§11218. Game fees

A person may not charge any fee for access to land if the fee is contingent upon the taking of game on the land or directly related to the taking of game on the land unless the land is an authorized commercial shooting area licensed under section 12101. This section does not apply to:

1. Gate fees. Gate fees or other access fees that are unrelated to the taking of game; or

2. Guiding fees. Fees charged by licensed guides or other fees that are unrelated to access to land; or.

3. Fees for placing bear bait. Fees that are directly related to the placing of bear bait on land.

A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime.

Sec. B-5. 12 MRSA §11251, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. D, §7, is amended to read:

§11251. Open and closed seasons

1. Open season on bear; commissioner's authority. This subsection governs the open and closed seasons on bear.

A. There is an open season on hunting bear from the first Monday preceding September 1st to November 30th annually. The commissioner may, pursuant to section 10104, subsection 1, adopt rules prohibiting the use of bait to hunt black bear during any portion of the open bear hunting season.

B. There is 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 sections 11401 and 11402.

C. The commissioner may shorten the open seasons season on bear as established in paragraphs paragraph A and B in any part of the State as long as:

(1) The demarcation of the areas with a shortened season follows recognizable physical boundaries such as rivers and railroad rights-of-way; and