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An Act To Eliminate Permits for Turkey Hunting and To Expand Turkey Hunting
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 538, §§21 and 22, 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. Notwithstanding the permit fees established in subchapter 3, a resident junior hunting license includes all permits, stamps and other permissions needed to hunt at no additional cost. A resident junior hunting license does not exempt the holder of the license from lottery-related application requirements under this Part.
 
B. A resident hunting license, for a person 16 years of age or older, is $25.
 
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 $42.
 
E. A resident combination archery hunting and fishing license is $42.
 
E-1. A resident apprenticeship hunter license, which includes a bear hunting permit and a wild turkey hunting permit under sectionssection 11151 and 11155 respectively, is $25.
 
F. A nonresident junior hunting license, for a person 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $34. A nonresident junior hunting license does not exempt the holder of the license from lottery-related application requirements under this Part.
 
G. A nonresident small game hunting license, which permits hunting of all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $74.
 
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 $49.
 
I. A nonresident big game hunting license, which permits hunting of turkey and all legal species subject to the permit requirements in subchapter 3, is $114.
 
J. A nonresident combination hunting and fishing license is $149.
 
K. An alien small game hunting license, which permits hunting of all species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $79.
 
L. An alien big game hunting license, which permits hunting of turkey and all legal species subject to the permit requirements in subchapter 3, is $139.
 
M. An alien combination hunting and fishing license is $190.
 
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.
 
O. A nonresident small game apprenticeship hunter license, which permits the hunting of all legal species except deer, bear, turkey, moose, raccoon and bobcat, is $74.
 
P. A nonresident big game apprenticeship hunter license, which permits the hunting of all legal species and includes a bear hunting permit and a wild turkey hunting permit under sectionssection 11151 and 11155 respectively, is $114.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11155, as amended by PL 2013, c. 387, §§1 and 2, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11701, first ¶, as amended by PL 2013, c. 236, §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.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11701, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 387, §3, is amended to read:
 
A. A person to take up to 2 wild turkeys without any additional fee for the taking of the 2nd wild turkey;
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11701, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 387, §3, is amended to read:
 
2. Fall season.   Beginning with the 2014 fall open season, the commissioner shall establish by rule a fall open season for hunting wild turkeys. Unless the commissioner determines that sound management principles require otherwise, the rule must establish a fall open season that includes the month of October and allow a person to take up to 2 wild turkeys regardless of sex without any additional fee for the taking of a 2nd wild turkey.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §12301-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §226 and affected by §422, is amended to read:
 
1. Registration stations established.   The commissioner shall adopt rules governing the establishment and closure of bear, deer, moose and wild turkey registration stations for the purpose of registering harvested bear, deer, moose and wild turkey and to allow for the collection of biological and hunting data. A registration station that registers deer must also register wild turkey. The commissioner shall also adopt rules providing for the registration of wild turkey by electronic or telephonic means. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §12302-A, sub-§1, ¶¶B and C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §228 and affected by §422, are amended to read:
 
B. Present that animal for registration in that person's name at the first open registration station for that animal on the route taken by that person, except that wild turkey may be registered electronically or telephonically in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner under section 12301-A; and
 
C. Leave the registration seal attached to the animal in accordance with section 12301-A until that animal is processed and packaged for consumption or, in the case of a wild turkey electronically or telephonically registered in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner under section 12301-A, comply with the requirements of those rules.
 
SUMMARY
This bill expands turkey hunting opportunities by:
1. Eliminating the turkey permit requirements;
2. Allowing the hunting of turkey with a big game or small game hunting license;
3. Requiring deer registration stations to also register turkeys; and
4. Providing for electronic or telephonic registration of turkeys.