ParcelVisionMaine Hunting Laws
Every rule below links to the statute or the official Maine source we checked it against. Where a rule has exceptions, they're in the small print under it.
| Topic | Maine rule |
|---|---|
| Safety zone around buildings | 100 yards (firearm & archery) |
| Posting requirements | Required for trespass — signs/paint ≤100 ft apart |
| Purple paint | Yes — 1×8 in., 3–5 ft high, ≤100 ft apart |
| Landowner permission | No (written needed for trail cameras) |
| Retrieving game or dogs | No exception — permission needed on posted land |
| Hunting trespass penalties | Class E crime + ≥1-year license revocation |
| Landowner license exemption | Yes — residents, own domicile, 10+ acres |
| Hunter education | Required unless licensed as adult since 1976 |
| Blaze orange | Solid orange hat + 50% orange torso |
| Legal shooting hours | 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset |
| Sunday hunting | Prohibited |
| Baiting deer | Illegal during deer season |
| Crossbows in archery season | Yes — all archery license holders |
| Hunting near roads | No shooting from/over paved roads or within 10 ft |
| Night hunting | Deer: No; coyotes: permit |
| Drones | Prohibited for bear, deer, moose |
| Trail cameras | Written consent + name label on others' land |
| Landowner liability | Yes — broad protection |
Maine trespass and posting laws
What makes land legally posted in Maine?
Posting is what makes entry a crime in Maine: entering land posted with signs or paint, or fenced to keep people out, is criminal trespass. Signs or paint marks must be no more than 100 feet apart and at every vehicle entrance from a public road. Signs must say access is prohibited, prohibited without permission, or prohibited for a particular purpose such as hunting.
Unposted, unfenced land is not criminal trespass unless the owner personally tells you to stay off or leave, but IF&W urges hunters to always get permission. Posting someone else's land without permission is criminal mischief.
Source: 17-A M.R.S. § 402(1)(C), (4) · official source
Does Maine have a purple paint law?
Yes. One vertical 'OSHA Safety Purple' stripe means 'Access by Permission Only'. It must be at least 1 inch wide and 8 inches long, with the bottom 3 to 5 feet off the ground, on trees, posts or stones no more than 100 feet apart.
Paint must also appear at every vehicle entrance from a public road. A landowner using paint can restrict a particular use, such as hunting, by putting up one or more signs in a prominent place.
Source: 17-A M.R.S. § 402(4)(B-1); Bureau of Forestry rule · official source
Do you need written permission to hunt private land in Maine?
Maine does not require written permission to hunt. You need written landowner consent to leave a trail camera on someone else's land, and oral or written permission to place or hunt over bait.
On posted land you need permission from the landowner or their agent, but the statute doesn't require it in writing.
Source: 17-A M.R.S. § 402; 33 M.R.S. § 2001; 12 M.R.S. § 11227 · official source
Can you retrieve a deer or a hunting dog from posted land in Maine?
Maine has no special right to enter posted land to retrieve game. On posted land you need permission, and you must leave or stay off any land when the owner personally tells you to. A permitted tracker with a leashed dog may track a wounded deer, bear or moose, even after hours.
The old after-hours retrieval statute (12 M.R.S. § 11225) has been repealed.
Source: 17-A M.R.S. § 402(1); 12 M.R.S. § 11111 · official source
What is the penalty for hunting trespass in Maine?
Entering posted or fenced land, or ignoring an order to leave or stay off, is a Class E crime. Possessing wildlife taken while trespassing is a separate Class E crime. If you are convicted of trespass while hunting, IF&W must revoke your licenses for at least 1 year.
Trespassers who cause damage are civilly liable for twice the actual damage, plus costs and attorney fees if intentional (14 M.R.S. § 7551-B).
Source: 17-A M.R.S. § 402; 12 M.R.S. §§ 11204, 10902(4)(A) · official source
Maine hunting safety rules
How close to a house can you hunt in Maine?
You may not fire a gun, or let a projectile pass, within 100 yards of a building or residential dwelling without the owner's permission (or that of an authorized adult occupant if the owner is away). The same 100-yard rule applies to arrows and bolts on someone else's land.
'Building' includes homes and commercial, school, church and farm structures, including barns sheltering animals, machines or crops. A violation is a Class E crime. Municipal ordinances may differ for firearms.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11209 · official source
Can you hunt from or near a road in Maine?
You may not shoot at wildlife from a paved public road or within 10 feet of its edge, from the right-of-way of a controlled-access highway, or fire a gun or arrow over a paved public road. You may not shoot from a motor vehicle or rest a loaded gun on one unless you are outside it and the engine is off.
Unpaved roads are not covered by § 11208, but the 100-yard building rule and landowner posting still apply.
Source: 12 M.R.S. §§ 11208, 11212-A · official source
What are legal shooting hours in Maine?
Hunting is legal from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Hunting outside those hours is night hunting, a Class D crime with a mandatory minimum of 3 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Coyote night hunting is allowed with a permit.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11206 · official source
What are the blaze orange requirements in Maine?
During the firearm deer season, anyone hunting with a firearm or crossbow must wear 2 articles of hunter orange visible from all sides: a solid orange hat, and a jacket, vest or other torso garment at least 50% orange.
Waterfowl hunters in a boat or blind or with decoys are exempt. People with a religious objection may wear bright red instead. A violation is a $100–$500 civil fine.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11203 · official source
Is night hunting legal in Maine?
Night hunting is illegal, with a mandatory minimum of 3 days in jail and a $1,000 fine ($2,000 with night vision or thermal), plus at least a 1-year license suspension. Using lights to locate wildlife at night is illegal Sept. 1–Dec. 15, and lights may never be used to hunt deer or moose. Coyotes may be hunted at night with a $4 permit.
Lights may be used to track a wounded animal with a licensed leashed-dog tracker.
Source: 12 M.R.S. §§ 11206, 11214(1)(L)-(M), 11160 · official source
Maine licenses, hunter education and Sunday hunting
Do you need a hunting license to hunt your own land in Maine?
A Maine resident and immediate family may hunt without a license on a single plot of land they are entitled to possess, actually live on, and that is at least 10 contiguous acres. This covers firearm, archery and muzzleloader hunting.
The exemption doesn't apply if the person's hunting license is suspended or revoked. All other hunting laws and permit requirements still apply.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11108(1) · official source
Who needs hunter education in Maine?
To buy an adult firearm hunting license you must show a completed hunter safety course, or proof that you held an adult hunting license in any year since 1976. Hunters 16 and older without either can buy an apprentice license, up to 5 times, and hunt with a licensed adult 18 or older. Youth under 16 hunt on a junior license with a supervisor.
Junior hunters must stay in visual and voice contact with their supervisor, and within 20 feet if under 10. An archery license requires a separate archery course (§ 11106).
Source: 12 M.R.S. §§ 11105, 11108-B, 11108-C · official source
Is Sunday hunting legal in Maine?
No. Hunting any wild animal or bird on Sunday is prohibited statewide, and violating the ban is a Class E crime.
Permitted dog handlers may still track wounded game on Sunday.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11205 · official source
Maine baiting, crossbow, drone and trail camera rules
Is it legal to bait deer in Maine?
No. During any open deer season you may not put out salt, bait or food to attract deer, or hunt from a stand or blind overlooking such food. Standing crops, food left from normal farming or natural sources, and legal bear bait are exceptions.
$500–$1,000 civil fine. Any legal bait site (e.g., for bear) needs landowner permission and a 2×4-inch tag with your name and address (§ 11227).
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11452 · official source
Can you use a crossbow during archery season in Maine?
Yes. Maine law defines archery equipment as a bow or crossbow, so anyone with an archery license may use a crossbow during archery seasons.
A legal crossbow must have a working mechanical trigger safety and a draw weight of at least 100 lbs. Crossbow hunters must wear hunter orange during the firearm deer season.
Source: 12 M.R.S. §§ 10001(3), 10952(1) · official source
Can you use a drone to scout or recover game in Maine?
No one, on the ground or in the air, may use an aircraft to aid or assist in hunting bear, deer or moose.
A $100–$500 civil fine, or a Class E crime with a $500+ fine if an animal is taken. The statute says 'aircraft' and does not mention drones separately; check with IF&W before using one for scouting or recovery.
Source: 12 M.R.S. § 11216 · official source
Are trail cameras restricted in Maine?
You need the landowner's written consent to leave a camera on someone else's private land, and it must be labeled with your name and contact information. A landowner may remove or disable an unauthorized camera and keep an abandoned one.
Civil fine up to $500.
Source: 33 M.R.S. § 2001 · official source
Maine landowner liability
Is a landowner liable if someone gets hurt hunting on their land in Maine?
Landowners, lessees and other occupants owe no duty to keep land safe for hunting or other outdoor recreation, or to warn of hazards, and giving permission doesn't create liability.
No protection for willful or malicious failure to warn, or when a fee is charged (except payments from the State, certain non-exclusive land-use fees, or public-access easements).
Source: 14 M.R.S. § 159-A · official source
Season dates and bag limits
Seasons, zones and bag limits change every year, and some change mid-season. Get them straight from the source: the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife current hunting regulations.
Hunting near a state line? Laws change at the border: New Hampshire hunting laws.
Find the parcel you hunt: Maine property boundaries by county · Maine parcel maps.
Know Which Side of the Line You're On
Posting rules and trespass penalties only help if you know where the line is. ParcelVision draws the property line on the ground through your phone camera, so you can see it from your stand. Searching any Maine address is free.
Search Your Hunting Property FreeFree to download and search. One-time $14.99 per property. No subscription.
This page summarizes Maine law for general information and isn't legal advice. Laws and regulations change; each rule links to the official source it was checked against on October 7, 2026. Confirm current rules with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife before you hunt. ParcelVision is a visualization aid, not a legal survey.