Pennsylvania is embroiled in a never-ending cycle of infighting among sportsmen. While the current topic of discontent is the opening day of rifle deer season, Saturday or Monday, it is only the latest in a never-ending list of topics that have divided hunters and anglers. Crossbows vs. compound bows, catch & release vs. harvest anglers, and fly fishing vs. bait fishing are just a few of the battles that resurface when everything else appears to be calm. Like rival siblings, we can’t seem to help but fight among ourselves.

While many see these internal battles as nothing more than bothersome, a keener eye would see the true danger they pose. This danger is not about when deer season starts or what type of tackle can be used. The real danger is the divide itself. Like any division among otherwise allied forces, the infighting creates a crack in our armor, one that opponents can take advantage of.

Some of you are probably asking, “What enemies?” The answer is anyone who disagrees with recreational hunting and fishing. Those who find the practice barbaric, dangerous, or do not want to share the woods and streams with sportsmen. Far too many Keystone State sportsmen do not look at these threats as real. They see the “anti crowd” as unorganized, in the minority, and all bark. But all it takes is a simple crack, and all that can change overnight.

Anyone who doubts this needs to look at the current situation in Oregon. Like Pennsylvania, Oregon is a primarily rural state with a few pockets of high-population cities. Although these metropolitan areas are very liberal, the rest of the state has a long tradition of hunting & fishing. Yet they are currently facing a push to outlaw hunting & fishing.

For the third time, a petition is being circulated in support of IP28, otherwise known as The PEACE Act (People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions). If successful, the petition would add IP28 to the ballot for a statewide vote to classify hunting, fishing, trapping, animal research, and even farming as animal cruelty.

But this could never happen, in PA right? As the saying goes, never say never. IP28 is the third attempt to add this issue to the ballot, and although the first two failed, the third time may be the charm. To be added to the ballot, the petition will need 117,173 signatures by July 2026. As of February 2026, the number of signatures gathered totaled 100,000. Hunting groups that once viewed earlier attempts to outlaw hunting and fishing are now calling IP28 a cautionary tale, a lesson in how quickly the tables can turn.

How did IP28 gain enough support to be on the verge of making the ballot? It was not the result of a single issue but rather a combination of factors that created the perfect storm. Better organization by proponents, better funding, an influx of outside influence, and support by a growing population of those who do not hunt or fish were at the top of the list.

But the hunters and anglers are at fault as well. Infighting, finger-pointing, and a divided front distracted pro-outdoor sports groups, shifted the focus of sportsmen, and allowed the opposition a foothold. See any similarities with what we are facing in Pennsylvania?

Only time will tell what happens in Oregon; regardless of how IP28 fares, it should be a wake-up call to sportsmen nationwide. We can disagree; we can have our own preferred methods or seasons, but we cannot become our own worst enemy.