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An Act To Change the Firearms Season on Deer
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11401, sub-§1, ¶A,  as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is further amended to read:
 
A.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and sections 10952, 11152, 11403 and 11404 or by rule adopted by the commissioner pursuant to section 11402, subsection 4, there is an open season for deer in each calendar year in all counties of the State between September 15th and December 15th annually. In a year that the regular season extends beyond November 30th, the regular season must start no later than the 4th Monday preceding Thanksgiving.as follows:
 
(1) In Wildlife Management Districts 1 to 11 the regular firearms season starts one week prior to the first Saturday in November and continues in those districts for the following 5 weeks;
 
(2) In wildlife management districts other than 1 to 11 the regular firearms season starts on the first Saturday in November and continues in those districts for the following 4 weeks; and
 
(3) The Saturday preceding the first day of the open season on deer in subparagraphs (1) and (2) are open days for residents of the State only.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11401, sub-§1, ¶B,  as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §168 and affected by §422, is further amended to read:
 
B.  The commissioner may shorten the open season on deer in any part of the State, as long as:
 
(1) The demarcation of the areas with the shortened season follows recognizable physical boundaries, such as rivers and railroad rights-of-way; and.
 
(3) The Saturday preceding the first day of open season on deer is an open day for residents of the State only.
 
SUMMARY
This bill sets the regular firearms season for deer in Wildlife Management Districts 1 to 11 one week prior to the first Saturday in November and continues for the following 5 weeks. For the other wildlife management districts, the regular firearms season for deer begins on the first Saturday in November and continues for the following 4 weeks.