Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7457, sub-§1, ¶J is enacted to read:

J.__The commissioner may adopt a public drawing system to issue 25,000 free permits to persons with existing hunting licenses for the purpose of hunting a 2nd deer.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §7458, sub-§§1 and 2, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 420, §1, are amended to read:

1. Exceeding bag limit. A person is guilty of exceeding the bag limit on deer if he that person possesses more than one deer during any open season, except as otherwise provided by the commissioner.

2. Hunting deer after having killed one. A person is guilty of hunting deer after having killed one if he that person hunts deer after he that person has killed or registered one during the open season of that calendar year, except as otherwise provided by the commissioner.

SUMMARY

This bill allows the establishment of a lottery system to allow a licensed hunter to hunt a 2nd deer if that person receives one of 25,000 free permits in a public drawing system.