An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Deer Hunting and To Extend the Coyote Hunting Season
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0303
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: TRAHAN, HANLEY, BRYANT, CONNOR, DAVIS, SA VIELLO, TARDY, TUTTLE, WATSON, WHEELER
Amends: 12 MRSA §11401, 12 MRSA §12001

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAINE LEGISLA u 
FIRST P£GULAR SESSION-2009 
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Legislative Document 
No. 303 
S.P.99 
In Senate, February 3,2009 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Deer Hunting and To 
Extend the Coyote Hunting Season 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator TRAHAN of Lincoln. 
Cosponsored by Representative HANLEY of Gardiner and 
9tfJ:(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: BRYANT of Oxford, Representatives: CONNOR of Kennebunk, DAVIS of 
Sangerville, SA VIELLO of Wilton, TARDY of Newport, TUTTLE of Sanford, WATSON of 
Bath, WHEELER of Kittery. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11401, sub-§I, €jTA, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
A. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and sections 10952, 11152, 11403 
and 11404 or by rule adopted by the commissioner pursuant to section 11402, 
subsection 4, there is an open season for deer in each <?alendar year in all counties of 
the State between September 15th and December ~ 
20th annually. In a year that 
the regular season extends beyond November 30th, the regular season must start no 
later than the 4th Monday preceding Thanksgiving. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11401, sub-§I, CijiB, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and 
amended by c. 655, Pt. B, § 168 and affected by §422, is further amended to read: 
B. 
The commissioner may shorten the open season on deer in any part of the State, 
as long as: 
(1) The demarcation of the areas with the shortened season follows recognizable 
physical boundaries, such as rivers and railroad rights-of-way; and 
(3) The Saturday preceding the first day of open season on deer is an open day 
only for residents of the State eHly and nomesidents who own 25 or more acres 
of land in this State and keep that land open to hunting. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §12001, sub-§I, as amended by PL 2007, c. 242, § 1, is further 
amended to read: 
1. Open night hunting season. Notwithstanding the night hunting prohibitions in 
section 11206-A, there is an open season for hunting coyotes at night in all counties of 
the State from Januarv 1 st December 20th to June 1 st August 15th. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to set December 
20th as the ending date for the open· season for deer. 
Current law allows the 
commissioner to set December 15th as the ending date. The bill allows nomesidents who 
own 25 or more acres of land in this State and keep that land open to hunting to hunt deer 
on the Saturday preceding the first day of open season on deer, which is currently 
reserved for hunting by residents only. The bill expands the open season for hunting 
coyotes at night from December 20th to August 15th. Current law provides a season that 
runs from January 1 st to June 1 st. 
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