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An Act To Improve Deer Management and Hunting
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11152, sub-§1, ¶C  is enacted to read:
 
C.  A person who possesses an antlerless deer permit under this section may take one antlerless deer during an open, archery or muzzle-loading season or during a special season as the commissioner determines necessary under section 11153.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11152, sub-§8  is enacted to read:
 
8.  Antlerless deer permit.     The following applies to an antlerless deer permit issued pursuant to this section.
 
A.  The fee for an antlerless deer permit is $10. Income derived from the fee charged under this paragraph must be credited to the fund established in paragraph B.
 
B.  The Antlerless Deer Fund, referred to in this subsection as “the fund,” is created. The fund is administered by the commissioner. Proceeds of the fund must be used to staff and administer a landowner relations program. The fund is a nonlapsing, revolving fund. Money in the fund not needed to meet the requirements of this paragraph may accrue interest and be invested in a manner permitted by law. Interest on these investments must be credited to the fund. The commissioner shall adopt major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this paragraph.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11501, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 552, §5 and affected by §15 and c. 614, §9 and c. 655, Pt. C, §§2 and 6, is further amended to read:
 
1. Exceeding bag limit.   A person may not possess more than one deer during any open season, except a person may keep more than one legally obtained deer in that person's home at any time or as otherwise provided in law. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a person holding an antlerless deer permit under section 11152 may possess 2 deer, one of which is an antlerless deer pursuant to section 11152, during any season in which the person is eligible to hunt.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11501, sub-§2,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 552, §5 and affected by §15 and c. 614, §9 and c. 655, Pt. C, §§2 and 6, is further amended to read:
 
2. Hunting deer after having killed one.   A person may not hunt deer after that person has killed or registered one during the open season of that calendar year, except a person who holds an antlerless deer permit under section 11152 may not hunt after that person has killed or registered 2 deer, one of which is an antlerless deer pursuant to subsection 1, or except as otherwise provided in law or rule.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a person who holds an antlerless deer permit to take a second deer, which is an antlerless deer, during an open, special, archery or muzzle-loading season. This bill requires a $10 fee to be charged for an antlerless deer permit, which must be credited to the Antlerless Deer Fund to staff and administer a landowners relations program.