Wisconsin agrees to drop ban on carrying firearms while fishing following challenge

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — People fishing in Wisconsin will soon be able to carry firearms after a rule banning them was rescinded by the state following a lawsuit brought by gun rights advocates.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources agreed in an order released Wednesday to rescind the rule barring anglers from carrying firearms. The lawsuit challenging the ban as a violation of the constitutional right to bear arms was brought by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.

The DNR agreed to rescind the rule, enacted in 1999, as soon as possible and both sides submitted a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

“This action by the DNR properly restores the liberties provided by our Constitution to our client and thousands of Wisconsin (anglers),” said Skylar Croy, the attorney for WILL who brought the case in a statement.

WILL had argued that the rule was overly broad and limited all firearms along waterways in the state, not just those that could be used to harvest a fish. Even with the appeal, anglers will still be prohibited from using a firearm to shoot fish.

A spokesperson for the DNR did not return an email seeking comment Wednesday.