Title 12, Title 12

1. Prohibition. A person may not waste a wild bird or wild animal that has been wounded or killed by that person while hunting. For purposes of this section, "waste" means to intentionally leave a wounded or killed animal in the field or forest without making a reasonable effort …

1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Big game" means bear, deer and moose. [PL 2021, c. 87, §1 (NEW).] B. "Canadian border province resident" means a nonresident who is not a cit…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Bait" means an animal or plant or a part of an animal or plant used to attract wild animals for the purpose of hunting. "Bait" does not include: (…

1. Collar required. A person may not hunt with a dog in pursuit of bear, coyote, bobcat, fox or raccoon unless the dog has a collar with a functioning global positioning system tracker and a collar that legibly provides the name, telephone number and address of the owner of that …

1. Open season on bear; commissioner's authority. This subsection governs the open and closed seasons on bear. A. The commissioner shall by rule establish an open season on hunting bear beginning no earlier than the 2nd Monday preceding September 1st and ending no later than Nove…

1. Bear baiting; penalty. A person may not place bait to entice, hunt or trap black bear, unless: A. The bait is placed at least 50 yards from a travel way that is accessible by a conventional 2-wheel-drive or 4-wheel-drive vehicle; [PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. A, §9 (RPR).] B. The stan…

1. Limit on number of dogs. A person may not, while either hunting alone or hunting with other persons, use more than 6 dogs at any one time to hunt bear. 2. Nonresidents hunting with dogs. A nonresident may not hunt bear with the use of a dog or dogs unless that nonresident empl…

1. Dump demarcation. The commissioner, or the commissioner's agent, shall establish a line of demarcation at least 500 yards from sites permitted or licensed for the disposal of solid waste. 2. Prohibition. A person may not within the area described in subsection 1: A. Hunt bear;…

A person may not, without the permission of the person conducting the hunt, kill or wound a bear that is treed or held at bay by another person's dog or dogs. [PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF).] A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime…

1. Prohibition. A person may not use a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire firearm or a shotgun using shot loads to hunt bear. 2. Penalty. A person who violates subsection 1 commits a Class E crime.

The commissioner shall establish by rule limits on the number of bears a person may hunt, trap and possess in a season, which may not exceed 2 bears in total and may not exceed one bear by trapping in a calendar year, except a person may keep more than 2 legally obtained bears in…

1. Bear tags. The commissioner shall prescribe the form and content of and produce a bear tag. 2. Tagging. Prior to presenting a bear for registration, a person may not possess or leave in the field or forest a bear killed by that person unless the bear has securely attached to i…

A person may not possess any part or parts of a bear given to that person unless that gift bear is plainly labeled with the name of the person who registered it and the year the bear was registered by that person. [PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §167 (RPR); PL…

1. Open and closed seasons. This subsection applies to open and closed seasons for deer. A. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and sections 10952, 11152, 11153, 11403 and 11404 or by rule adopted by the commissioner pursuant to subsection 2, there is an open season f…

1. License required. 2. Open archery season on deer. The commissioner shall by rule establish a regular archery season beginning at least 30 days prior and extending to the beginning of the regular deer hunting season, as described in section 11401, subsection 1, paragraph A, for…

1. Muzzle-loading-only open season on deer. 1-A. Muzzle-loading-only open season on deer. There is a special muzzle-loading open season on deer immediately following the regular deer hunting season established under section 11401, subsection 1, paragraph A for the purpose of hunt…

1. Prohibitions. A person may not, during an open hunting season on deer: A. Place salt or any other bait or food in a place to entice deer to that place; or [PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF).] B. Hunt from an observation stand or blind overlooking salt…

1. Unlawfully driving deer. A person may not participate in a hunt for deer during which an organized or planned effort is made to drive deer. For purposes of this subsection, 4 or more persons working together to move deer constitutes an organized or planned effort to drive deer…

1. Prohibition. A person may not hunt deer with any firearms using a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire cartridge, except that the use of the .22 caliber rimfire magnum cartridge is not prohibited. 2. Penalties. The following penalties apply to violations of subsection 1. A. A person who…

1. Exceeding bag limit. A person may not possess more than one deer during any open season, except a person may keep more than one legally obtained deer in that person's home at any time or as otherwise provided in law. 2. Hunting deer after having killed one. A person may not hu…

1. Deer tags. The commissioner shall prescribe the form and content of and produce a deer tag. 2. Tagging. Prior to presenting a deer for registration, a person may not possess or leave in the field or forest a deer killed by that person unless the deer has securely attached to i…

A person may not possess any part or parts of a deer given to that person unless that gift deer is plainly labeled with the name of the person who registered it and the year the deer was registered by that person. [PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §174 (RPR); PL…

The commissioner may issue applications for moose hunting permits, issue permits and make all rules pertaining to moose hunting permits, including provisions for the permittees who are selected for a permit but unable to use the permit. The commissioner may make all other rules t…

1. Areas open to moose hunting. The commissioner may designate by rule areas of the State open to moose hunting. 2. Moose management. To effectively manage the moose herd in the State, the commissioner may by rule establish: A. The number of moose permits to be issued every year,…

1. Hunting with permittee. A person may not hunt moose with a permittee unless that person is a subpermittee authorized in accordance with this section. 2. Presence of permittee. A subpermittee may not hunt moose if that subpermittee is not in the presence of the permittee while …

A person may not participate in a hunt for moose during which an organized or planned effort is made to drive moose. A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime.

1. Prohibition. A person may not use a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire firearm or a shotgun using shot loads to hunt moose. 1-A. Hunting moose with a crossbow; 70 years of age or older. 2. Penalties. The following penalties apply to violations of subsection 1. A. A person who violates…

1. Prohibitions. From September 1st to December 15th a person may not: A. Place salt or any other bait or food in a place to entice moose to that place; or [PL 2011, c. 253, §20 (NEW).] B. Hunt from an observation stand or blind overlooking salt, grain, fruit, nuts or other foods…

A person may not hunt moose after that person has killed or registered one during the open season of that calendar year, except as otherwise provided. [PL 2003, c. 552, §8 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 552, §15 (AFF); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. C, §§2, 6 (AFF).] A person who violates this section…

1. One moose per permit holder. A person may not exceed the bag limit of one moose per permit holder. In the case of a permittee and a subpermittee, the permit allows one of them to take one moose. Except as provided in sections 12401 and 12402, a person may not shoot more than o…

1. Tags. The commissioner shall prescribe the form and content of and produce moose tags. 2. Tagging. Prior to presenting a moose for registration, a person may not possess or leave in the field or forest a moose killed by that person unless the moose has securely attached to it …

A person may not possess any part or parts of a moose given to that person unless that gift moose is plainly labeled with the name of the person who registered it and the year the moose was registered by that person. [PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §178 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §4…

The commissioner may establish open seasons for hunting wild turkeys, designate areas that are open to the taking of wild turkeys in any part of the State, prescribe the form and regulate the number of permits to be issued, determine the number and sex of the birds to be harveste…

1. Possession of wild turkeys. A person may not possess a wild turkey taken in violation of any rule adopted by the commissioner under section 11701. 2. Exceeding bag limit. A person may not possess more than the number of wild turkey allowed by rule during any open season, excep…

1. Tags. The commissioner shall prescribe the form and content of and produce wild turkey tags. 2. Tagging. Except as provided in section 12307, prior to presenting a wild turkey for registration, a person may not possess or leave in the field or forest a wild turkey killed by th…

A person may not possess any part or parts of a wild turkey given to that person unless that gift wild turkey is labeled with the name of the person who registered it and the year the wild turkey was registered by that person. [PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §182 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 655,…

1. Unlawful hunting of wild turkey. A person may not hunt wild turkeys in violation of rules adopted under section 11701. 2. Unlawful methods of hunting wild turkey. A person may not: A. Employ the use of a dog or dogs in any manner while hunting wild turkeys except during the fa…

1. Prohibitions. From September 1st to December 15th and during the first open wild turkey hunting season established by the commissioner in that year pursuant to section 11701, a person may not: A. Place any bait or food in a place to entice a wild turkey to that place; or [PL 2…

1. Unlawfully hunting or trapping wild birds. A person may not hunt or trap a wild bird, other than the English or European house sparrow, the rock pigeon, also known as the rock dove, and the European starling, except as provided in this Part. 2. Unlawful possession of wild bird…

1. Prohibition. A person may not hunt waterfowl on Haley Pond in the Town of Rangeley and Dallas Plantation in the County of Franklin. 2. Penalties. The following penalties apply to violations of this section. A. A person who violates subsection 1 commits a civil violation for wh…

A person may not take, possess or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of a wild bird, except the English or European house sparrow, the rock pigeon, also known as the rock dove, and the European starling. A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime.

1. Prohibition. Unless specifically permitted by regulations of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 United States Code, Sections 703 to 712, or by rules adopted by the commissioner in conformity with Title 5, Part 18, except section 8052, subsection 3 of that Title, a perso…

The commissioner shall establish by rule a hunting season for male pheasants that disallows the taking of female pheasants in certain areas of the State. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A. A perso…

1. Daily bag limit. On any given day, a person may not take more than the daily bag limit of an upland game species as established by the commissioner. 2. Possession limit. A person may not possess more than the possession limit of an upland game species as established by the com…

1. Open season. An open season for hunting raccoons established by the commissioner must be of uniform duration throughout the State. 2. Night hunting. Notwithstanding the night hunting prohibition in section 11206, raccoons may be hunted at night during an open season establishe…

A person may use a dog to hunt, or may be accompanied by a dog while hunting, wild hares or rabbits during the open firearm season on deer.