HP0713
LD 1015
Session - 126th Maine Legislature
C "A", Filing Number H-274, Sponsored by
LR 349
Item 2
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following:

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2011, c. 61, §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

1 Species and seasons.   Except as provided in this Part, a person may:
A Hunt bear with a crossbow during the open season on bear as provided in section 11251;
B Hunt wild turkey with a crossbow during the spring open season on wild turkey in areas open to wild turkey hunting as established by rule in section 11701;
C Hunt moose with a crossbow in areas of the State open to moose hunting during the open season on moose established by rule in section 11552, subsections 1 and 2 and according to the rules pertaining to moose hunting permits adopted by the commissioner for the protection of the moose resource under section 11551 and in accordance with the provisions of section 11601; and
D Hunt deer with a crossbow during the open firearm season on deer as provided in section 11401. This paragraph does not authorize a person to hunt deer with a crossbow during an expanded archery season established under section 11403 or in an expanded archery zone or during the muzzle-loading-only deer hunting season established under section 11404, except as provided in subsection 1-A.

Amend the bill by adding after section 5 the following:

Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §11701, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 552, §9 and affected by §15; c. 614, §9; and c. 655, Pt. C, §§2 and 6, is further amended to read:

The commissioner may establish open seasons for hunting wild turkeys, designate areas that are open to the taking of wild turkeys in any part of the State, prescribe the form and regulate the number of permits to be issued, determine the number and sex of the birds to be harvested, establish bag limits, establish permit eligibility requirements, establish legal hunting times, specify the types of weapons to be used during any open wild turkey hunting season and make any other rules that the commissioner considers necessary for the protection of the wild turkey resource. The rules must permit the use of a crossbow during the spring open wild turkey hunting season.

summary

This amendment allows a person to hunt wild turkey with a crossbow during the spring open wild turkey hunting season established by rule. A person with a moose permit and that person's authorized subpermittee are both allowed to hunt moose with a crossbow during the open season on moose as established by rule and in accordance with the provisions for the lawful hunting of moose. Also, this amendment restores the restriction against using a crossbow within 100 feet of a dwelling, which is removed in the bill.


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