O-SensePollster Dan Jones & Associates asked if state laws controlling hunting access should be more strict to protect property rights and whether the dams along the Snake River should be removed, which would reduce water for humans and crops, but likely help wild fishing and other environmental impacts.
Jones finds:
- 51 percent of Idahoans support stricter hunting access laws to protect better private property rights.
- And 64 percent oppose removing dams along the Snake River.
Stricter laws on hunting access could come from the state Legislature. Removing Snake River dams would be a much more complicated undertaking, and not one likely to come anytime soon.
On the question of tougher hunting access laws vs. property rights: While just over half of all Idahoans favor such hunting laws, 34 percent are against them, and 15 percent don’t know.
- While just over half of all Idahoans support such hunting laws, 34 percent are against them, and 15 percent don’t know.
It’s likely most hunters are men – and so want to hunt more freely.
- 48 percent of men want stricter hunting access laws, 53 percent of women want them.
- Republicans want more stringent hunting access laws, 52 percent; while 43 percent of Republicans say such laws are not needed to protect private property.
- Democrats and political independents feel about the same: 56 percent of Democrats want tougher hunting laws, 31 percent say no. While 49 percent of political independents say stricter laws, 37 percent say no.
And while Idaho Democrats are considerably more liberal on most issues compared to Republicans, even Democrats don’t want the dams on the Snake River removed, finds Jones.
- A third of Democrats say remove the dams, but 49 percent say no.
- 70 percent of Republicans say don’t take out the dams, only 11 percent want the dams gone.
- 63 percent of political independents say keep the dams, 18 percent say take them out.
Jones polled 603 adults from Nov. 18-28, the poll’s margin of error plus or minus 3.99 percent.
