An Act To Eliminate Permits for Wild Turkey Hunting, Expand the Bag Limits and Expand Opportunities for Registering Wild Turkeys
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0098
Committee Amendment CA_A_S102 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10953, 12 MRSA §11155, 12 MRSA §11701, 12 MRSA §11751-A, 12 MRSA §11802

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 46, L.D. 98, Bill, "An Act To Eliminate 
Permits for Wild Turkey Hunting, Expand the Bag Limits and Expand Opportunities for 
Registering Wild Turkeys" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Provide Greater Authority to the Department oflnland Fisheries and 
Wildlife over the Management of Wild Turkeys' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1, ~' as enacted by PL 2013, c. 236, §3, is 
amended to read: 
B. Hunt wild turkey with a crossbow d-uriRg the spriRg opeR seasoR oR wild turkey in 
areas open to wild turkey hunting as established by rule in section 11701, except that 
a person may not hunt wild turkey with a crossbow from October 1st until the first 
day of the open season established by the commissioner in the following year; 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11155, sub-§1-C, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 387, §2, is 
amended to read: 
1-C. Issuance; permit fee. Beginning January 1, 2014, the commissioner, through 
the commissioner's authorized agent, shall issue in wildlife management districts that are 
open by rule for wild turkey hunting a eombin.ed fall aRd spring wild turkey hunting 
permit that allows an eligible person to take wild turkeys iR the spriRg aRd fall seasoRs in 
accordance with section 11701. The fee for a eombiRed fall and spriRg wild turkey 
hunting permit is $20 for residents and nonresidents. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11701, as amended by PL 2015, c. 127, §§4 and 5 and affected 
by §6, is further amended to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "ft "to S.P. 46, L.D. 98 
§11701. Authority of commissioner; wild turkey hunting 
The commissioner may establish open seasons for hunting wild turkeys, designate 
areas that are open to the taking of wild turkeys in any part of the State, prescribe the 
form and regulate the number of permits to be issued, determine the number and sex of 
the birds to be harvested, establish bag limits, establish permit eligibility requirements, 
establish legal hunting times, specify the types of weapons to be used during any open 
wild turkey hunting season and make any other rules that the commissioner considers 
necessary for the protection of the wild turkey resource. The rules must permit the use of 
a crossbow during the spring an open season for hunting wild turkey lffinting season~ 
except that a person may not hunt wild turkey with a crossbow from October 1st until the 
first day of the open season established by the commissioner in the following year. 
1. Spring seas0n. The commissioner shall establish by rule a spring open seasofl for 
hunting wild turkeys. URless the commissioHer determines that sound maHagemeHt 
priHciples require otherwise, the rule must allow duriHg the spriHg opeH seasoH for 
huntiHg wild turkeys: 
A A person to take up to 2 wild turkeys vtithout any additional fee for the takiHg of 
the 2nd vlild tarkey; 
B. A person to hunt from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after suHset; and 
C. A person to hunt wild turkeys usiHg a crossbow, in additiofl to atl)' other v,reapons 
allowed by the rule. 
:2. Fall seas0ns. BeginniHg with the 2016 fall open season, the commissioHer shall 
establish by rule 2 fall opeH seasoHs for oonting wild turkeys. URless the commissioHer 
determines that souHd management priHciples require othElf\Yise, the rule must establish 2 
fall open seasoHs that include the month of Oetober and a week ifl the month of 
Nw1ember and allow a person to take up to a total of 2 wild turkeys eyer both seasons 
regardless of seJ( 1.Yithout any additional fee for the taking of a 2nd wild turkey. 
3. Youth day. The commissioner shall establish by rule a spring youth hunting day 
for hunting wild turkeys from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The 
day must be the Saturday prior to the opening of the Si*ffig first open season for hunting 
wild turkeys under subsection 1 established by the commissioner in that year. 
A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime for which the court shall 
impose a fine of not less than $500, none of which may be suspended. The court also 
shall impose a fine of $500 for each turkey unlawfully possessed, none of which may be 
suspended. 
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11751-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 552, §11 and 
affected by §15 and c. 655, Pt. C, §§2 and 6, is amended to read: 
2. Exceeding bag limit. A person may not possess more than one wild turkey the 
number of wild turkey allowed by rule during any open season, except a person may keep 
more than one legally obtained wild turkey in that person's home at any time or as 
otherwise provided in law or rule. 
3. Hunting wild turkey after having killed maximum. A person may not hunt 
wild turkey after that person has killed or registered one during any open season of that 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 46, L.D. 98 
calendar year, eX:Oept as otherwise provided in law or Fl:lle the maximum number of wild 
turkey allowed by rule during that season. 
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11802, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 301, §25, is 
amended to read: 
1. Prohibitions. From September 1st to December 15th and during the spring first 
open wild turkey hunting season established by the commissioner in that year pursuant to 
section 11701, subsection 1, a person may not: 
A. Place any bait or food in a place to entice a wild turkey to that place; or 
B. Hunt from an observation stand or blind overlooking bait or food known to be 
attractive to wild turkey. 
This prohibition does not apply to hunting from an 
observation stand or blind overlooking: 
(1) Standing crops; or 
(2) Foods that are left as a result of normal agricultural operations or as a result 
of a natural occurrence.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and eliminates the spring and fall open seasons on 
wild turkey and the bag limits for wild turkey in those seasons. Current law allows the 
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to establish open seasons for hunting of 
wild turkey by rule. The amendment prohibits hunting of wild turkey with a crossbow 
from October 1st until the first day of the open season established by the commissioner in 
the following year. The amendment strikes the prohibition on killing or registering wild 
turkey after having killed or registered one wild turkey in any open season of that · 
calendar year and instead prohibits killing or taking more than the number of wild turkey 
allowed during an open season established by rule by the commissioner. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attaebed) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/10/17 .feac.. 
LD98 
LR 593(02) 
An Act To Eliminate Permits for Wild Turkey Hunting, Expand the Bag Limits and Expand 
Opportunities for Registering Wild Turkeys 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ",o:' ( S- \ D1;) 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost impact - General Fund 
Minor revenue decrease - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Eliminates Class E crimes. 
· A reduction in fines will decrease General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as a result of modifications to the wild turkey 
fall and spring open seasons and bag limits are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted 
resources. 
LR0593(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1