The Manitoba Metis Federation's vote to end the practice of spotlighting to hunt game is a vote being applauded by many groups and individuals.

The motion was passed at the MMF's annual assembly held this past weekend in Winnipeg.

For more than a year a group of municipalities in southwestern Manitoba has been lobbying government to do something about spotlighting and night hunting.

"The safety of all Manitobans and livestock was in question because of the unethical hunting practices," said RM of Sifton Councillor Scott Phillips.

He adds it's dangerous because those who practice night hunting can't see what they're shooting at. He notes there have been accidental deaths, livestock injured, and houses shot.

"This wasn't a race thing, it was purely a safety thing and it was never against any one person or parties. We don't care who you are you shouldn't be allowed to do it in populated areas."

Leah Leplante is a Vice President with the MMF's Southwest District. "In the past there has been a lot of night hunting and bullets flying and people were saying bullets were going by their homes and that isn't what anyone wants to see. The Metis took the hit on that one in the media and we said how do you know it’s the Metis doing this and nobody could ever answer that question."

Leplante is ecstatic they have the right to hunt and to feed their families traditionally like they always did. "Now we know there are no Metis in the Southwest who would want to hurt their neighbours or shoot an animal one of their cows or to certainly hurt any person."

The issue came up at the regional meeting in Brandon back in July. Leplante said that meeting brought in representatives from across the southwest part of Manitoba and they spoke openly about the issue of night hunting.

"We had some really good discussion on it and I think every community had a voice that day at the meeting and we took a vote on banning night lighting and everyone said we have a right to hunt but we can also put restrictions on ourselves."

Leplante remembers when she was a youngster the fathers hunted at night because if they got caught hunting during the day they would be fined and they couldn’t have afforded the fine and they would have gone to jail. "It was just a fact that they had to feed their large families that they had."

Scott Phillips is pleased the Metis vote went the way it did. "We lobbied for sometime and I know it had an impact on the vote."

Leplante says their vote in July and now the one on the weekend is a good attempt to show their neighbours that they care and they don't want anybody to get hurt. "Also we can hunt during the daylight hours and we have a right to do that."

Leplants did say discussions with area reeves did precipitate talks on the spotlighting and night hunting issue. "When you fight for a lifetime to establish you have a right you don't want to start giving up pieces of it and that's only human nature," said Leplante.

She adds what they have done is move forward on conservation and about caring about neighbours in heavy agricultural areas.

"If we had to hunt at night to feed our families we would and if the day ever comes that we have to hunt at night we will because that is still guaranteed in our right to hunt," said Leplante.