Maine hunting and fishing laws

For an adult firearms license, applicants must show they have either possessed an adult license to hunt with firearms in any year beginning with 1976, or successfully completed an approved hunter safety course in any U.S. state, province or country. An apprentice hunter must hunt in the presence of a supervisor at least 18 years of age who has held an adult license for the prior three years.

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There is no minimum age for a junior hunting license, which every hunter under 16 needs. Hunters 10 to 15 must be in the presence and effective control of a qualified junior hunter supervisor, and hunters under 10 must have a supervisor who stays within 20 feet at all times. After turning 16 a hunter may keep using the junior license for the rest of that calendar year.

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Applies to: Deer

During the firearms and muzzleloader deer seasons two articles are required: a solid-colored hunter orange hat, and a second article that must cover a major portion of the torso, each at minimum 50 percent orange, in good and serviceable condition and visible from all sides. Hunting with bow and arrow is exempt, though orange is recommended. Blaze pink is not permitted.

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Applies to: Big game

Moose season requires one article of hunter orange. Hunter orange is defined as a daylight fluorescent orange color with a dominant wave length between 595 and 605 nanometers. Maine specifies garments and 50 percent coverage, not square inches.

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SUNDAY HUNTING IS ILLEGAL IN MAINE, in the lawbook's own words, on public and private land alike. Possession of hunting equipment in the fields and forests or on the waters or ice of this state on Sunday is prima facie evidence of a violation of Sunday hunting law, unless securely wrapped, cased, or disassembled. No change was found as of the current edition.

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Wild birds and wild animals may not be hunted from 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before sunrise the following day. Legal hunting hours are based on sunrise and sunset in Bangor, Maine (Eastern Standard Time).

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Applies to: Deer

Baiting or feeding of deer is prohibited during the summer through mid-winter period set in the regulations. The bait placer must have landowner permission, label the bait with a 2 by 4 inch tag bearing name and address, and clean up within 20 days of last use or on request.

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Applies to: Bear

Bear bait may be placed up to 30 days before the bear bait season opens and no later than October 31, and bait areas must be cleaned up by November 10. You need the landowner's permission (a permit on wildlife management areas and Public Reserved Land), and the stand or bait area must carry a 2 by 4 inch tag with the baiter's name and address. Bait must be at least 50 yards from a drivable travel way and more than 500 yards from an occupied dwelling unless you have written permission, and no medicinal, poisonous or stupefying substance may be used.

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There is no general night hunting. During the fall period set in the regulations it is unlawful to use artificial lights to illuminate, jack, locate, attempt to locate or show up wild birds or animals. Raccoon may be hunted at night with flashlights during the open season. Coyote night hunting requires a separate permit and is limited to a period set each year.

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Applies to: Big game

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 with their name, address, and license number. In transit the animal must be open to view and readily observed from outside the vehicle.

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Applies to: Big game

A person may not keep an unregistered bear, deer, moose, or wild turkey for more than 18 hours after the animal was harvested, extended to 7 days or until departure for trips lodging in unorganized townships. The animal must be presented at the first open registration station for that animal on the hunter's route.

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Always get permission, even if the land isn't posted. Landowners may prohibit access either verbally or in writing. Posted land carries signs at distances no more than 100 feet apart at locations that are readily visible, and at all vehicular access entries from a public road.

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Under the purple paint statute, one vertical OSHA Safety Purple stripe at least one inch in width and at least 8 inches in length, placed between three and five feet off the ground, means Access by Permission Only. Roughly 94 percent of Maine is privately owned, and everyone MUST respect landowners and their rights.

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