HUNTING AREAS 31
MAINE INDIAN TERRITORY As a result of the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Acts of 1980 , land taken into trust by the United States on behalf of the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe within certain designated areas of the State is classified as Indian Territory . Subject to 30 MRS § 6207 ( 6 ), the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe have exclusive authority to regulate hunting and trapping within their respective Indian Territories ( which also include their respective Reservations ). At the time of this publication , the following lands were included within Indian Territory :
Penobscot Nation Franklin County : Alder Stream Twp .
Penobscot County : T2R9 NWP ( western portion ), T3R9 NWP ( eastern portion ), T6R8 WELS ( western portion ), Argyle
Township ( northern portion ), T3R1 NBPP ( northeastern portion ), and Penobscot Indian Reservation .
Piscataquis County : T6R8 NWP .
Passamaquoddy Tribe Franklin County : Lowelltown , T1R8 WBKP .
Hancock County : T3 & 4ND .
Penobscot County : T3R9 NWP , T5R1 NBPP , TAR7 WELS .
Somerset County : Holeb T6R1 NBKP , Prentiss , T4R4 NBKP , Hammond Township , T3R4 NBKP , Alder Brook Township , T3R3 NBKP , Pittston Academy Grant , T2R4 NBKP Soldiertown Township , T2R3 NBKP .
Washington County : T5ND , BPP ; T19 MD , Indian Township , and Pleasant Point , Perry .
These areas should be conspicuously posted as Indian Territory . Anyone wishing to hunt or trap within either Tribe ’ s Indian Territory should contact the appropriate tribal agency for further information .
Penobscot Nation Department of Natural Resources 12 Wabanaki Way Indian Island , ME 04468 ( 207 ) 817-7349
Passamaquoddy Tribe Ranger Department Box 301 , Princeton , ME 04668 ( 207 ) 796-2301
For more Tribal Information : Maine Tribal-State Commission 13 Commissary Point Rd Trescott , ME 04652 ( 207 ) 271-7762 ■
HUNTING / TRAPPING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
Hunting & Trapping on Private Property
The MDIFW Landowner Relations Program is actively working to enhance relationships between land owners and land users .
With approximately 94 % of the land in Maine privately owned , everyone MUST respect landowners and their rights . Landowner wishes have to be followed by all outdoor recreation participants to help ensure access and use of private property in the years to come .
Summarized below are several laws enacted by the Maine Legislature addressing landowners ’ concerns . For more details , consult the Maine Revised Statutes cited in parenthesis .
Landowner Liability ( 14 MRSA § 159-A ) Limited Duty
An owner , lessee , manager , holder of an easement or occupant of premises shall owe no duty of care to keep the premises safe for entry or use by others for recreational or harvesting activities or to give warning of any hazardous condition , use , structure or activity on these premises to persons entering for those purposes . This subsection applies regardless of whether permission has been given to pursue recreational or harvesting activities on the premises .
Exceptions to Limited Duty 1 . For a willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition , use , structure , or activity ; and
2 . When financial consideration is paid for the exclusive right to make use of the property for recreational activities .
Costs and Fees The court shall award any direct legal costs , including reasonable attorneys ’ fees , to an owner , lessee , manager , holder of an easement or occupant who is found not to be liable for injury to a person or property pursuant to this section .
Posting of Land and Criminal Trespass ( 17-A MRSA , § 402 )
Property is posted if it is marked with signs or paint in one of the following ways and in a manner that is reasonably likely to come to the attention of an intruder :
1 . Signs must indicate that access is prohibited , that access is prohibited without permission of the landowner or landowner ’ s agent , or that access for a particular activity is prohibited .
2 . One vertical “ OSHA Safety Purple ” stripe at least one inch in width and at least 8 inches in length means “ Access by Permission Only ” when it is placed on trees , posts or stones between three and five feet off the ground . These signs or paint stripes must mark the property at distances no more than 100 feet apart at locations that are readily visible to any person approaching the property , and at all vehicular access entries from a public road .
In addition , landowners may also , either verbally or in writing , personally communicate to others that access is prohibited . Remember , it is unlawful to remove , mutilate , deface or destroy a sign or paint mark that is placed in order to prohibit or restrict access ; and it is unlawful to post the land of another without permission of the landowner .
QUESTIONS ? CALL 207 287-8000 2024-25 STATE OF MAINE SUMMARY OF LAWS & RULES HUNTING