An Act To Prohibit Hunting Bear Using Dogs and Trapping Bear
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0887
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: HARLOW
Amends: 12 MRSA §10260, 12 MRSA §10902, 12 MRSA §11109, 12 MRSA §11111, 12 MRSA §11151, 12 MRSA §11217, 12 MRSA §11302, 12 MRSA §11302-A, 12 MRSA §11304, 12 MRSA §11351, 12 MRSA §12051, 12 MRSA §12204, 12 MRSA §12260, 12 MRSA §12260-A, 12 MRSA §12260-B

Legislative Document 
No. 887 
H.P. 606 
House of Representatives, March 12, 2015 
An Act To Prohibit Hunting Bear Using Dogs and Trapping Bear 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative HARLOW of Portland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10260, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 168, §1 and affected by §8, 
is amended to read: 
§10260.  Black Bear Research Fund 
The Black Bear Research Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established 
within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to fund or 
assist in funding studies related to the management of black bears.  Revenue from the 
nonresident late season bear hunting permit under section 11151-A and the bear trapping 
permit under 12260-A must be deposited in the fund.  The commissioner may accept and 
deposit into the fund monetary gifts, donations or other contributions from public or 
private sources for the purposes specified in this section.  The fund must be held separate 
and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. 
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10902, sub-§6, ¶E, as repealed and replaced by PL 2011, c. 
691, Pt. A, §7, is amended to read: 
E.  Buying or selling bear, or hunting or trapping bear after having killed 2 or 
exceeding the bag limit on bear, in violation of section 11217, or 11351 or 12260; 
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ¶N, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §4, 
is further amended to read: 
N.  A license to use leashed dogs to track wounded animals, which permits a person 
to use one or more leashed dogs to track a lawfully wounded deer, or moose or bear, 
is $27. 
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §11111, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §117 and affected 
by §422, is amended to read: 
§11111.  Tracking wounded animals with leashed dogs; fee for services 
A person who holds a valid license issued under section 11109, subsection 3, 
paragraph N to use leashed dogs to track wounded bear, deer or moose 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 section. 
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §11151, sub-§1, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and 
amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §118 and affected by §422, is further amended to read: 
1.  Permit required.  Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part, a person 
may not hunt for bear without a valid permit from the first Monday preceding September 
1st to the day preceding the open firearm season on deer.  This section does not apply to 
trapping for bear. 
Each day a person violates this subsection that person commits a Class E crime for which 
a minimum fine of $50 and an amount equal to twice the applicable license fee must be 
imposed. 
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §11217, sub-§2, ¶A, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c. 
333, §4, is amended to read: 
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. 
Sec. 7.  12 MRSA §11302, as amended by PL 2013, c. 280, §7, is repealed. 
Sec. 8.  12 MRSA §11302-A is enacted to read: 
§11302-A.  Hunting bear with dogs prohibited 
1.  Prohibition.  A person may not hunt bear with the use of dogs unless permitted by 
the commissioner for the purpose of hunting nuisance bears. 
2.  Penalty.  A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime. 
Sec. 9.  12 MRSA §11304, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
A person may not, without the permission of the person conducting the hunt, kill or 
wound a bear that is treed or held at bay by another person's dog or dogs. 
Sec. 10.  12 MRSA §11351, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 309, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
1.  Hunting bear; 2-bear limit.  A person may not hunt or trap bear after that person 
has killed or registered one during an open season under section 11251 and one during 
the open season on trapping bear under section 12260. 
Sec. 11.  12 MRSA §12051, sub-§1, ¶C, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c. 
588, Pt. A, §16, is repealed. 
Sec. 12.  12 MRSA §12204, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 51, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 13.  12 MRSA §12260, as amended by PL 2011, c. 253, §26 and c. 309, §§5 
and 6, is repealed. 
Sec. 14.  12 MRSA §12260-A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 168, §7 and affected by 
§8, is repealed. 
Sec. 15.  12 MRSA §12260-B is enacted to read: 
§12260-B.  Unlawful trapping of bear 
A person may not kill or catch a bear in a trap and cause or allow another person to 
kill or register that bear.  A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime. 
SUMMARY 
This bill prohibits the use of dogs while hunting bear and it prohibits trapping bear, 
unless necessary for the trapping of nuisance bears as permitted by the Commissioner of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.