An Act Regarding the Buying and Selling of Animal Parts
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1016
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: DAVIS
Amends: 12 MRSA §10001, 12 MRSA §11217, 12 MRSA §12954

Legislative Document 
No. 1016 
H.P. 714 
House of Representatives, March 14, 2013 
An Act Regarding the Buying and Selling of Animal Parts 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DAVIS of Sangerville.  (BY REQUEST) 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§10-A is enacted to read: 
10-A.  Commercially.  "Commercially" means, with regard to the buying, selling, 
bartering or trading of wildlife parts, for the purpose of resale or profit or receiving any 
form of remuneration. 
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§20-A is enacted to read: 
20-A.  Finished wildlife products.  "Finished wildlife products" means tanned 
animal hides and finished taxidermy mounts, including full or partial body mounts or 
antlers mounted on a plaque. 
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§42-C is enacted to read: 
42-C.  Naturally shed.  "Naturally shed" means naturally dropped from the animal 
without any human manipulation. 
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §11217, sub-§2, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and 
amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §151 and affected by §422, is repealed and the following 
enacted in its place: 
2.  Exception.  This subsection provides for exceptions to the prohibitions against the 
purchase, sale, offer for sale or barter of wild animals and wild birds under this section. 
A.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped and registered a bear may sell, 
without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, teeth, claws not attached to the 
paws and gall bladder of that animal. 
B.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer may sell, without a hide 
dealer's license, only the hide, head, antlers and feet of that animal. 
C.  A person may sell the head, hide, feet and antlers of a domesticated deer and the 
meat of a domesticated deer for use as food only in accordance with Title 7, chapter 
202. 
D.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a moose may sell, without a hide 
dealer's license, only the hide, head, bones, antlers and feet of that animal. 
E.  A person may buy or sell, without a hide dealer's license, naturally shed antlers 
from deer or moose. 
F.  A person may buy or sell, without a taxidermy license or a hide dealer's license, 
legally obtained finished wildlife products, excluding federally protected wild 
animals and wild birds except in accordance with federal law. 
G.  A person may buy, without a hide dealer's license, for that person's personal use 
and not for resale, only the teeth, claws not attached to paws, skull or head and hide 
of a bear; only the bones, feet and hide of a moose; the skull or head of a deer or 
moose, excluding antlers; and all other parts of wild animals and wild birds not 
prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under subsections 1 
and 3. 
H.  A person who possesses a valid hide dealer's license may lawfully buy, sell, barter 
and trade for profit the parts of wild animals under paragraphs A, B and D, lawfully 
obtained raw, untanned animal hides and any parts of wild animals and wild birds not 
prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under subsections 1 
and 3. 
Parts bought or sold under this subsection may not be attached to wild animals or wild 
birds that are prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under 
subsections 1 and 3.  Bear gall bladders and raw, unfinished deer and moose antlers must 
be tagged or accompanied with documentation containing the name and address of the 
person who lawfully killed the animal. 
As used in this subsection, "hide dealer's license" means a license issued pursuant to 
section 12954. 
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
1.  License required.  Except as provided in subsection 6 6-A and section 12955, a 
person may not engage in any activity for which a hide dealer's license may be issued 
under subsection 2 without a valid hide dealer's license. 
Each day a person violates this subsection, that person commits a Class E crime for which 
a minimum fine of $50 $1,000 and an amount equal to twice the applicable license fee 
must be imposed. 
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
2.  Issuance.  The commissioner may issue a hide dealer's license permitting a person 
to commercially: 
A.  Buy, sell, barter or trade any lawfully obtained bear gall bladders, raw unfinished 
moose antlers or raw unfinished deer antlers; 
B.  Buy, sell, barter or trade any lawfully obtained raw, untanned animal hides or 
parts of wild animals and wild birds not prohibited from being bought, sold, offered 
for sale or bartered under section 11217, subsections 1 and 3; and 
C.  Aid or assist another in the activities described in paragraphs A and B. 
Parts of wild animals and wild birds bought, sold, bartered or traded under this section 
may not be attached to wild animals or wild birds that are prohibited from being bought, 
sold, offered for sale or bartered under section 11217, subsections 1 and 3. 
Sec. 7.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§4-A, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, 
§348 and affected by §422, is amended to read: 
A.  A licensee shall: 
(1)  Keep a true and complete record, in such form as is required by the 
commissioner, of all to include the names and addresses of persons buying or 
selling heads, hides and bear gall bladders purchased; and 
(2)  File that record with the commissioner on or before June 30th of each year. 
Sec. 8.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is repealed. 
Sec. 9.  12 MRSA §12954, sub-§6-A is enacted to read: 
6-A.  Exceptions.  The following are exceptions to the license requirements in this 
section. 
A.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a deer may sell, without a hide 
dealer's license, only the hide, head, antlers and feet of that animal. 
B.  A person who has lawfully killed and registered a moose may sell, without a hide 
dealer's license, only the hide, head, bones, antlers and feet of that animal. 
C.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped and registered a bear may sell, 
without a hide dealer's license, only the hide, head, teeth, claws not attached to the 
paws and gallbladder of that animal. 
D.  A person who has lawfully killed or trapped a fur-bearing animal may sell, 
without a hide dealer's license, any part of that animal. 
E.  A person may buy or sell, without a taxidermy license or a hide dealer's license, 
legally obtained finished wildlife products, including tanned animal hides and 
finished taxidermy mounts. 
F.  A person may buy or sell, without a hide dealer's license, naturally shed antlers 
from deer and moose. 
G.  A person may buy, without a hide dealer's license, for that person's own personal 
use and not for resale, only the teeth, claws not attached to paws, skull or head and 
hide of a bear; only the bones, feet and hide of a moose; the skull or head of a deer or 
moose, excluding antlers; and all other parts of wild animals and wild birds not 
prohibited from being bought, sold, offered for sale or bartered under section 11217, 
subsections 1 and 3. 
SUMMARY 
This bill adds language to the law on buying and selling wild animals and wild birds 
that prohibits the purchase, sale, offer for sale or barter of any physical part of a wild 
animal or wild bird, and it adds certain parts that may be purchased or sold, such as 
naturally shed deer or moose antlers and finished wildlife products, including but not 
limited to tanned animal hides and taxidermy mounts.