There's some new changes to Maine hunting laws that will impact the upcoming fall hunts.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is spotlighting some changes for upcoming 2021-2022 hunting seasons. Some of the bigger changes being made involve tagging protocols for harvested game. Firstly, deer, moose, and bear, may be dismembered for ease of transportation. It's simply an option for hunters, and not required.

According to IFW, "all edible meat, the head and evidence of sex must be presented for registration. The viscera, hide, lower legs and rib cage, including the ribs, spine and pelvis, are not required to be presented for registration." Discarded animal parts must be disposed of properly.

Maine hunters keep hunted game whole, minus entrails, for an official dressed-weight on certified game scales at tagging stations. Outdoor publication, The Maine Sportsman, has various patch clubs for successful hunters. One of the sought after patches is the "Biggest Bucks In Maine" club. To score a patch, a whitetail deer's dressed-weight (without heart, lungs, and liver) must be 200 pounds or more.

Paul Wolfe, Townsquare Media
Paul Wolfe, Townsquare Media
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Another change will impact the upcoming fall turkey hunt. Now hunted turkey do not need to be transport tagged or registered. The fall season, where allowed, permits the taking of turkeys of either sex. The fall season also features liberal bag limits, as many as five birds in some Wildlife Management Districts. Only durring the spring season is there a requirement to only take male turkey, also known as a "Tom" or "Jake." Harvested spring turkeys are still required to be tagged, and registered, in its entirety.

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More changes are outlined in the new 2021-2022 Hunting Law Book. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reminds hunters, "As a hunter it is your responsibility to view all of Maine's hunting laws."

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