A judge has ruled the provincial government has the right to reduce the number of moose hunting licences it issues, tossing out two legal challenges from a First Nation and conservation organization.

In a ruling released Monday, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Brian Bowman dismissed the applications by both Pimicikamak First Nation and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, who disputed the province’s 2024 decision to reduce the number of licences from 400 to 100 in four of Manitoba’s 62 game hunting areas.

“Given the grave concerns that were raised by Aboriginal communities, regarding declining moose populations, the (provincial) decision was reasonable and rational, but imperfect,” Bowman wrote in the 10-page decision.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation had argued the province’s decis

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