Chickasaw Nation starts licensing hunters: FAQ on tribal hunting licenses in Oklahoma
The Chickasaw Nation recently became the latest tribe in eastern Oklahoma to issue its own hunting and fishing permits to tribal citizens.
The roll out of tribal hunting programs follows the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling that the Muscogee reservation still exists. The decision has since been extended to the reservations of each of the Five Tribes, plus the Quapaw Nation.
Tribal officials have started allowing citizens to hunt and fish on the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Muscogee and Choctaw reservations. By overseeing their own wildlife programs, tribal nations are exercising their treaty rights and passing down cultural traditions from one generation to the next, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a speech earlier this month.
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“The fact that we are working together means that our respective systems to protect wildlife, to protect natural resources, to give people an opportunity to do what our ancestors not only did, but what our ancestors secured for each and every one of us, which is that precious right to hunt and fish,” Hoskin said at an Oct. 7 meeting of the Five Tribes.
The fall hunting season has just started for many tribes.
Who can get a tribal hunting and fishing license?
The rules vary from tribe to tribe. Generally speaking, tribal citizens of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Muscogee nations can be licensed to hunt within their own tribe’s reservation boundaries.
Tribal leaders are working on a shared agreement that would allow citizens to use tribal-issued hunting permits across each of the reservations, but that hasn’t happened yet, said Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby during a speech earlier this month at the Five Tribes council meeting.
“I think that’s a good partnership and a thing we can do together in support of our people,” Anoatubby said.
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Do tribal citizens need an Oklahoma state hunting license?
Tribal leaders say no. They cite treaty hunting and fishing rights that existed before Oklahoma became a state.
The licenses became a point of contention a year ago. The Cherokee and Choctaw nations used to buy discounted state licenses to issue citizens, instead of regulating their own hunting and fishing programs. But Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Cherokee Nation citizen, opted not to renew the state’s agreement with his tribe and the Choctaw Nation, citing the low price paid for each license.
The Cherokee and Choctaw nations started their own hunting and fishing programs as a result. Speaking at the Five Tribes council meeting, Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said the program has been a success. “So far, we’ve not had any problems,” Batton said.
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Are the state and tribes working together on hunting and fishing?
Tribal officials work with the Oklahoma State Department of Wildlife Conservation. On the Cherokee Nation’s northeast Oklahoma reservation, for instance, state game wardens and tribal officers are cross-deputized to enforce one another’s hunting and fishing laws. The Choctaw Nation works with the state to ensure hunters don’t exceed a shared black bear limit on its southeast Oklahoma reservation.
What are the tribal hunting seasons and limits?
For the most part, hunting seasons on the reservations are the same as Oklahoma’s seasons. Limits and tag rules vary.
Where can I find more information about each tribe’s hunting and fishing rules?
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Now Chickasaw tribal citizens can hunt on their Oklahoma reservation
