An Act to Restrict the Daytime and Nighttime Killing of Coyotes
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0814
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: WILLIAMS, COLLINGS, COPELAND, EATON, GEIGER, MATHIESON, MILLETT, WARREN, GROHOSKI
Amends: 12 MRSA §10902, 12 MRSA §12001, 12 MRSA §12002

Legislative Document
No. 814
H.P. 503
House of Representatives, February 21, 2023
An Act to Restrict the Daytime and Nighttime Killing of Coyotes
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WILLIAMS of Bar Harbor.
Cosponsored by Representatives: COLLINGS of Portland, COPELAND of Saco, EATON of 
Deer Isle, GEIGER of Rockland, MATHIESON of Kittery, MILLETT of Cape Elizabeth, 
WARREN of Scarborough, Senator: GROHOSKI of Hancock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10902, sub-§7, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended 
by c. 655, Pt. B, §100 and affected by §422, is further amended to read:
7.  Mandatory hunting license revocation; coyote hunting violation.  A hunting 
license of a person convicted of hunting coyote in violation of section 11160 or 12001 
section 12002, subsection 2 must be revoked and that person is ineligible to obtain any 
hunting license for a period of one year from the date of conviction.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §12001, as amended by PL 2011, c. 216, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §12002 is enacted to read:
§12002.  Seasons and restrictions for hunting coyotes
1. Day season. There is an open season for hunting coyotes 30 minutes before sunrise 
to 30 minutes after sunset in all counties of the State from October 1st to March 31st. A 
person may not hunt, chase, pursue or kill a coyote by any means 30 minutes before sunrise 
to 30 minutes after sunset from April 1st to September 30th. 
A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a fine of $500 
must be adjudged. The hunting license of a person who violates this subsection must be 
revoked and that person is ineligible to obtain any hunting license for a period of one year 
from the date of the violation.
2. Night season. Notwithstanding the prohibitions in section 11206, there is an open 
season for hunting coyotes 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise the 
following day in all counties of the State from December 16th to March 31st. A person may 
not hunt, chase, pursue or kill a coyote by any means 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes 
before sunrise the following day from April 1st to December 15th. 
A.  A person may not hunt coyotes 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise 
the following day without possessing an electronic, hand-held or mouth-operated 
predator calling device. A person who hunts coyotes in violation of this paragraph 
commits a Class E crime. 
B.  Notwithstanding section 11214, subsection 1, paragraph M, the commissioner may 
appoint agents to hunt coyotes 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise the 
following day using artificial illumination from October 1st to December 15th. The 
commissioner shall develop policies to make the affected public and affected law 
enforcement officers aware of any night hunting operations.
SUMMARY
This bill does the following.
1. Current Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife rules allow for year-round 
hunting of coyotes during the day. This bill limits the open season for daytime hunting of 
coyotes to October 1st to March 31st and prohibits daytime hunting of coyotes at all other 
times during the year. For daytime hunting of coyotes during periods of the year outside 
the open season, the bill imposes a $500 fine and a revocation of a person’s hunting license 
for one year. 
2.  It amends the night hunting season for coyotes, which is currently December 16th 
to August 31st, to December 16th to March 31st. 
3.  It amends the period of time in which the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife may appoint agents to hunt for coyotes at night, which is currently September 1st 
to December 15th, to October 1st to December 15th.