| | 6. Twilight hunting. A person is guilty of twilight | hunting if that person hunts may not hunt wild animals or wild | birds, except raccoons as otherwise provided in chapters 701 | to 721 this Part, between sunset and 15 minutes after sunset | and 1/2 hour after sunset during the open firearm season on | deer. For the purposes of this subsection, "sunset" is the | time the sun sets in Bangor, Maine. |
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| A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime. |
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| | Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §7451, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1993, c. 167, §1, is | further amended to read: |
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| | 1. Open and closed season. This subsection governs the | hunting seasons for bear. |
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| A. There is an open season on hunting bear from the first | Monday preceding September 1st to November 30th annually. | The commissioner may by rule establish an open season for | bear hunting and may by rule shorten or lengthen that | season if planned bear harvest levels are exceeded or not | achieved. The commissioner may, pursuant to section 7035, | subsection 1, adopt rules prohibiting the use of bait to | hunt black bear during any portion of the open bear | hunting season. |
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| B. There shall be is an open season on trapping bear from | September 1st to October 31st annually. |
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| C. There shall be The commissioner may by rule establish | an open season on using a dog or dogs in conjunction with | bear hunting from the first Monday preceding September | 1st, to the day preceding the open firearm season on deer | provided in section 7457, subsection 1 and may shorten or | extend that season if planned bear harvest levels are | exceeded or not achieved. |
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| D. The commissioner may shorten the open seasons on bear | as established in paragraphs A, B and C in any part of the | State provided that: |
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| (1) The demarcation of the areas with a shortened season | follows recognizable physical boundaries such as | rivers and railroad rights-of-way; and |
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| (2) The decision is made and published prior to February | 1st of any year. |
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| E. The commissioner may terminate the open season on bear as | established in paragraph A, B and C at any time in any |
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