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An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Crossbow Hunting
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10952, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 301, §7, is further amended to read:
 
1. Hunting with a bow and arrow or a crossbow.   A person may, except as otherwise provided in this Part, hunt any wild bird or wild animal with a hand-held bow and arrow during any open season on that bird or animal if the person holds a valid archery hunting license and may, except as otherwise provided in this Part, hunt any wild bird or wild animal with a crossbow during any open season on that bird or animal if the person holds a valid archery license or hunting license and a valid crossbow hunting license.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2013, c. 538, §14, is further amended to read:
 
D. Hunt deer with a crossbow during the open firearm season on deer as provided in section 11401 and during a regular archery and crossbow season established under section 11403.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10953, sub-§1-C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 42, §1, is amended to read:
 
1-C. Hunting with a crossbow; 65 years of age or older.   A person 7065 years of age or older may hunt a wild bird or a wild animal with a crossbow during any open season on that wild bird or wild animal, subject to this Part. A person 7065 years of age or older may hunt deer with a crossbow during a regular archery-only season established under section 11403 or in an expanded archery zone or during the muzzle-loading-only deer hunting season established under section 11404.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11109-A, sub-§3, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 163, §1 and affected by §3, is amended to read:
 
A. One deer during either the regular open firearm season or the regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season or the special muzzle-loading season in accordance with sections 11401, 11403 and 11404, respectively;
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11162, sub-§1, as reallocated by RR 2015, c. 1, §8, is amended to read:
 
1. Hunting or archery license.   A resident or nonresident 16 years of age or older who has satisfied the requirements of subsection 3 or who is exempt under subsection 4 and who holds a valid hunting or archery hunting license or an apprenticeship hunter license or archery hunting license may obtain a crossbow permit to hunt with a crossbow from the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized agent.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §11402, sub-§3, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
 
F. The Town of Islesboro in Waldo County, except that a person may hunt deer in that town only with bow and arrow from the first day of the specialregular archery and crossbow season on deer, established in accordance with section 11403, subsection 2, to the end of the regular firearm season on deer of each calendar year in Waldo County;
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §11403, as corrected by RR 2015, c. 2, §7, is amended to read:
§ 11403.Regular archery and crossbow deer hunting season
 
2. Open archery and crossbow hunting season on deer.   The commissioner shall by rule establish a regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season beginning at least 30 days prior and extending to the beginning of the regular deer hunting season, as described in section 11401, subsection 1, paragraph A, for the purpose of hunting deer with bow and arrow onlyand crossbow. During the regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season on deer the following restrictions apply.
 
A. A person may not take a deer during a regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season unless that person uses a hand-held bow and broadhead arrow in accordance with section 11214, subsection 1, paragraph P or crossbow in accordance with section 10953.
 
B. A person may not carry firearms of any kind while hunting any species of wildlife with bow and arrow or crossbow during the regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season on deer, except that a person who holds a license that allows hunting with firearms may carry a handgun. This paragraph may not be construed to prohibit a person who holds a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun pursuant to Title 25, section 2003 from carrying a handgun.
 
C. Except as provided in section 11109-A, subsection 3, if a person takes a deer with bow and arrow or crossbow during the regular archery-onlyarchery and crossbow season on deer, that person is precluded from further hunting for deer during that year.
 
D. Except as provided in this subsection, the provisions of this Part concerning deer are applicable to the taking of deer with bow and arrow or crossbow, including the transportation, registration and possession of deer taken by this method.
 
A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime.
 
SUMMARY
This bill expands crossbow hunting for deer into the regular archery-only season on deer. It removes the requirement that a person must have a valid hunting or archery hunting license or an apprenticeship hunter license or archery hunting license in order to hunt with a crossbow. It also lowers from 70 years of age to 65 years of age the age at which a person may hunt a wild bird or wild animal with a crossbow during any open season on that wild bird or wild animal, hunt in an expanded archery zone and hunt during muzzle-loading-only deer hunting season.