An Act
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0320
Committee Amendment CA_A_H76 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §11109, 12 MRSA §11111, 12 MRSA §11214, 12 MRSA §11225, 12 MRSA §12862

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" 
Regarding Retrieving Wounded Bear" 
to H.P. 214, L.D. 320, Bill, "An Act 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Regarding the Tracking of Wounded Animals with a Leashed Dog' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ~, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, 
§4, is repealed. 
Sec.2. 12 MRSA §11111, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §117 and affected 
by §422, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
§11111. Tracking wounded animals with a leashed dog 
1. Permit required. Except as provided in section 12862 or otherwise authorized 
pursuant to this Part. a person may not use a leashed dog to track a wounded animal 
without a valid permit issued pursuant to this section. For purposes of this section, 
"wounded animal" means a lawfully wounded bear. deer or moose. 
2. Eligibility; license fee. A person who holds a valid big game hunting license may 
obtain from the commissioner a permit to use a leashed dog to track a wounded animal. 
The fee for a 3-year permit to use a leashed dog to track a wounded animal is $81. 
3. Dog tracking services. A person who holds a valid permit issued pursuant to this 
section may charge a fee for dog tracking services. 
Notwithstanding section 10001, 
subsection 28, a person is not a guide if the only services that person charges a fee for are 
dog tracking services pursuant to this subsection. 
4. Penalties. Each day a person violates subsection 1, that person commits a Class E 
crime for which a minimum fine of $50 and an amount equal to twice the applicable 
permit fee must be imposed. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 214, L.D. 320 
5. 
Tracking a wounded animal after legal hunting hours. 
Notwithstanding 
sections 11205 and 11206, a person who holds a valid permit issued pursuant to this 
section may use a leashed dog to track a wounded animal outside of legal hunting hours. 
6. Rules. The commissioner may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this 
section, which may include, but are not limited to, training requirements, the type and 
number of dogs used, leash requirements and the time and manner in which a wounded 
animal may be tracked and dispatched. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec.3. 12 MRSA §11214, sub-§I, ~~ to M, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. 
A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, are amended to read: 
K. Use a dog to hunt deer or moose, except as provided in section 11109. subseetion 
3. narae=ranfl N 11111 or 12862; 
L. 
Use an artificial light, snare, trap or set gun to hunt deer or moose. 
This 
paragraph does not affect or restrict the legitimate possession and sale of flashlights 
or the lawful use of an artificial light to aid in the tracking of a wounded animal 
pursuant to section 11111 or 12862; 
M. Use artificial lights between 112 hour after sunset and 112 hour before sunrise the 
next day to illuminate, jack, locate, attempt to locate or show up wild animals or wild 
birds from September 1st to December 15th of each calendar year. This paragraph 
does not affect chapter 921, ef any rule issued in accordance with section 10104, 
subsection 1 or the lawful use of an artificial light to aid in the tracking of a wounded 
animal pursuant to section 11111 or 12862; 
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11225, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 168, §6, is repealed. 
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §12862 is enacted to read: 
§12862. Retrieval of wounded or killed bear, deer or moose after hours 
Notwithstanding sections 11205, 11206 and 11111, the commissioner may authorize 
a person licensed to guide hunters under section 12853 whose client during a guided hunt 
wounds or kills a bear, deer or moose to track and dispatch that animal outside of legal 
hunting hours. A licensed guide authorized to track a wounded animal pursuant to this 
section may use one leashed dog for tracking purposes. The commissioner may place 
conditions and restrictions on tracking activities conducted pursuant to this section to 
ensure its proper administration and the humane treatment of a wounded animal. I 
SUMMARY 
Current law provides for a license to use leashed dogs to track wounded animals and 
allows a person who holds such a license to provide dog tracking services to others for a 
fee without being licensed as a guide. This amendment consolidates those provisions and 
makes the following changes. 
1. It converts the license to use leashed dogs to track wounded animals from an 
annual license for $27 to a 3-year permit for $81. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "fl' to H.P. 214, L.D. 320 
2. It provides that a person must hold a big game hunting license to be eligible to 
obtain the permit to use a leashed dog to track a wounded animal and specifies that the 
permit only allows the tracking of a lawfully wounded animal. 
3. It allows the permit holder to track a wounded animal outside of legal hunting 
hours. 
4. It expressly gives the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife rule-making 
authority to regulate activities conducted pursuant to the permit. 
Current law allows a licensed hunting guide to track and dispatch a client's wounded 
bear, deer or moose after legal hunting hours without a license to use leashed dogs to 
track wounded bear, deer or moose. 
This amendment relocates and changes that 
provision of law to provide that the hunting guide must obtain authorization from the 
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to track and dispatch a client's wounded 
bear, deer or moose after legal hunting hours. It also specifies that a guide authorized to 
track a wounded bear, deer or moose may use one leashed dog for tracking purposes. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/07/15 
~ac. 
LD320 
LR 900(02) 
An Act Regarding Retrieving Wounded Bear 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A"CN / 7tt) 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue impact - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Potential increase in Class E crimes; 
The collection of additional fines may also increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional loss of revenue to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife from eliminating the $27 annual 
license to use leashed dogs to track certain animals and replacing it with an $81 3-year permit for those holding a big 
game hunting license are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0900(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
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