Legislature acts on noise suppression devices and nonresident deer hunter

Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife News, Hunting, Landowner Issues
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The legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife unanimously endorsed two interesting bills this week.

LD 1823 will assure the continuation of the law that allows nonresident hunters who own more than 25 acres, and allow us to hunt there, to join us in hunting on the opening day of the firearms season on deer.

Nonresident hunters are not allowed to hunt on opening day, with the exception of these landowners.

I told the committee of my frustration that my son, who lives in Massachusetts, cannot hunt with me that day, and suggested that we ought to at least allow nonresident family members to hunt with us on opening day.

The second bill, LD 1824, extends the authority of hunters to use noise suppression devices, with a permit. That opportunity was set to expire. Tim Peabody of DIFW, supported the bill and told the committee that approximately 180 people have gotten permits to use suppressors while hunting. Tim also said they had received no complaints about this.

Both bills now go to the House and Senate for votes, and then to the governor for his approval.

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.