H.P. 970 - L.D. 1368
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7457, sub-§1, ¶H, as amended by PL 1999, c. 141, §1, is further amended to read:
H. The commissioner may regulate the taking of antlerless deer within any area of the State, as necessary, to maintain deer populations in balance with available habitat if the following conditions are met.
(1) The demarcation of each area must follow recognizable physical boundaries such as rivers, roads and railroad rights-of-way.
(2) The determination must be made and published prior to August 1st of each year.
(3) The application fee for a permit to take an antlerless deer may not exceed $1. The application must include a detachable portion on which the applicant shall write the applicant's name and address and to which the applicant shall affix a stamp of adequate postage. The department shall return this portion of the application to the applicant in acknowledgement of the department's receipt of the application.
(4) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary for the administration, implementation, enforcement and interpretation of this subsection, except that there may not be an antlerless deer permit system unless otherwise specified in this paragraph. Any rules adopted by the commissioner that provide for permits to be issued to nonresident or alien hunters must provide that:
(a) The percentage of antlerless deer permits issued to nonresident and alien hunters may not exceed the average percentage of applicants for antlerless deer permits over the previous 3 years who were nonresidents or aliens; and
(b) No more than 15% of the antlerless deer permits issued in any one district or in any one zone may be issued to nonresident and alien hunters.
(5) An antlerless deer permit system adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section may include a provision giving special consideration to landowners who keep their lands open to hunting by the public. Any 2 or more areas of land owned by the same person that are open for hunting and that would be contiguous except for being divided by one or more roads are considered contiguous for the purposes of determining landowner eligibility for special consideration under this subparagraph.
A junior hunter or a person 65 years of age or older may take an antlerless deer, if an adult who holds a valid antlerless deer permit transfers the permit to the junior hunter or person 65 years of age or older by identifying the name, age and address of the transferee on the permit as well as any other information reasonably requested by the commissioner and then returns the permit to the department prior to the start of the firearm season on deer. The commissioner shall record the transfer and return the permit to the junior hunter or person 65 years of age or older. A valid permit must be in the possession of the transferee to take an antlerless deer. If the adult transfers the permit to the junior hunter or person 65 years of age or older, that adult is prohibited from taking an antlerless deer.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §7468, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 95, §1, is amended to read:
4. Hunting permits. The commissioner may establish the number of wild turkey permits for each wild turkey hunting zone and may issue those permits annually. No more than 10% of the The percentage of total wild turkey permits may be issued to nonresident or and alien hunters may not exceed the average percentage of applicants for wild turkey permits over the previous 3 years who were nonresidents and aliens and may not be more than 10% of the total wild turkey permits issued statewide. A person whose application is selected may obtain a wild turkey hunting permit upon presentation of proof that he the person possesses:
A. A valid Maine hunting license, if he the person is a resident of the State; or
B. A valid Maine big game hunting license, if he the person is a nonresident or alien.
Sec. 3. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2000.
Effective January 1, 2000.
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