An Act To Clarify Crossbow-related Hunting Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1905
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: THERIAULT
Amends: 12 MRSA §10953

Legislative Document
No. 1905
H.P. 1359
House of Representatives, December 24, 2019
An Act To Clarify Crossbow-related Hunting Laws
(EMERGENCY)
Submitted by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 20, 2019.  Referred to the Committee on 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative THERIAULT of China.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day 
period in order to provide for the proper implementation of the legislation for the 2020 
hunting season; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1, ¶E, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 98, §1, is 
amended to read:
E.  Notwithstanding the restriction in section 11403 to hunting with bow and arrow 
only, hunt deer with a crossbow during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 open archery season 
on deer established by the commissioner in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to 
section 11403.  A Except as provided in subsection 1-C and section 10853, 
subsection 11, a person may not take an antlerless deer with a crossbow under this 
paragraph during an open archery season on deer unless that person possesses an 
antlerless deer permit in accordance with section 11152.  A person 65 years of age or 
older who hunts deer with a crossbow pursuant to this paragraph and subsection 1-C 
and a person who holds a permit under section 10853, subsection 11 and hunts deer 
with a crossbow pursuant to this paragraph may not take an antlerless deer in a 
wildlife management district for which antlerless deer permits have not been issued.
This paragraph is repealed January 1, 2023; and
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1-C, as amended by PL 2019, c. 325, §3, is 
further amended to read:
1-C.  Hunting with a crossbow; 65 years of age or older.  A person 65 years of age 
or older who meets the eligibility requirements of sections 11106 and 11162 may hunt a 
wild bird or a wild animal with a crossbow during any open season on that wild bird or 
wild animal subject to this Part. and may take an antlerless deer with a crossbow during 
the regular archery-only deer hunting season without an antlerless deer permit issued in 
accordance with section 11152.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill allows a person 65 years of age or older and, under certain circumstances, a 
person with a permanent physical disability to take an antlerless deer with a crossbow 
without an antlerless deer permit during the open archery season on deer.