GENERAL HUNTING LAWS
To hunt means to pursue, catch, take, kill or harvest wild birds and wild animals( wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity), including any physical part of that species of mammal or bird.
Unlawful Conduct: The hunting, possession, transporting of any species of wild animal 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 also 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 rock pigeon( a. k. a. rock dove).
PROHIBITION REGARDING SELLING OF WILD ANIMALS
Wild Birds: A person may not sell or possess for sale a wild bird, except for the plumage of lawfully harvested wild birds, and only if that sale does not violate regulations of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Wild Turkey: A person who has lawfully killed and registered a wild turkey may sell the plumage, wing bones, beard, and lower legs of that animal.
Finished Wildlife Products: A person may buy, sell, offer for sale, barter or trade legally obtained finished wildlife products, excluding federally protected wild animals and birds.
Bear, Deer, or Moose: A person may not buy, sell, offer for sale, or barter a bear, deer, or moose. See exceptions below for bear, deer, or moose parts.
A person may, without a hide dealer’ s license, buy, sell, offer for sale, barter, or trade naturally shed deer or moose antlers.
A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer, bear or moose may, without a hide dealer’ s license, sell:
• The head, hide, antlers * and feet of that deer.
• The head, hide, antlers *, feet and bones of that moose.
• The head, hide, teeth, gallbladder,* fat not attached to the meat, and claws( not attached to the paws) of that bear.
* Raw antlers, bear fat( not attached to the meat), and bear gallbladders may only be sold( including for money, barter, or trade) to a licensed hide dealer, and they must be tagged or accompanied with documentation containing the name and address of the person who legally killed the animal. Raw antlers and bear gallbladders may be gifted from a person who has lawfully killed and registered the animal and subsequently used for personal use( with appropriate documentation of the person who killed the animal); the recipient of the gifted parts must have a hide dealer ' s license in order to offer for sale, trade, or barter, and the sale must be to another licensed hide dealer.
You Need a Hide Dealer’ s License To: Commercially buy, sell, barter, or trade any raw, untanned animal hides( including fur-bearing animals) or parts of wild animals or birds not prohibited above.
Any parts bought or sold may not be attached to wild animal 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 state at( 207) 287-8000.
POSSESSION OF GIFT BEAR, DEER, MOOSE, OR WILD TURKEY A person may not accept as a gift any part of a bear, deer, moose, or wild turkey unless that animal, or part thereof, is plainly labeled with the name and address of the person who registered it and the year it was registered.
NIGHT HUNTING Except as otherwise provided, wild birds and wild animals may not be hunted from ½ hour after sunset until ½ hour before sunrise the following day.
Exceptions: migratory game bird( see page 40), raccoon and coyote( see page 24).
PLACEMENT OF BAIT As used in this section,“ bait” means an animal, plant, or part thereof used to attract wild animals for the purpose of hunting.
Species-specific Baiting Laws:
• Baiting or feeding of deer is prohibited from June 1-December 15. See page 21 for more information.
• Baiting and feeding moose and turkey is prohibited from September 1 to December 15.
GENERAL HUNTING LAWS
• Baiting and feeding turkey is prohibited during the spring wild turkey season.
• Further restrictions apply to bear baiting, see page 26.
A Person Placing Bait for Hunting Purposes Must:
• Obtain oral or written permission from the landowner or landowner’ s agent.
• Plainly label the bait with a 2-inch by 4-inch tag containing the name and address of the baiter.
• Clean up the bait site immediately upon landowner request; or if not requested, within 20 days of the last day the site is hunted.
A Person May NOT:
• Hunt over another person’ s bait site without the baiter’ s permission.
• Place any medicinal, poisonous, or stupefying substance to entice any animal.
SUNDAY HUNTING IS ILLEGAL IN MAINE
TARGET IDENTIFICATION WHILE HUNTING
( Summary of 12 MRSA § 11222) A hunter may not shoot at a target without at that point in time being 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 aware of, the risk of causing the death of another human being as 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 animal or wild bird sought.
• Bases identification upon an essentially unobstructed view of the potential target’ s head and torso.
• Recognizes that sound and sight target-determining factors are affected by a number of other considerations including, but not limited to, the distance to the target, surrounding or intervening terrain and cover, lighting and weather conditions, the hunter’ s hearing, eyesight, and experience level, and other people nearby.
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QUESTIONS? CALL 207 287-8000 2025-26 STATE OF MAINE SUMMARY OF LAWS & RULES HUNTING