Full general Hunting Laws

hunting laws book cover

On this page:

  • Unlawful Conduct
  • Prohibition Regarding Selling of Wild Animals
  • Night Hunting
  • Raccoon Hunting
  • Placement for Bait
  • Minimum Shooting Distances
  • Target Identification While Hunting
  • Hunting under the Influence
  • Possession of Hunting Equipment on Sun
  • Airborne Hunting
  • Shooting from a Vehicle
  • Shooting from or over a Public Paved Way
  • Shooting of Domestic Animals
  • Firearms on School Property
  • Harassment of Lawful Hunter or Trapper
  • Disposal of Remains
  • Hunting with Dogs and Domestic dog Preparation

Lord's day Hunting is Illegal in Maine

To hunt means to pursue, catch, take, kill or harvest wild birds and wild fauna (wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity), including whatsoever physical part of that species of mammal or bird.

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Unlawful Conduct

The hunting, possession, transporting of any species of wild creature or wild bird, or parts thereof, for which an open hunting season is not specifically provided, and except as provided in the fish and wildlife laws, is unlawful. It is likewise unlawful to take, possess, or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of any wild bird except the English or European house sparrow, the European starling and the stone dove (a.k.a. stone dove).

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Prohibition Regarding Selling of Wildlife

Wild Birds: A person may not sell or possess for sale a wild bird, except for the plumage of lawfully taken wild birds, and only if that sale does not violate regulations of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Finished Wild fauna Products: A person may buy, sell, barter or merchandise legally obtained finished wild animals products, excluding federally protected wild animals and birds.

Deer, Bear, or Moose: A person may, without a hide dealer's license, buy or sell naturally shed deer or moose antlers.

A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer, carry or moose may (without a hibernate dealer's license) sell:

  • The head, hide, antlers* and feet of that deer.
  • The caput, hibernate, antlers*, feet and bones of that moose.
  • The head, hide, teeth, gallbladder,* fat not attached to the meat, and claws (non attached to the paws) of that comport.

* Raw antlers, deport fat (not attached to the meat), and bear gallbladders may only exist sold (including for money, barter, or trade) to a licensed hibernate dealer, and they must be tagged or accompanied with documentation containing the proper name and address of the person who legally killed the animal.

You Need a Hibernate Dealer's License to: Commercially buy, sell, barter, or trade any raw, untanned animate being hides (including fur-bearing animals) or parts of wild fauna or birds non prohibited higher up. Any parts bought or sold may non be attached to wild animate being or wild bird parts that are prohibited from being sold.

Contact MDIFW if you are interested in becoming a Hide Dealer or you are looking for a list of dealers in the country at (207) 287-8000.

Night hunting:

Except every bit otherwise provided, wild birds and wild animals may non be hunted from i/2 hour after sunset until ane/2 hour before sunrise the post-obit day. Exceptions: migratory game bird, raccoon, and coyote.

Raccoon hunting:

Raccoons may be hunted at night during the open season but when the hunter:

  • Is accompanied past a domestic dog.
  • Uses a burglarize or handgun of no greater ability than ane which uses .22 caliber long rifle ammunition.
  • Loads the burglarize or handgun only when dispatching a raccoon that is treed or held at bay past a dog or dogs and has been identified by flashlight.

Placement of bait for hunting purposes:

Equally used in this section, "bait" ways an beast, found, or role thereof used to attract wildlife for the purpose of hunting.

A Person Placing Allurement for Hunting Purposes Must:

  • Obtain oral or written permission from the landowner or landowner'south agent.
  • Plain label the allurement with a ii-inch by four-inch tag containing the name and address of the baiter.
  • Clean up the bait site immediately upon landowner request; or if non requested, inside twenty days of the terminal mean solar day the site is hunted.

A Person May Not:

  • Chase over another person's bait site without the baiter's permission.
  • Place any medicinal, poisonous, or stupefying substance to entice whatsoever animal.

Species-specific Baiting Laws:

  • Baiting or feeding of deer is prohibited from June 1-December 15, run across Deer Hunting.
  • Baiting and feeding moose and turkey is prohibited from September i to December xv.
  • Baiting and feeding turkey is prohibited during the spring wild turkey season.
  • Farther restrictions apply to bear baiting, run across Conduct Allurement.

Minimum Shooting Distances

Shooting within 100 Yards of Dwelling house or Country Owned Gunkhole Launch:

It is unlawful to belch any firearm, muzzleloader, or crossbow, or cause a projectile to pass equally a result of that discharge, within 100 yards (300 feet) of a building without permission from the owner or, in the owner's absence, an developed occupant who dwells in that building. This provision also applies to country-owned boat launches that are posted accordingly.

New Law in 2021: it is unlawful to discharge an pointer from a bow and arrow when on country of another person and within 100 yards of a building on that land without permission of the possessor (or in the owner's absenteeism, permission from an adult occupant) of that building or crusade an arrow from a bow and arrow to pass across the land of another person and within 100 yards of a building on that country without the permission of the possessor (or in the owner's absence, permission from an developed occupant) of that edifice.

Definitions, equally Used in This Section:

"Edifice" means any residential, commercial, retail, educational, religious or farm structure that is designed to be occupied by people or domesticated animals or is beingness used to shelter machines or harvested crops.

"Projectile" means a bullet, pellet, shot, shell, brawl, bolt or other object propelled or launched from a firearm or crossbow.

Exception: Persons target practicing on country that they own or take permission to use may belch a crossbow within 100 yards of a dwelling, provided the projectile does not enter some other person'due south property.

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Target identification while hunting:

Summary of 12 MRSA §11222

A hunter may not shoot at a target without at that signal in time existence certain that the target is the wild animal or wild bird sought. A reasonable and prudent hunter:

  • Risks losing legitimate prey so as not to risk destruction of human life
  • Neither disregards, nor fails to be enlightened of, the gamble of causing the death of another human being equally a consequence of misidentification
  • Never bases identification upon sound alone, or even upon sound combined with what appears to be an appendage of the wild creature or wild bird sought.
  • Bases identification upon an essentially unobstructed view of the potential target'southward head and torso.
  • Recognizes that sound and sight target-determining factors are affected past a number of other considerations including, but non limited to, the altitude to the target, surrounding or intervening terrain and comprehend, lighting and weather weather, the hunter's hearing, eyesight, and experience level, and other people nearby.

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Hunting under the influence:

It is unlawful to hunt while nether the influence of exhilarant liquor or drugs.

Possession of hunting equipment on Sunday:

Possession of hunting equipment in the fields and forests or on the waters or water ice of this state on Sunday is prima facie evidence of a violation of Sunday hunting law, unless the equipment is securely wrapped in a complete comprehend, attached in a case, or carried in at least two separate pieces in such a way that information technology cannot be fired without the pieces being joined together (for the purpose of this paragraph, a firearm clip, magazine, or cylinder is non considered a "piece").

Bows and arrows must be kept in a case or cover if broadheads or field points are kept attached to the arrows.

Exception: A person may possess hunting equipment on Dominicus for legitimate activities such equally target practise, sighting in rifles, etc.

Airborne hunting:

A person on the ground or airborne may not utilize aircraft (including drones & remote-controlled aircraft) to assistance or assist in hunting deer, bear, or moose.

Shooting from a motor vehicle or motorboat or possessing a loaded firearm or crossbow in or on a motor vehicle:

It is unlawful to shoot or have a loaded firearm or crossbow while in or on a motor vehicle, motorboat, snowmobile or ATV or balance a loaded firearm or crossbow while in or on a motor vehicle, motorboat, snowmobile or ATV or trailer being hauled past a motor vehicle except every bit follows:

Exemptions:

  • A holder of a valid Maine curtained weapon permit may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in a motor vehicle as prescribed by Title 25 sub 2001A.
  • Persons who are at least 21 years of age, or are at least 18 years of age and a member or honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces or National Guard, may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in or on a motor vehicle if they are not otherwise prohibited from conveying a firearm. Upon contact with a law enforcement officeholder, a person carrying a concealed handgun without a allow must notify the officer immediately.
  • Paraplegics and leg amputees may shoot from motor vehicles.
  • Migratory waterfowl may exist hunted from a motorboat in accord with federal regulation.
  • A person who is hunting may rest a loaded firearm or crossbow that is under their control on the vehicle to shoot simply when the vehicle is non in motion and the engine is off.
  • A person may shoot from a motorboat if that gunkhole is not being propelled by the motor and forward momentum of the boat has stopped. Notwithstanding, the wanton waste law allows you to shoot crippled waterfowl from a motorboat under power on coastal waters and all waters of rivers and streams lying seaward of the outset upstream bridge.
  • A person who is hunting who is on but non inside an enclosed area or passenger compartment of an ATV or snowmobile may shoot a firearm or crossbow or rest a loaded firearm or crossbow that is nether the person's control on the ATV or snowmobile to shoot but when the vehicle is not in move and the engine is off.
  • While target shooting, not hunting, a person who is on only not within an enclosed area or passenger compartment of a vehicle may shoot a firearm or crossbow or residuum a loaded firearm or crossbow that is under their control on the vehicle to shoot only when the vehicle isn't in motion and the engine is off.

Notation: A loaded clip may be carried in a motor vehicle, but it must non be inserted in, or fastened to, a firearm; a crossbow may exist carried every bit long it is not artsy and armed; a muzzleloader is considered to be loaded only if charged with pulverization, projectile and a primed ignition device or mechanism.

Shooting From or Over a Public Paved Fashion:

A person may not shoot or discharge any firearm, crossbow, or bow and arrow at any wild fauna or bird from any public paved fashion (any road treated with bituminous or physical material), from within 10 feet of the border of its pavement, or from the right-of-style of whatever controlled access highway.

Shooting of domestic animals:

Information technology is unlawful for any person, while on a hunting trip, to negligently, carelessly, or willfully shoot and wound or kill any domestic beast or bird.

Firearms on school property:

Possession of a firearm or crossbow on public schoolhouse property or discharging 1 within 500 feet of school property, except every bit used in supervised educational programs or by law enforcement officials, is illegal.

Harassment of lawful hunter or trapper:

It is unlawful for any person to willfully interfere with the lawful hunting or trapping of any wild animal or wild bird, including the willful disturbance of wild animals or wild birds with intent to interfere with their lawful taking.

Disposal of Remains:

It is unlawful, except during normal field dressing or for baiting purposes, to dispose of the carcass, waste material parts, or remains of a wild animal, unless you lot are on private belongings that you lot ain, or property where you accept landowner's permission to do and so.

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Hunting with Dogs and Domestic dog Training

Dog Grooming Season

  • From July 1 through the following March 31, dogs may be trained on fox, snowshoe hare, and raccoons. During such preparation, it is unlawful to use or possess a firearm, other than a pistol or a shotgun loaded with bare ammunition, except during the applicable open hunting seasons on these species.
  • Dogs may be used to chase wild hares during the firearm flavour on deer.
  • Sporting dogs may be trained on wild birds (not including wild turkey) at any fourth dimension. The commissioner may authorize with a let the apply of firearms during such training to shoot and kill wild birds propagated or legally acquired by the permittee and possessed in accord with the laws pertaining to breeders, licenses.
  • Residents may train up to six dogs on bear from July one to August 26, 2021 except in portions of Washington and Hancock counties that are situated due south of Route 9. Nonresident Maine Guides are not eligible to train dogs in Maine.
  • A person must possess a valid hunting license to engage in all domestic dog training activities, except Sunday or when grooming on pen-raised birds.
  • Propagation permits for domesticated fowl are no longer required to possess or use them for domestic dog grooming purposes.

Hunting with Dogs

  • A person may not hunt with a canis familiaris in pursuit of carry, coyote or bobcat unless the dog has a collar that legibly provides the proper name, phone number and address of the dog'due south possessor.
  • A person or persons may not use more than than six dogs at any one time to hunt bear, bobcat, and coyote.
  • A person may not utilize a domestic dog to hunt coyotes or bear during the flow from 1/ii hour after dusk to 1/2 hour before sunrise.
  • For more data on hunting bears with dogs, come across Bear Hunting.

A person with a suspended or revoked license may not railroad train dogs.

Leashed Dog Tracking License

A license is available which allows the tracking of wounded deer, moose, and bear with dogs. The fee for this license is $81 for iii years and is in add-on to a 1-time awarding fee of $25. A person who holds a valid license may charge a fee for dog tracking services without having to hold a guide's license, every bit long equally that is the but service provided. Contact MDIFW for details.

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