Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7502, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1979, c. 723, §22, is further amended to read:

4. Warden's certificate. The game warden shall immediately investigate the case and, if he the game warden is satisfied that the deer or other wild animal was taken as provided in this section, he the game warden shall give the person who killed the deer or other wild animal a certificate of his the finding in the matter. The Except as provided in this subsection, the certificate entitles the person to the ownership of the carcass or carcasses, to be possessed and consumed only within the immediate family of the owner of the crops or the person who killed the deer or other wild animal. Owners or occupiers of land may keep only 2 deer killed pursuant to this section.__ Owners or occupiers of land who kill more than 2 deer in any calendar year must donate all additional deer carcasses to the Hunters for the Hungry Program, established in section 7481.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §7504, sub-§5, ¶D is enacted to read:

D.__The owner or occupier of the orchard or crop may not take or kill deer, pursuant to section 7502, if hunting by the public is not permitted by the owner or occupier.

SUMMARY

This bill prohibits landowners from killing nuisance deer on their land if the landowner prevents hunting on that land. This bill also provides that landowners may only keep 2 deer, requiring that all additional deer carcasses be donated to the Hunters for the Hungry Program.