An Act To Clarify Certain Provisions Contained in the Recodified Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1697
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: BRYANT, DUNLAP, DAMON, BUNKER, DUPLESSIE, GERZOFSKY, HONEY, STONE, TOBIN
Amends: 12 MRSA §11154, 12 MRSA §11601, 12 MRSA §11702, 12 MRSA §11751, 12 MRSA §11801, 12 MRSA §12403, 12 MRSA §12404

Legislative Document 
No. 1697 
S.P.629 
In Senate, December 17, 2003 
An Act To Clarify Certain Provisions Contained in the Recodified 
Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Laws 
Submitted by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2003. Referred to the Committee 
on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Senator BRYANT of Oxford. 
Cosponsored by Representative DUNLAP of Old Town and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: DAMON of Hancock, Representatives: BUNKER of Kossuth Township, 
CHURCHllL of Orland, DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, HONEY 
of Boothbay, STONE of Berwick, TOBIN of Dexter. 
Printed 00 recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRS A §10001, sub-§12-A is enacted to read: 
l2-A. 
Dipnet. 
"Dipnet" 
means 
a 
device consisting of 
a 
rigid frame filled with netting, 
firmly attached to 
a 
rigid 
handle and manually operated by a single person. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11154, sub-§I, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, 
Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is amended to read: 
1. 
Permit 
required. 
Except 
as 
otherwise 
authorized 
pursuant to this Part, a person may not hunt or possess moose 
unless that person has a valid permit issued under this section. 
Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a 
Class E 
Q. crime for which a--mi-ni-mum--E-i-ae-tl-f--$-5-0--aRe.--an--amel:HI.I= 
e~~a±-~~-~wiee-~~-a~~~i-G&&~-~i£€£6€--B&&-m~6~-~-impesea the 
court shall impose a sentencing alternative of not less than 3 
days of imprisonment for the first offense, none of which may be 
suspended, and of not less than 10 days of imprisonment for each 
succeeding offense, 
none of which may be suspended; the court 
also shall impose a fine of not less than $1,000, none of which 
may be suspended. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRS A §11201, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is amended by inserting at the end 
a new paragraph to read: 
A person who hunts or possesses a moose in violation of this 
section commits a Class D crime for which the court shall impose 
a sentencing alternative involving a term of imprisonment not to 
exceed 180 days; the court also shall impose a fine of not less 
than $1,000, none of which may be suspended. 
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11601, last 11, 
Pt. 
A, 
§2 
and affected by Pt. 
following enacted in its place: 
as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
D, 
§7, 
is 
repealed and 
414, 
the 
A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime. 
Sec. 5. 12 MRS A §11651, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is repealed. 
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §11702, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is repealed. 
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §11751, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, 
Pt. 
A, 
§2 
and affected by Pt. 
D, 
§7, 
is repealed and 
the 
following enacted in its place: 
3. 
Violation. 
A person who violates this section commits a 
Class E crime. 
Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §11801, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
A. 
Hunting wild turkey after having killed one. 
A ~erson 
may 
not 
hunt 
wild 
turkey after that 
~erson has 
killed or 
registered one during the open season of that calendar year, 
except as otherwise provided. 
Sec. 9. 12 MRSA §11801, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, 
Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is amended to read: 
3. 
Penalties. 
A person who violates syasee~iea subsections 
and 
commits 
a 
Class 
E 
crime. 
A 
~erson who 
violates 
subsection 2-A commits a Class E crime for which the court shall 
impose 
a 
fine of not less than $500, 
none of which may be 
suspended. 
The court also shall impose a fine of $500 for each 
turkey unlawfully killed, none of which may be suspended. 
Sec. 10. 12 MRSA §12403, sub-§3, ,B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is repealed. 
Sec. 11. 12 MRSA §12404, sub-§6, ,D, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is repealed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies certain parts of the recently recodified 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12 
regarding moose permits 
and 
sentencing 
and 
sentencing alternatives 
guidelines 
for 
permit 
violations. 
It clarifies the number of turkeys allowed in turkey 
hunting season and penalties for violations. 
It also defines 
"dipnet."