AUGUSTA - Rep. Scott Landry, D-Farmington, presented legislation today that would eliminate the first $12 antlerless deer permit fee of the year for hunters with complimentary and senior lifetime hunting licenses.
" LD 798 is a simple matter of consistency and fairness to older Mainers with lifetime licenses and hunters with complimentary licenses, including disabled veterans and active duty service members," said Landry, House chair of the Legislature's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.
In 2022, the Legislature took steps to update Maine's deer permit system in order to thin the deer herd in southern and central Maine while still protecting the population in the rest of the state. These changes included the institution of a $12 antlerless deer permit fee and an adjustment in the permit structure which now allows hunters to harvest both a buck and a doe with the purchase of a single permit. Prior to this law, hunters were only allowed to harvest either a buck or doe unless they obtained an additional permit through the lottery system.
"This narrow carve out will not impact the states efforts to responsibly manage our deer herd," said Landry. "But extending this reasonable courtesy will ensure that those who have been able to harvest a deer without paying a fee for years will continue to be able to do so."
The Legislature's Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
To learn more about Maine's hunting licenses and to apply for a senior complimentary and senior lifetime hunting license, visit the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlifes website.
For more information on hunting and trapping laws in Maine, permits, safety courses, accessing private lands and more, visit the Maine Hunting Laws booklet.
Landry is serving his third term in the Maine House representing Chesterville and Farmington. In addition to his role as House chair of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, he is a member of the Marine Resources Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Landry], c. 305-965-2744