The government shutdown may be over for now, but some are still feeling the pinch financially. The Shoshone and Arapaho Game and Fish office now has another way to help tribal members feed their families. White-tailed doe fawns and antelope doe fawns are available for hunting for the entire month of February for tribal members.
Leslie Shakespeare, co-chair of the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Council, said there is a surplus of white-tailed deer on the Wind River Reservation.
"I know over the years and different studies with our partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, we found that we have an abundance of white-tailed deer. And I think this situation with the shutdown with people struggling, it's just a natural fit," he said.
The shutdown stopped funding from getting to Native communities who rely on federal agencies for assistance including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Services.
Shakespeare said that the Wind River Indian Reservation is easily impacted by federal shutdowns because of a reliance on food assistance.
"One issue is we are still in an area that has high poverty and high unemployment rate, so we have individuals that are struggling day to day without the shutdown," he said.
Tribal members can get a permit and tag for free. They are available at the game and fish office in Fort Washakie.
