An Act To Clarify the Laws Governing Hunting from a Vehicle
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11212, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 327, §1, is further amended to read:
1. Prohibition. The following provisions apply to shooting from a motor vehicle or motorboat or possessing a loaded firearm or a crossbow in a motor vehicle while hunting.
A. A person may not shoot while in or on a motor vehicle or motorboat or while in or on a trailer or other type of vehicle being hauled by a motor vehicle except:
(1) A person may hunt migratory waterfowl from a motorboat in accordance with federal regulations;
(2) Paraplegics and single or double amputees of the legs may shoot from motor vehicles that are not in motion; and
(3) A person may shoot from a motorboat if that boat is not being propelled by its motor.
B. A person may not, while in or on a motor vehicle or in or on a trailer or other type of vehicle being hauled by a motor vehicle, have a cocked and armed crossbow or a firearm with a cartridge or shell in the chamber or in an attached magazine, clip or cylinder or a muzzle-loading firearm charged with powder, lead and a primed ignition device or mechanism, except that a person who is 21 years of age or older and is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm or is 18 years of age or older and under 21 years of age and is on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard or is an honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard and is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm may have in or on a motor vehicle or trailer or other type of vehicle a loaded pistol or revolver.
C. A person may not possess a wild animal or wild bird taken in violation of paragraph A or B, except as otherwise provided in this Part.
summary
This bill explicitly restricts the application of the law prohibiting shooting from motor vehicles and motorboats to shooting while hunting.