ALEXANDRIA - A group of hunters is suing to block a federal ban on using dogs to hunt for deer in Louisiana's only national forest.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, claims the U.S. Forest Service's ban on "dog-deer hunting" in the 600,000-acre Kisatchie (kis-ATCH-ee) National Forest arbitrarily tramples on the state's "cultural fabric" by eliminating a tradition that dates back to colonial times.

The Forest Service proposed the ban in 2009, citing conflicts between hunters and neighboring landowners.

But the Louisiana Sportsmen Alliance's suit says the Forest Service permits the practice in other states' national forests.

The same group challenged the ban in 2012, but a judge upheld it and dismissed the hunters' lawsuit.

Forest Service spokesman Michael Illenberg said the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation.