Superior Aims To Align Hunting Ordinance To Match State + County
The City of Superior allows for hunting in the forested areas that it manages. However, any equipment used (i.e. tree stands or elevated platforms, even ground blinds) needs to be temporary in nature; it needs to be set up and taken down each day. That could change in the future is a proposal to amend the ordinance passes.
As that ordinance reads right now, it creates the potential for safety hazards - at least that's the opinion of some on the Wisconsin Point Committee, the group charged with making the amendment. In an article in the Superior Telegram [paywall], committee member Keith Allen explains:
"From a safety stand point....it doesn't make sense to have deer hunters out before dawn trying to install the tree stand or removing them after sunset. Who's going to climb up there in the dark? It's a safety issue."
Apparently law enforcement agrees. While the ordinance currently prohibits "permanent" structures (i.e. those not removed each day), city practice sees that detail not being enforced. Superior City Councilor Ruth Ludwig - an alternate on the committee concurs:
"I know my son hunts out in the municipal forest, and he sets up his deer stand for the season and takes it down after the season."
The revision to the ordinance would only aim to bring city regulations into agreement with current enforcement practices. Nothing else in the language would change and they would not be allowed in the off-season:
"Tree stands, elevated platforms, or ground blinds would still not be allowed on city property from February 1 to March 1 and June 1 to August 31 under the proposed change."
In addition, the change would bring City of Superior hunting ordinances into alignment with what's currently acceptable at the Douglas County and State of Wisconsin level.
If the ordinance change takes place, there would be provisions put in place the would require the owners of installed tree stands to have their identification clearly displayed on the structures. Name, address or a "Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources customer ID number (would have to be) visible from the ground." Failure to abide by this would open up the possibility of the structure being "confiscate(d) or remove(d)" by city officials.
Additionally, the draft of the ordinance revisions would also specifically allow for trail cameras. Right now the ordinance makes no mention of the hunting equipment anywhere in the language.