An Act To Minimize Crop Damage by Deer by Amending Certain Laws Governing Hunting
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11402, sub-§4, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §169 and affected by §422, is further amended to read:
(1) The demarcation of each area must follow recognizable physical boundaries, such as rivers, roads and railroad rights-of-way.
(3) The commissioner may establish limits on the number of deer taken or possessed by persons during a special season. Limits established by the commissioner under this subparagraph are exceptions to the limits imposed under section 11501.
(4) The commissioner may specify types of weapons to be used during a special season; and
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
Current law allows the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to open to deer hunting certain coastal and island communities currently closed to hunting, subject to local approval, and to establish a youth deer hunting day. This bill requires the commissioner to open these communities to deer hunting as long as local restrictions are imposed. It requires, while current law permits, the commissioner to create special hunting seasons to control deer populations. It requires the commissioner to create special zones for deer hunting. It allows special hunting seasons and special zones to be created to minimize crop or property damage. It also requires the commissioner to establish a youth deer hunting day.