[kenton6]

Here's a bill that would give some relief to residents of Maine and tuck it to any non-resident hunters.

Bill Sponsors:Representative SIROIS of Turner Cosponsored By: Representative CARTER of Bethel
Representative JACKSON of Allagash
Representative MILLETT of Waterford
Representative PATRICK of Rumford
Senator SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin
Representative WATSON of Bath

An Act To Adjust Fees for Certain Resident and Nonresident Licenses, Registrations and Permits Issued by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ​

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §4, is further amended to read:
3. Hunting licenses; combination licenses; fees. Hunting licenses, combination licenses and fees are as follows.A. A resident junior hunting license, for a person 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $7.
B. A resident hunting license, for a person 16 years of age or older, is $21 $19.
C. A resident small game hunting license, for a person 16 years of age or older, which permits hunting for all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $14.
D. A resident combination hunting and fishing license is $38 $35.
E. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $38.
F. A nonresident junior hunting license, for a person 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $27 $33.
G. A nonresident small game hunting license, which permits hunting of all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $67 $81.
H. A nonresident 3-day small game hunting license, valid for 3 consecutive hunting days, which permits hunting of all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat for the 72-hour period specified on the license, is $42 $51.
I. A nonresident big game hunting license, which permits hunting of all species including deer and bear, is $102 $123.
J. A nonresident combination hunting and fishing license is $137 $165.
K. An alien small game hunting license, which permits hunting of all species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $72 $87.
L. An alien big game hunting license, which permits hunting of all species including deer and bear, is $127 $153.
M. An alien combination hunting and fishing license is $178 $214.
N. A license to use leashed dogs to track wounded animals, which permits a person to use one or more leashed dogs to track a lawfully wounded deer, moose or bear, is $27.

Sec. 2. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11109, sub-§5, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 397, Pt. E, §7, is further amended to read:
5. Muzzle-loading permits and fees. Muzzle-loading hunting permits and fees are as follows:A. A resident muzzle-loading hunting permit is $13;
B. A nonresident muzzle-loading hunting permit is $62 $75; and
C. An alien muzzle-loading hunting permit is $72 $87.

Sec. 3. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11109, sub-§7, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §5, is further amended to read:
7. Archery hunting licenses; combination licenses; fees. Archery hunting licenses, combination licenses and fees are as follows:A. A resident archery license is $21;
B. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $38;
C. A nonresident archery license is $62 $75; and
D. An alien archery license is $72 $87.

Sec. 4. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11109, sub-§9, [/FONT] as enacted by PL 2005, c. 419, §5 and as affected by §12, is amended to read:
9. Crossbow licenses and fees. Crossbow hunting licenses and fees are as follows:A. A resident crossbow hunting license is $25;
B. A nonresident crossbow hunting license is $48 $58; and
C. An alien crossbow hunting license is $72 $87.

Sec. 5. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11151, sub-§3, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §7, is further amended to read:
3. Issuance; permit fee. The commissioner, through the commissioner's authorized agent, shall issue a bear hunting permit to an eligible person. The annual fee for each permit issued is $27 for residents and $67 $81 for nonresidents.
Sec. 6. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11154, sub-§3, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §9, is further amended to read:
3. Moose hunting permit fee. The fee for a moose hunting permit is $52 for a resident and $477 $573 for a nonresident or alien.
Sec. 7. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11155, sub-§1-B, [/FONT] as enacted by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §11, is amended to read:
1-B. Issuance; permit fee. The commissioner, through the commissioner's authorized agent, shall issue a wild turkey hunting permit to an eligible person. The annual fee for a wild turkey hunting permit is $20 for residents and $47 $57 for nonresidents and aliens.
Sec. 8. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §12201, sub-§6, ¶C, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §23, is further amended to read:
C. A nonresident trapping license is $310 $372.
Sec. 9. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §12501, sub-§6, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §24, is further amended to read:
6. Schedule of fees. The fees for fishing licenses are as follows.A. A resident fishing license is $21.
B. A resident combination hunting and fishing license is $38.
C. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $38.
D. A nonresident junior fishing license, for persons 12 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $9 $11.
E. A 3-day fishing license for a resident or nonresident , valid for the 72-hour period specified on the license, is $23 for a resident and $28 for a nonresident.
F. A nonresident 7-day fishing license, valid for 7 days from the date indicated on the license, is $36 $44.
G. A nonresident 15-day fishing license, valid for 15 days from the date indicated on the license, is $40 $48.
H. A nonresident season fishing license for persons 16 years of age or older is $52 $63.
I. An alien season fishing license for persons 16 years of age or older is $72 $87.
J. A one-day fishing license for a resident or nonresident, valid for the 24-hour period indicated on the license, is $11.

Sec. 10. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §12954, sub-§4, ¶B, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §36, is further amended to read:
B. For a nonresident hide dealer, $110 $132.
Sec. 11. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §13104, sub-§4, ¶B, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §41, is further amended to read:
B. For nonresidents:
(1) Forty-three Fifty-two dollars for a 3-consecutive-day registration. A person may purchase more than one 3-day registration in any season;

(2) Fifty-eight Seventy dollars for a 10-consecutive-day registration. A person may purchase more than one 10-day registration in any season; and

(3) Sixty-eight Seventy-two dollars for a seasonal registration.

The registration for a snowmobile owned by a nonresident must specify the dates for which the registration is valid.
Sec. 12. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §13155, sub-§5, [/FONT] as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §43, is further amended to read:
5. Fees. The annual registration fee for an ATV is $33 for a resident and $68 $82 for a nonresident.

summary​

This bill adjusts certain fees charged by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It increases certain nonresident license, permit and registration fees by approximately 20% and reduces the resident hunting license and the resident combination hunting and fishing license by $3 each.

 

[John Porter]

I don't feel that a non-resident should pick up our slack. A non-res. spends more per trip then most Mainers spend in a season hunting here. Why make them make up our difference?

 

[aroostookbasser]

Oh Please..........
Maine is one of the cheapest places to hunt in the USA !!!!
Look at our neighbors .........and further away by comparison....

New Hampshire........ Hunting for non-res. -105.50
Vermont........Hunting for non-res. - 90.00
Mass ......... Hunting for non-res. - 99.00
Tenn. ........ Hunting for non-res. - 251.00

I say give me and mine a break and let the "tourists" pay a little more.... we're still cheaper than the rest.........

 

[kenton6]

I agree AB BUT remember, most of these propositions are all solely based on economics. Maine sells per capita fewer non-resident licenses than say New Hampshire because Maine does not allow Sunday hunting.
I hope somebody did their math correctly to factor in what estimated percentage of revenue will be lost from non-residents opting out of a license and doesn't leave the fish and game with a budget shortfall.
The same can be said about resident license fees. If you compare Maine with many other states, Maine is very cheap.
It's all economics and who you choose to have pay the bills.

 

[swnoel]

I say raise them all 10%.

I love the Crossbow fee...$58 for non residents, for what?

Are they nuts... make a crossbow season or allow and extra deer and you'll have something.

 

[Real1]

Well, as a NR hunter and after seeing this I may not hunt Maine this year. I tagged out the first week of bow season in October. If Maine includeds the second tag, I may reconsider. It is getting expensive to go hunt with my Maine friends for a few days....