Maine Revised Statutes
Subchapter 1: REGISTRATION
12 §12303-A. Time limits for registering bear, deer, moose or wild turkey

§12303-A. Time limits for registering bear, deer, moose or wild turkey
1. Time limits. Except as provided in subsection 1‑A and in section 12307 or in rules adopted under section 12301‑B, a person may not keep any of the following unregistered wild animals for more than 18 hours:
A. Bear; [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).]
B. Deer; [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).]
C. Moose; or [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).]
D. Wild turkey. [PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).]
[PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (RPR).]
1-A. Exceptions. The following are exceptions to the time limitation for registering harvested wild animals established in subsection 1:
A. A person may keep a harvested animal in an official registration station for that animal or at the office of a game warden for more than 18 hours; [PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §230 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §422 (AFF).]
B. A person may leave an unregistered animal harvested by that person in the woods if that person notifies a game warden within 18 hours as to the location of that animal and the circumstances necessitating leaving that animal in the woods; [PL 2017, c. 226, §1 (AMD).]
C. A person on a hunting trip in an unorganized township and staying at a temporary place of lodging may keep an unregistered harvested animal at the temporary place of lodging for no more than 7 days or until that person leaves the woods, whichever comes first; and [PL 2017, c. 226, §1 (AMD).]
D. A person may keep an unregistered animal harvested by that person if that person notifies a game warden within 18 hours as to the location of that animal and the circumstances preventing the person from registering the animal in accordance with subsection 1. [PL 2017, c. 226, §2 (NEW).]
[PL 2017, c. 226, §§1, 2 (AMD).]
2. Penalty. A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime.
[PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §230 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §422 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2003, c. 655, §B230 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 655, §B422 (AFF). PL 2017, c. 226, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 54, §11 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 121, §3 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 704, §3 (AMD).