The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that Chippewa tribal lands are closed to wolf hunting. All Chippewa bands have declared tribal lands to be off-limits to wolf hunting and trapping for the harvest seasons that start this Saturday.
The affected Chippewa reservations include the Red Lake, White Earth, Bois Forte, Grand Portage, Leech Lake, Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs reservations.
Most Minnesota Chippewa reservation boundaries encompass tribal, public and private lands. Tribal lands are not considered public the way state and county forest lands are considered public. As such, they are subject to tribal regulation. The wolf hunting ban only applies to tribal lands, not other private lands or public lands that are otherwise open to hunting.
Anyone hunting wolves within a reservation boundary will need to ensure they are on public or private land open to hunting when the season starts this coming Saturday. Not all tribal lands are posted. The best source for this information is county plat maps, generally available at county courthouses.
“The bands have the authority to control or ban wolf hunting on the land they own or is in federal trust status,” said Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement chief. “The Chippewa will be enforcing the wolf hunting ban on their tribal lands.”
For more information on the wolf and deer hunting seasons, visit www.mndnr.gov/hunting/wolf.
Meanwhile, the DNR reports that applicants not selected in this year’s early or late season wolf license lottery had the opportunity to purchase a surplus license on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at noon on Monday.
The available 614 surplus licenses available for the early season sold out within five minutes. The early season begins Saturday and coincides with the firearms deer season in each of Minnesota’s three wolf hunting zones.
