Title 12, Title 12

1. License required. Except as otherwise authorized under this Part, a person may not engage in an activity authorized under this section unless that person has a valid license issued under this section. Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a Class E cri…

1. Unlawful use of licensed dog training area. The following provisions apply to licensed dog training areas. A. A person may not hunt on a licensed dog training area licensed under section 12052 except that the owner of the land being used as a licensed dog training area may hun…

1. Raccoon dog field trials. A person may hold raccoon dog field trials at any time. 2. Rabbit hound field trials. A person may not hold field trials for beagles and other rabbit hounds except from September 1st through the following April 10th. A person who violates this subsect…

1. License required. A club or organization may not hold field trials as provided under this section unless the club or organization has a valid license issued under this section. Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a civil violation. 2. Application and…

1. Issuance. 1-A. License required. A person may not charge others for the opportunity to hunt mallard ducks, pheasants, quail, Chukar partridge and Hungarian partridge in an area or establish a commercial shooting area for such purposes unless that person has a valid license iss…

1. Issuance. The commissioner may grant permits to import live mallard ducks, quail, Chukar partridge and Hungarian partridge to operators of commercial shooting areas. 2. Application. When requesting permission to import these birds, an importer shall: A. Provide the commissione…

1. Prohibition. A person may not keep wildlife in captivity except as provided under section 10105, subsection 10, sections 12102, 12152 and 12157 and Title 7, section 1809 or except if the wild animal was purchased from a dealer or pet shop licensed under Title 7, section 3933. …

1. Permit required. 1-A. Permit required. Except as otherwise provided in this Part, a person may not import wildlife into or possess wildlife in the State or receive or possess wildlife imported into the State. The department shall maintain a list of unregulated fish and wildlif…

Notwithstanding section 12151 as it applies to section 12152, section 12151 does not apply to migratory game birds, partridge, grouse or pheasant owned by the department.

1. Permit required. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part, a person may not release into the wild captive, raised or imported wildlife unless that person has a valid permit issued under this section. Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a …

1. Permit required. The commissioner may issue a permit to anyone permitting that person to take and transport within the limits of the State wildlife taken in the State for breeding or advertising purposes. 2. Prohibition. A person may not take or transport within the limits of …

1. Prohibition; penalties. Except as provided in this section, a person may not take or possess reptiles or amphibians from the wild for export, sale or commercial purposes. A. A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 …

1. Determination of species. The department shall respond to requests under Title 7, section 3911‑B, subsection 3 for assistance in capturing and disposing of an animal suspected of being a wolf hybrid. The department may presume that the animal is a wolf hybrid if: A. Licensure …

1. Prohibition; penalties. Except as provided in this section, a person may not take and possess certain nonmarine invertebrates, specifically freshwater mussels, butterflies, moths, dragonflies or beetles, from the wild for export, sale or commercial purposes. A. A person who vi…

1. License required. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part, a person may not trap unless that person has a valid license issued under this section. Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a Class E crime for which a minimum fine of $50 and an…

Notwithstanding section 12201, subsection 1 and subject to all other applicable laws and rules, a resident and a member of the resident's immediate family, as long as the trapper's license to trap is not under suspension or revocation, may trap for wild animals without a trapping…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "In the presence of" means in visual and voice contact without the use of visual or audio enhancement devices, including but not limited to binocul…

1. General. Except as otherwise provided in this Part and except as the commissioner may establish by rule that is not inconsistent with this chapter, there is a perpetual closed season on trapping any wild animal or wild bird. 2. Unity Utilities District. There is a continued cl…

1. Unlawfully rigging traps. A person may not use auxiliary teeth on any leg-hold trap set on land. 2. Use or possession of prohibited implements or aids. A person may not: A. Set or tend a snare for the purpose of trapping any wild animal or wild bird, except as provided in sect…

1. Trapping without written consent. A person may not, without first obtaining the written consent of the landowner or occupant, trap any wild animal on land in any organized or incorporated place or on the cultivated or pasture area of land that is used for agricultural purposes…

1. Prohibition. A person may not set a trap for any wild animal without having the trap plainly labeled with that person's full name and address or that person's trapping online licensing system identification number issued by the department. 2. Penalties. The following penalties…

1. Failure to visit traps. A person shall: A. While trapping in an organized or incorporated place: (1) Check each trap, except killer-type traps or drowning sets, at least once in every calendar day; and (2) Check each killer-type trap or drowning set at least once in every 3 ca…

A person may not disturb or take a trap or a wild animal from a trap, other than that person's own trap, without the consent of the owner of the trap, except that a landowner or occupant of land that the landowner or occupant is legally entitled to possess may remove any trap fou…

1. Prohibition. A department biologist or warden may not trap wild animals for profit while on duty within the district to which that person is assigned. 2. Penalties. The following penalties apply to violations of this section. A. A person who violates subsection 1 commits a civ…

1. Snares. A person may use snares to trap for beaver during the open beaver trapping season. 2. Rules. All rules adopted pursuant to section 10104, subsection 1 pertaining to the trapping of beaver with killer-type traps also apply to the trapping of beaver with snares. 3. Nonre…

1. Open and closed season. There is an open season on trapping bear from September 1st to October 31st annually. A. The commissioner may shorten the open season on bear in any part of the State as long as: (1) The demarcation of the areas with a shortened season follows recogniza…

1. Permit required. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part a person may not trap for bear without a valid bear trapping permit during the open bear trapping season under section 12260, subsection 1. Each day a person violates this subsection, that person commits a C…

The commissioner may issue a license to an organization recognized as a beagle club by the commissioner to take live snowshoe hares. [PL 2007, c. 45, §1 (NEW).] 1. License required. Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part, a beagle club may not trap a snowshoe hare w…

1. Registration stations established. The commissioner shall adopt rules governing the establishment and closure of bear, deer, moose and wild turkey registration stations for the purpose of registering harvested bear, deer, moose and wild turkey and to allow for the collection o…

Beginning in 2023, the department shall allow electronic registration of turkey. The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this section. The rules may include exceptions to or electronic means of compliance with any of the requirements of this chapter for a person who regis…

1. Requirement. Except as provided in section 12307 or rules adopted under section 12301‑B, a person who kills a bear, deer, moose or wild turkey shall: A. Remain with that animal until it is registered, except as provided in section 12303‑A; [PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §228 (NEW); …

1. Time limits. Except as provided in subsection 1‑A and in section 12307 or in rules adopted under section 12301‑B, a person may not keep any of the following unregistered wild animals for more than 18 hours: A. Bear; [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).] B. Deer; [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (R…

1. Wild turkey. Except as provided in rules adopted under section 12301‑B, a person shall present a wild turkey in its entirety for registration, except that the viscera may be removed in a manner that permits determination of the sex of the animal. 2. Bear, deer and moose. A per…

1. Prohibition. A person may not present for registration or allow to be registered in that person's name any of the following animals that that person did not lawfully kill: A. Bear; [PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF).] B. Deer; [PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A,…

1. Prohibition. Except as provided in section 12307, a person may not possess any of the following animals if that animal has not been legally registered as provided in this chapter or rules adopted under section 12301‑B, unless that animal is possessed in accordance with chapter…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person who kills a wild turkey during any fall open season on hunting wild turkey in 2022 established by rule by the commissioner under section 11701 is not required to register or attach a tag to that turkey.

1. Prohibition. A person may not transport a harvested wild animal or wild bird unless that animal is lawfully possessed by that person. 1-A. Transportation prior to registration. Prior to registration, a person may not transport a harvested bear, deer, moose or wild turkey unles…

Except as provided in sections 12402 and 12404, a person may lawfully kill, or cause to be killed, any wild animal or wild turkey, night or day, found in the act of attacking, worrying or wounding that person's domestic animals or domestic birds or destroying that person's proper…

1. Permission to kill nuisance animals or wild turkeys. Except as provided in section 12404, the cultivator, owner, mortgagee or keeper of any orchard or growing crop, except all types of grasses, clover and grain fields, may take or kill wild animals or wild turkeys night or day…

1. Claims. The State is not liable for any claims for damages to a motor vehicle by a wild animal or wild bird. 2. Accidental collisions involving deer, moose, bear or wild turkey. This subsection applies to accidental collisions involving deer, moose, bear or wild turkey. A. The…

1. Bear. This subsection applies to the taking or killing of bear found doing damage. A. Section 12402 does not prohibit the taking or killing of bear found doing damage to blueberry land. [PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 614, §9 (AFF).] B. The commissioner may issu…

1. Waters covered by provisions relating to fish. This Part so far as it relates to fish of all varieties and fishways applies to fish and fishways in the inland waters of the State. 2. Great ponds. A person on foot may engage in any activity on the great ponds not inconsistent w…

Fishing rules as set forth in the Open Water and Ice Fishing Regulations folder, as maintained by the department in an electronic version and distributed through electronic means, are declared to be official consolidations of fishing rules upon filing with the Secretary of State,…

All inland waters of the State are closed to fishing except as opened by law or rule.

1. Closed waters; commissioner's authority. All inland waters of the State are closed to ice fishing except those that have been opened by rule of the commissioner. A. The commissioner may by rule close to ice fishing waters that have been reclaimed by the removal of rough fish. …

1. Open seasons. 1-A. Open seasons. The commissioner shall establish open seasons for fishing, except as provided in this section and section 6140‑A, subsection 4. A. The open-water fishing season on boundary waters between Maine and New Brunswick is from April 1st to September 3…