Judge Blocks Night Deer Hunt This Year

A federal judge has blocked Wisconsin’s Chippewa tribes from hunting deer at night for this season.

Judge Barbara Crabb’s ruling says the the tribes over stepped their authority in issuing their own order and hunting regulation without consulting with the state. She also urges both the state and the tribes to sit down and negotiate with the aim of potentially allowing the tribes to do some night deer hunting in ceded territory.

A spokeswoman for the Great Lakes Indian and Fish Wildlife Commission says the tribes are pleased to see that the judge did not rule on the safety issues raised by the state but only on the procedure for issuing tribal rules . Sue Erickson says the tribes are hopeful they can reach a settlement with the state so night deer hunting could take place next year. She says it’s also possible that the tribes could ask the court to re-open the court case that established the rules for how the state and the tribes interact in establishing hunting and fishing rules in landed ceded to the tribes by treaty.