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GENERAL HUNTING LAWS
TAGGING , TRANSPORTATION & REGISTRATION
TAGGING REQUIREMENTS Prior to presenting a bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey for registration , a person may not possess or leave that animal in the field or forest unless they have securely attached a plainly visible tag to the animal with their name , address , and license number on the tag . For information on tagging a bobcat , see page 25 .
Transporting Harvested Animals : A person may not transport a harvested wild animal or bird that they do not lawfully possess , nor may they present for registration , or allow to be registered in their name , any bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey that they did not lawfully kill . Prior to registration , any harvested bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey in transit must be open to view , meaning that the animal is not concealed and can be readily observed in whole or in part from outside of the vehicle or trailer transporting it . Once an animal or bird has been registered , it may be transported by another person .
Registration Requirements : A person who kills a bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey must : 1 . Remain with the animal until it is registered , ( with some exceptions – see Time Limits for Registering section ).
2 . Present the animal for registration in that person ’ s name at the first open registration station for that animal on their route . Wild turkey may be self-registered online and a copy of the registration seal number must be kept .
3 . Leave the registration seal attached until the animal is processed and packaged for consumption .
4 . Pay a fee of $ 5.00 to register a bear , deer or moose ( of which $ 2 is retained by the agent and $ 2 of the deer registration is dedicated to a fund that can be used for deer habitat enhancement and to assist landowners with deer conflicts ) or $ 2.00 to register a wild turkey , all of which is retained by the agent . There is no fee to self-register a turkey online .
TIME LIMITS FOR REGISTERING A person may not keep an unregistered bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey for more than 18 hours after the animal was harvested . This does not apply to an animal that is kept in an official registration station for the animal or at the office of a game warden . A person may exceed the 18-hour limit under special circumstances , but that person must still notify a game warden within 18 hours . A person on a hunting trip in an unorganized township and staying at a temporary place of lodging may keep an unregistered harvested animal at the temporary place of lodging for no more than 7 days or until that person leaves the woods , whichever comes first .
A person may not possess a bear , deer , moose , or wild turkey that has not been legally registered , except as otherwise provided in the statutes regarding nuisance animals or animals causing damage . Bobcats killed by hunting must be tagged by a MDIFW employee within 10 calendar days of the time they were harvested , and hunter must submit a labeled tooth and tissue at the time of registration . See page 25 .
CONDITION OF ANIMAL PRESENTED FOR REGISTRATION Prior to registration , bear , deer , and moose may be dismembered for ease of transportation , all edible meat , the head and evidence of sex must be presented for registration . The viscera , hide , lower legs and rib cage , including the ribs , spine and pelvis , are not required to be presented for registration but must be disposed of where they are not visible to a person traveling on a public or private way . Wild turkey must be presented for registration in its entirety , including evidence of sex except that the viscera may be removed .
Bear : Hunters and trappers are required to remove a premolar tooth from the bear they harvest and provide the tooth when they register their bear ( instructions available at registration and online ). Hunters will be notified of the age of the bear they harvested on the Bear Hunting page of the MDIFW website prior to the start of the next bear hunting season ( late August ).
Turkey : All radio transmitters must be submitted to MDIFW . Hunters can keep any leg bands or wing tags as long as they have reported them to MDIFW . ■
REPORTING ACCIDENTS & AIDING VICTIMS
Any person who knows or has reason to believe that they have inflicted injury to another person by the use of a firearm or archery equipment is required to make themselves known to the victim and render such first aid and assistance as they are capable of under the circumstances . The incident must be reported by the quickest means , to a game warden or other law enforcement officer .
CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES
PFAS
Because of possible contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ), MDIFW , Maine Center for Disease Control ( MECDC ), and Maine Department of Environmental Protection ( MEDEP ) have issued consumption advisories for deer and turkey harvested in certain parts of the state . Learn more at mefishwildlife . com / pfas .
Heavy Metals
Because of possible contamination with the heavy metal cadmium , Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ( MDIFW ) and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( MECDC ) recommend that the liver and kidneys of moose not be eaten , and deer liver consumption be limited to 0.8 pounds in one sitting and 1 to 1 1 / 3 pounds per week .
Because of possible contamination with mercury , MDIFW has issued a consumption advisory for waterfowl harvested in parts of the lower Penobscot River . Learn more at mefishwildlife . com / advisory .
2024-25 STATE OF MAINE SUMMARY OF LAWS & RULES HUNTING QUESTIONS ? CALL 207 287-8000