Judge declines to issue a ruling in Ojibwe wolf case

MILWAUKEE – A federal judge has declined to issue a ruling on a preliminary injunction requested by Ojibwe tribes to stop the 2021 Wisconsin wolf hunt.

But Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson says he had “deep misgivings” about state rules that proved inadequate in February to keep the wolf kill to the intended target.

The tribes argue that the hunt violates their treaty rights and endangers an animal they consider sacred.

The wolf hunting and trapping season in February resulted in a kill of 99 wolves above the state-licensed quota. The take by state-licensed hunters and trappers effectively consumed the tribes’ quota.