Anglers are now off the hook if they carry a firearm while fishing after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has agreed to repeal a regulation preventing them from doing so.
The move follows a lawsuit filed by the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, or WILL, on behalf of Sheboygan Falls resident Travis Kobs. The legal group sued Acting DNR Secretary Steven Little last month over the 25-year-old rule that bars firearms and guns on waters and shores used for fishing.
The group’s complaint states any angler found in violation of the regulation could have been punished by a $200 fine plus court costs that would have pushed the total penalty past $500.
WILL argued the rule is an unconstitutional violation of Kobs’ Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. Now, a settlement between the parties states Little intends to repeal the regulation “as soon as practicable and without delay.”
Skylar Croy, associate counsel for WILL, said it’s important to ensure unconstitutional laws and rules are removed from the books as quickly as possible.
“There is a constitutional right under both the state and federal Constitution to protect yourself using firearms,” Croy said. “That right doesn’t disappear just because you’re in the great outdoors.”