Maine Deer Baiting Laws & Regulations

Summary of Maine Deer Baiting Regulations

Baiting deer by placing salt, grain, fruit, nuts or other foods or bait known to be attractive to deer or hunting from an observation stand or blind overlooking such bait, is prohibited from June 1 to December 15.

This does not apply to hunting from an observation stand or blind overlooking:

  • Standing crops
  • Foods that have been left as a result of natural or normal agricultural operations
  • Bear bait that has been placed at a bear hunting stand or blind in accordance with bear baiting laws

Detailed Regulations

A first offense of placing or hunting over bait for deer is minimum one-year license revocation.
Second offense of placing or hunting over bait for deer is a minimum mandatory two-year revocation of hunting licenses.

PLACEMENT OF BAIT

As used in this section, “bait” means an animal, plant, or part thereof used to attract wild animals for the purpose of hunting.
A Person Placing Bait for Hunting Purposes Must:

  • Obtain oral or written permission from the landowner or landowner’s agent.
  • Plainly label the bait with a 2-inch by 4-inch tag containing the name and address of the baiter.
  • Clean up the bait site immediately upon landowner request; or if not requested, within 20 days of the last day the site is hunted.

A Person May NOT:

  • Hunt over another person’s bait site without the baiter’s permission.
  • Place any medicinal, poisonous, or stupefying substance to entice any animal.

Species-specific Baiting Laws:

  • Baiting or feeding of deer is prohibited from June 1-December 15. See page 18 for more information.

DEER HUNTING PROHIBITIONS

Baiting deer by placing salt, grain, fruit, nuts or other foods or bait known to be attractive to deer, or hunting from an observation stand or blind overlooking such bait, is prohibited from June 1 to December 15. This does not apply to hunting from an observation stand or blind overlooking:

  • Standing crops
  • Foods that have been left as a result of a natural occurrence or normal agricultural operations 
  • Bear bait that has been placed at a bear hunting stand or blind in accordance with bear-baiting laws

Source

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