Kenneth Luigs went to investigate and found ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Constitution, Atlanta, GA, 3/6/81

Three men entered a Macon, Ga., restaurant, and one pointed a sawed-off rifle at proprietor Archie McBride and ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Journal, Lincoln, NE, 6/2/81

Awakened by noises coming over the intercom burglary system he rigged up between his house and his Murray, ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Record News, Wichita Falls, TX, 4/10/81

Robert Green was inside the camper parked in his Wichita Falls, Tex., driveway when he spotted a man ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The American-Statesman, Austin, TX, 6/10/81

Larry Womack was inside his Austin, Tex., service station when he heard screams coming from behind a nearby ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

Friday, Oklahoma City, OK, 4/10/81

Donna Stotts, a janitor at an Oklahoma City church, arrived at 3 a.m. to clean floors when she ...

Gun Laws  

Saturday, August 1, 1981

The Oregonian, Portland, OR, 4/16/81

A man entered Irv Huppin's Portland, Oreg., pharmacy, displayed a handgun, and threw a bag on the counter, ...

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.