[kenton6]

Here's a bill proposal that would allow Maine landowners of over 20 acres to hunt their land on Sundays provided their land is open to public hunting.

Bill Sponsors:Representative FITTS of Pittsfield Cosponsored By: Senator BRYANT of Oxford
Representative FLETCHER of Winslow
Representative JACKSON of Allagash
Representative RICHARDSON of Carmel
Representative RICHARDSON of Greenville
Representative SAVIELLO of Wilton
Representative TARDY of Newport

An Act To Enhance Land Use Opportunities for Landowners​

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11152, sub-§8 [/FONT] is enacted to read:
8. Landowner hunting on Sunday. An antlerless deer permit system adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section may include a provision allowing landowners who keep their land open to hunting by the public to hunt on Sunday. The commissioner may adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A necessary for the administration, implementation, enforcement and interpretation of this subsection to allow landowners to hunt on their land on Sunday if their land is 20 acres or more and the land is open to the public for hunting during the open hunting season. As a requirement for hunting under this subsection, the landowner must register with the department at no cost. A member of the landowner's immediate family is permitted to hunt on Sunday on the landowner's land if that family member is a licensed hunter.
Sec. 2. [FONT=Times New Roman,Times,Georgia,serif]12 MRSA §11205, sub-§1, ¶A, [/FONT] as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
A. Hunt wild animals or wild birds on Sunday except as provided in section 11152, subsection 8; or

summary​

This bill allows landowners to hunt on Sunday on their own land if they own 20 or more acres and the land is open to hunting by the public. The landowner must register with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

 

[aroostookbasser]

Now your talking controversy........
"Special treatment" for land owners...didn't we dump some tea in a harbor for equal treatment under the law?

What about the "right wingers" who think nothing should happen on Sunday ......but church?


This could get real interesting...........:clap2:

 

[kenton6]

Forget the "right wingers" as you call them, although it is not right wingers opposed to Sunday hunting completely. The religious aspect of Sunday hunting is blown way out of proportion. Surveys show it is a much smaller number who oppose Sunday hunting for religious reasons.
This may seem an unfair proposal and it probably is BUT (I love sticking in them big BUTs), in the future as Maine continues to lose valuable hunting lands, incentives need to be put in place to give landowners more reason to leave their land open to others.
Don't toss out the idea yet. It does or will have merit in the future.