,

Supreme Court Ruling Could Mean The Return Of Night Hunting For Chippewa Tribes

Wisconsin Has Banned Deer Hunting At Night Since 1991

By
lovecatz (CC-NY-SA)

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Wisconsin officials who want to continue the ban on night deer hunting for the state’s Chippewa tribes. Meanwhile, tribal leaders are welcoming the Court’s decision.

The ban on night deer hunting has been in effect since 1991, when U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled that it was too dangerous. Last year, the 7th Court of Appeals ordered her to reconsider, and today, the Supreme Court let the ruling stand.

Chairman of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Mic Isham called it a victory for tribal sovereignty.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“It’s just sovereignty. I mean the state of Wisconsin, they go out and they make rules such as, they can hunt wolves at night, or whatever, and here every time the tribes try to make changes to our off-reservation codes, the state tries to get in the way,” Isham said.

Ishham is also the Chairman of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The Appeals Court noted that four other states allow tribal night hunts.