An Act Related to the Electronic Registration and Tagging of Big Game
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1991
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Amends: 12 MRSA §12301-B, 12 MRSA §12302-A, 12 MRSA §12303-A, 12 MRSA §12304-A, 12 MRSA §12304-B, 12 MRSA §12306

Legislative Document
No. 1991
H.P. 1477
House of Representatives, February 16, 2022
An Act Related to the Electronic Registration and Tagging of Big 
Game
Reported by Representative LANDRY of Farmington for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Resolve 2021, chapter 49, section 1.
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §12301-B is enacted to read:
§12301-B.  Electronic registration of big game
Beginning in 2024, the department shall allow electronic registration of big game. The 
commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this section.  The rules may include 
exceptions to or electronic means of compliance with any of the requirements of this 
chapter for a person who registers big game in accordance with the rules.  For purposes of 
this section, “big game” means bear, deer and moose.  Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §12302-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 121, §2, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Requirement.  Except as provided in section 12307 or rules adopted under section 
12301-B, a person who kills a bear, deer, moose or wild turkey shall:
A.  Remain with that animal until it is registered, except as provided in section 
12303‑A;
B.  Present that animal for registration in that person's name at the first open registration 
station for that animal on the route taken by that person; and
C.  Leave the registration seal attached to the animal in accordance with section 
12301‑A until that animal is processed and packaged for consumption.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §12303-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 54, §11 and c. 
121, §3, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
1.  Time limits.  Except as provided in subsection 1‑A and in section 12307 or in rules 
adopted under section 12301-B, a person may not keep any of the following unregistered 
wild animals for more than 18 hours:
A.  Bear;
B.  Deer;
C.  Moose; or
D.  Wild turkey.
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §12304-A, as repealed by PL 2021, c. 54, §12 and amended by 
c. 121, §4, is repealed.
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §12304-B, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 54, §13, is amended 
to read:
2.  Bear, deer and moose.  A Except as provided in rules adopted under section 
12301-B, a person must present a bear, deer or moose for registration as follows.
A.  A person shall present a bear, deer or moose in its entirety, including, but not limited 
to, all edible meat and the head for registration, except that the viscera, hide, lower legs 
and rib cage, including the ribs, spine and pelvis, are not required to be presented for 
registration.
B.  A bear, deer or moose may be dismembered for ease of transportation.
C.  A person shall present evidence of the sex of a bear, deer or moose for registration.
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §12304-B, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 54, §13, is amended 
to read:
3.  Biological samples.  The commissioner may require hunters to submit biological 
samples from wild turkey, bear, deer or moose at the time of registration or as part of an 
electronic registration process.  The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this 
subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant 
to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 7.  12 MRSA §12306, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 121, §5, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Prohibition.  Except as provided in section 12307, a person may not possess any of 
the following animals if that animal has not been legally registered as provided in this 
chapter or rules adopted under section 12301-B, unless that animal is possessed in 
accordance with chapter 921:
A.  Bear;
B.  Deer;
C.  Moose; or
D.  Wild turkey.
Sec. 8. Report.  The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with 
adopting rules governing electronic registration of big game pursuant to the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 12, section 12301-B, shall examine laws governing the tagging and 
registration of harvested animals to determine if there are laws that should be updated or 
revised to facilitate an electronic tagging system for big game. The department shall submit 
a report of its findings and recommendations, together with any suggested legislation, to 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and 
wildlife matters by November 2, 2022. The committee may report out a bill related to 
electronic tagging to the First Regular Session of the 131st Legislature. 
SUMMARY
This bill, which is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries 
and Wildlife pursuant to Resolve 2021, chapter 49, does the following. 
1.  It directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to adopt rules allowing 
for the electronic registration of big game beginning in 2024. The bill defines big game as 
bear, deer and moose.
2. It requires the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to report to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife 
matters by November 2, 2022 on additional statutory changes needed in order to facilitate 
the electronic tagging of big game.  It authorizes the committee to report out a bill related 
to electronic tagging to the First Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.