An Act To Permit Small Game Hunting on Private Property on Sunday in Unorganized Territory
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0388
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: McGLOCKLIN, BRYANT, PINEAU, RICHARDSON, TOBIN, WATSON, WHEELER, WOTTON, DAVIS
Amends: 12 MRSA §7406, 12 MRSA §7901-A

Legislative Document 
No. 388 
H.P.308 
House of Representatives, January 30, 2003 
An Act To Permit Small Game Hunting on Private Property on 
Sunday in Unorganized Territory 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative McGLOCKLIN of Embden. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRYANT of Oxford and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: DUGA Y of Cherryfield, PINEAU of Jay, RICHARDSON of Greenville, 
TOBIN of Dexter, WATSON of Bath, WHEELER of Kittery, WOTTON of Littleton, Senator: 
DAVIS of Piscataquis. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7406, sub-§20, 1JD is enacted to read: 
D. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 4: 
(I) 
The commissioner may authorize a private landowner 
who owns a continuous piece of property that is greater 
than 500 acres and located entirely wi thin unorganized 
territory to open that property on Sunday to hunters 
permitted to hunt on Sunday under this paragraph. 
The 
commissioner may not authorize Sunday hunting on any 
property that is not open to hunting by the public and 
adjoins public property defined as a park under section 
1801 or established pursuant to section 7651 or section 
8003, subsection 3, paragraph N; and 
(2) 
The commissioner may issue Sunday hunting permits 
to licensed hunters to hunt rabbit or grouse during the 
regular open season on authorized private property as 
described in subparagraph (I). 
The annual fee for a 
Sunday hunting permit is $15. 
All 
revenues 
raised 
pursuant to this paragraph must 
be deposited in 
a 
dedicated account to be used only for the purposes 
described in section 7035, subsection 13. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRS A §7901-A, sub~§6. 1rA, as amended by PL 200L c. 
610, 
§3 and c. 667, Pt. B, 
§9, is repealed and the following 
enacted in its place: 
A. 
Chapter 709, subchapter 1 violations: 
(I) 
Shooting at or near wildfowl decoys as described 
in section 7406, subsection 11; 
(2) 
Hunting 
without 
hunter 
orange 
clothing 
as 
described in section 7406, subsection 12; 
(3) 
Allowing a 
junior hunter to hunt without adult 
supervision as described in section 7406, subsection 21; 
(4) 
Using an aircraft to aid or assist in hunting big 
game as described in section 7406, subsection 24 if the 
violation does not involve the taking of a big game 
animal; 
(5) 
Hunting on 
a 
state game 
farm as described in 
section 7406, subsection 22; 
(6) 
Hunting 
in 
a 
licensed 
wildlife 
exhibit 
as 
described in section 7406, sUbsection 23; and 
(7) 
A landowner's 
allowing Sunday hunting on that 
landowner's property without meeting the requirements 
described in section 7406, subsection 20, paragraph D; 
Sec.3. 12 MRSA §7901-A, sub-§7, 1JF is enacted to read: 
F. 
The following violation is a Class E crime for which the 
court shall impose a 
fine of not less than $75, 
none of 
which may be suspended: 
( 1) 
Knowingly hunting on Sunday on land that has not 
been authorized by the commissioner to be open for 
Sunday hunting pursuant to section 7406, subsection 20, 
paragraph D. 
Sec. 4. Effective date. 
This Act takes effect January 1, 2004. 
Sec. 5. Repeal. 
This Act is repealed January 1, 2006. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows the Department of Inland Fisheries 
and 
Wildlife to authorize a private landowner owning a 
continuous 
piece of property that is greater than 500 acres and located 
entirely within unorganized territory to open that property on 
Sunday to hunters 
who 
have permits to hunt on 
Sunday. 
The 
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife may not authorize 
private property for Sunday hunting if the property owner does 
not keep that property open to hunting by the public. 
The 
commissioner may issue Sunday hunting permits to hunt rabbit and 
grouse on authorized private property during the regular open 
season. 
The commissioner may not authorize private property for 
Sunday hunting if that property adjoins certain public property. 
The fee for a Sunday hunting permit is $15. 
The bill also sets an effective date of January 1, 2004 and 
a repeal date of January 1, 2006.