An Act Regarding the Special Guides Permit Drawings
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1081
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: ANDREWS
Amends: 12 MRSA §11154

Legislative Document
No. 1081
H.P. 796
House of Representatives, March 11, 2021
An Act Regarding the Special Guides Permit Drawings
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ANDREWS of Paris.  (BY REQUEST)
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §11154, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 427, §11 and 
affected by §19 and amended by c. 458, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its 
place:
2.  Issuance of moose hunting permits.  In accordance with section 11552, the 
commissioner may issue moose hunting permits and may establish the number of moose 
hunting permits to be issued for each wildlife management district established by the 
commissioner by rule open to moose hunting.  No more than 8% of the moose hunting 
permits may be issued to nonresident and alien hunters.  No more than 2% of the moose 
hunting permits may be issued to hunting guides in accordance with subsection 14.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §11154, sub-§14, as amended by PL 2017, c. 458, §2, is further 
amended to read:
14.  Permits for hunting lodges Maine guides.  Moose hunting permits issued to 
hunting outfitters guides under this subsection must be allocated through a chance drawing 
separate from the chance drawing under subsection 9.  A moose hunting permit issued to a 
hunting guide under this subsection may not be used by the hunting guide to hunt moose 
but may only be sold or transferred by the hunting guide to a person whom the hunting 
guide accompanies during the moose hunt in accordance with this section.  The fee for a 
moose hunting permit under this subsection is $1,500.
A.  For the purposes of this subsection, "hunting outfitter" means a person who operates 
a sporting camp as defined under Title 22, section 2491, subsection 11 that is licensed 
under Title 22, chapter 562 and who provides package deals that include food, lodging 
and the services of a guide licensed under chapter 927 for the purpose of hunting guide" 
means a person who is authorized by license issued under chapter 927 to guide a person 
who is hunting moose.
B.  A hunting outfitter guide may sell or transfer a permit allocated under this 
subsection only once, only to a hunter who is eligible under paragraph F and only under 
the following conditions:
(1)  The sale or transfer must be part of a package deal that includes the food and 
lodging to be provided by the hunting outfitter to the person receiving the permit;
(2)  The person receiving the permit from the hunting outfitter guide must be 
accompanied during the hunt by a that hunting guide licensed under chapter 927;
(3)  The hunting outfitter guide must notify the department of the identity of the 
person receiving the permit; and
(4)  The hunting permit may not be sold or transferred by the hunter.
C.  A hunting outfitter guide may be allocated more than one permit.
D.  A permit allocated under this subsection may be used only for the year, season, sex 
and wildlife management district for which the permit is issued.
E.  Permits allocated under this subsection may not exceed 10% of the total permits 
issued per year for each season, sex and wildlife management district permit type.
F.  An individual may hunt with a permit sold or transferred under this subsection only 
if that individual is otherwise eligible to obtain and hunt with a permit under subsection 
5.
G.  If proceeds in any year from the auction authorized under subsection 11 are less 
than $107,000, proceeds from the sale of moose permits to hunting outfitters guides 
pursuant to this subsection must be used to fund youth conservation education 
programs as provided under subsection 11 up to $107,000.  The remainder must be 
deposited in the Moose Research and Management Fund under section 10263.
SUMMARY
This bill changes the moose hunting permits issued to hunting outfitters through a 
separate chance drawing to their issuance through a separate chance drawing to any 
licensed hunting guide.  The fee, proceeds and percentage of permits issued for a moose 
hunting permit under this section remain the same.  All other provisions related to the sale 
and transfer of the permit remain the same, except that the sale does not need to be a part 
of a package deal including food and lodging.