An Act To Change the Bag Limits on Wild Turkey
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0275
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, EVANGELOS, BELLOWS, CYRWAY, JACKSON, BERRY, LANDRY, MASTRACCIO, PLUECKER, RISEMAN
Amends: 12 MRSA §11701

Legislative Document
No. 275
S.P. 87
In Senate, January 22, 2019
An Act To Change the Bag Limits on Wild Turkey
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative EVANGELOS of Friendship and
Senators: BELLOWS of Kennebec, CYRWAY of Kennebec, President JACKSON of 
Aroostook, Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, LANDRY of Farmington, 
MASTRACCIO of Sanford, PLUECKER of Warren, RISEMAN of Harrison.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §11701, first ¶, as amended by PL 2017, c. 85, §3, is further 
amended to read:
The commissioner by rule 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 in accordance with subsection 4, 
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 an open season for hunting 
wild turkey, 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 §11701, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Bag limits; report.  The commissioner shall allow for the taking of wild turkeys 
in amounts that are twice the bag limits that are established by rules that are in effect on 
January 1, 2018 for any area open to the taking of wild turkeys in any part of the State 
during any open season for hunting wild turkeys.
By January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and 
wildlife matters on the health of the wild turkey population in the State.  The report may 
include recommendations regarding bag limits on wild turkey and any recommendation 
to ensure the health of the wild turkey population.  The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters may report out a 
bill to implement any recommendations contained in the report or to address any other 
issues identified in the report.
Sec. 3.  Rules.  The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shall amend the 
hunting rules of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as soon as practicable to 
be consistent with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 11701, subsection 4.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to double the 
bag limits on wild turkey in effect on January 1, 2018.  It also requires the commissioner 
to submit a report by January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, that includes 
recommendations regarding bag limits on wild turkey.  It gives the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters 
authority to report out a bill based on the report.