Amendment 2

Right to Hunt and Fish

Mike Elfenbein, Executive Director (November 6th, 2024)

“Two years ago my phone rang, Lauren Uhlich Melo asked me, “How would you feel about pursuing a right to fish and hunt?”

I remember vividly the feeling of excitement I felt just before I blurted out “… yeah!!!”.

I had no idea what that meant or how we were going to do it, but we knew we were, we had to. From that moment forward we never looked back. A small and dedicated group sat down and got right to work. Lauren Melo, Travis Thompson, Luke Hilgemann, Kevin Corrigan and I, despite all the nay sayers that said we couldn’t, devised a plan that culminated last night in one of the greatest contributions we could make to fishing, hunting and conservation in Florida.

Over the last two years the team grew into a movement that included some of the most amazing, selfless, dedicated and committed individuals I have ever had the privilege of knowing and working with. So many, that it would take all day to list them.

We spent countless hours driving across the state, from Tallahassee to the Florida Keys. Countless zoom calls, conference calls, meetings with legislators, industry leaders, conservation organizations and everyone in between. Untold hours of advocacy in person, over the phone, social media, text messages. An incredible effort, where everyone did a little so nobody had to do a lot.

Today, I wake up with a sense of joy and accomplishment I have never experienced before. We won! We did it! We have changed our constitution and will leave a legacy of conservation for future generations that we will never know. An amendment for the good of the greatest amount of people for the longest amount of time that will contribute to conserving our wild spaces and the critters that call them home while fostering a connection with people and the natural world. 

Today is a GREAT day! YES ON 2!”