PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Enhance the Deer Population by Increasing Control of Coyotes through Local Conservation Organizations
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10108, sub-§11, ¶D  is enacted to read:
 
D.  The commissioner may adopt rules to allow a local conservation organization to pay a hunter a bounty of $20 for each coyote killed by that hunter. The department shall reimburse a participating conservation organization $25 per coyote bounty paid by the organization with funds received pursuant to the federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, 16 United States Code, Sections 669 to 669k (1937). Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §12262  is enacted to read:
§ 12262. Trapping coyotes
There is an open season for trapping coyotes in all counties of the State from October 15th to February 15th.
 
SUMMARY
This bill does the following:
1. It authorizes the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to adopt rules to establish a coyote bounty system;
2. It provides that coyote bounties be paid from federal funding received from the federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act; and
3. It sets a coyote trapping season from October 15th to February 15th.