Wisconsin Anglers Now Have the Right to Carry a Firearm, But Could That Change?
As election day surfaces above the horizon, Wisconsin gun owners and anglers need to fight against the inevitable—strict gun policies that restrict Second Amendment rights and leave fisherman defenseless on the water.
Wisconsin is home to rattlesnakes, cougars, black bears, wild boar, coyotes, wolves, and numerous other dangerous animals that could kill a fisherman at any moment—but the Left for many years has blocked anglers from carrying firearms.
Since 1999, anglers in Wisconsin have been blocked from the right to self-defense while fishing—all because Democrat legislators were afraid that people were shooting fish. Like most forms of gun control, the intent of Wisconsin Admin. Code § NR 20.05(2), had unintended consequences. It was originally meant to prevent criminals from shooting fish—yes, really. It hindered the right of law-abiding fishermen in the process.
In states like Wyoming, anglers believe Wisconsinites never should have allowed the law to take effect. They consider a .44 magnum an essential item to an angler.
“If you’re fishing on the ground on the North Fork west of Buffalo Bill Reservoir, you’d better carry a pistol and/or bear spray,” Vince Vanata of Cody, Wyoming told reporters. “You can see grizzlies from the gate at Yellowstone all the way down to Buffalo Bill. And they all like to head right down to the river.”
Thankfully a lawsuit from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), a conservative law firm in Wisconsin, overturned the decades-old state code.
“This action by the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] properly restores the liberties provided by our Constitution to our client and thousands of Wisconsin fisherman,” said WILL associate counsel Skylar Croy.
But that’s not to say anglers are safe moving forward. A collaboration of Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) and the potential Kamala Harris-Tim Walz presidential administration could land anglers below water once again.
(RELATED: On Red Flag Laws, Kamala Harris is Even Further to the Left than Biden)
Anti 2A Team Effort
Baldwin, Harris, and Walz have one common goal—restrict firearm access by any means necessary.
In July, Baldwin endorsed Harris, saying she could, “restore our fundamental rights and freedoms.” That couldn’t be further from their true goal.
Since her days as a district attorney in San Francisco, Harris has waged a war on the Second Amendment. Her work has popularized dangerous red flag laws and pushed for universal background checks and gun registries.
She has also called for so-called “assault weapon” bans throughout her career and openly believes that the Second Amendment does not support the individual’s right to carry. It is illogical to assume her administration would side with fishermen who are law abiding gun owners.
After all, her administration’s definition for a so-called “assault rifle” includes most semi-automatic firearms.
If Harris wasn’t scary enough, it’s safe to assume Baldwin will vote for any initiatives Harris puts forward. Over her career, she has supported far-left initiatives by gun control groups. Those include universal background checks, assault weapon bans, and red flag laws.
Harris and Baldwin are two leftist peas in a pod. Wisconsinites may end up paying the price.
Gun Owners Needed
A staggering 10 million gun owners and hunters have not registered to vote in 2024. That’s according to the grassroots organization Vote4America—a statistic that could have significant implications for the Republican vote.
“If we could convert just 2 percent of all licensed hunters into voters, the GOP would win in a landslide,” said Baker Leavitt, an adviser to Vote4America, on the District of Conservation podcast.
In Wisconsin alone, over 338 thousand gun owners remain unregistered. If firearm-owning anglers don’t make their voices heard in November, Vice President Harris could continue to destroy the Second Amendment.
“It’s an amazing thing. People that have guns, people that legitimately have guns, they love guns and use them for the right purpose, but they tend to vote very little—and yet they have to vote for us,” former President Donald Trump said in May.
(RELATED: The Left Would Grab Your Guns in a Minute If Patriots Stopped Defending the Constitution)
