By Joe Morey
News Editor
The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board (TGB), with a vote of 5-0, approved a new on-Reservation non-Tribal Member hunting permit process to take effect immediately. The new ordinance allows for any non-tribal member that is an LCO descendant or member of another Ojibwe tribe to apply for a permit for a 9-day hunting season which can be used any time from now until January 1, 2020.
The rule stipulates that the non-tribal member also be an immediate family member to a tribal member listing any aunt, uncle, grandparent, brother, sister or spouse, and they must be accompanied by a tribal member listed on the permit.
The rule describes accompanied as including a part of any group or hunting party doing drives that includes the listed tribal member.
The permit is non-renewable, allows for one buck or doe and will have a $20 fee.
During the TGB discussion on the new permitting process, members of the board wanted to make sure any non-tribal member hunting on tribal lands would have a connection to the tribe.
“We have limited resources. They should have a family connection,” LCO Secretary-Treasurer Michelle Beaudin explained.
LCO Conservation Director Brian Bisonette said the previous process allowed for a 14-day permit that could be renewed an unlimited amount of times between June and January 1. It also allowed non-tribal members who didn’t have any Native blood. The new permit restricts any on-reservation hunting to persons who have Ojibwe blood.
The new permit also requires the permit holder to register his deer with LCO Conservation and the permit only allows for deer hunting and states no hunting of small game or water fowl.
For more information, call LCO Conservation at 715-634-0102.