Overview
Known For
Maine is known for exceptional waterfowl hunting, especially for sea ducks. It’s also been one of the most-improved states for whitetail deer hunting that features five seasons and 79 days of hunting opportunity. When you include moose and black bear, hunters can get a lot from hunting in Maine.
Terrain
Maine’s terrain is heavily forested. More than four-fifths of Maine’s total land area is under forest cover. But it also features rocky coastlines, 2,300 square miles of inland water, and is the northernmost tip of the Appalachian Mountains within the United States.
Maine Hunting Seasons
| Season | Start Date | End Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Bear – Youth Day
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Aug 26, 2023 | Aug 26, 2023 |
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Bear – General
All WMDs.
|
Aug 28, 2023 | Nov 25, 2023 |
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Bear – Hunting with Bait
Bait can be placed July 30th, 2022.
|
Aug 28, 2023 | Sep 23, 2023 |
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Bear – Trapping
All WMDs |
Sep 1, 2023 | Oct 31, 2023 |
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Bear – Hunting with Dogs
|
Sep 11, 2023 | Oct 27, 2023 |
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Bobcat
Statewide. No limit.
|
Dec 1, 2023 | Feb 21, 2024 |
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Coyote – Night Hunting
Statewide. No limit.
|
Dec 16, 2022 | Aug 31, 2023 |
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Coyote – During Daylight Hours
Statewide. No limit.
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
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Deer – Expanded Archery
Designated areas only.
|
Sep 9, 2023 | Dec 9, 2023 |
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Deer – Archery & Crossbow
All WMDs.
|
Sep 30, 2023 | Oct 27, 2023 |
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Deer – Youth
All WMDs |
Oct 20, 2023 | Oct 21, 2023 |
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Deer – Maine Resident only Day
All WMDs.
|
Oct 28, 2023 | Oct 28, 2023 |
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Deer – Firearms
All WMDs.
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Oct 30, 2023 | Nov 25, 2023 |
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Deer – Muzzleloader Statewide
All WMDs.
|
Nov 27, 2023 | Dec 2, 2023 |
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Deer – Late Muzzleloader
District 12, 13, 15-18, 20-26, 29.
|
Dec 4, 2023 | Dec 9, 2023 |
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Duck – North Zone
Daily bag limit of 6. |
Sep 25, 2023 | Dec 2, 2023 |
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Duck – South Zone 1
Daily bag limit of 6, Species-specific bag limits may differ, see regulations for more details.
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Sep 30, 2023 | Oct 14, 2023 |
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Duck – Coastal Zone 1
Daily bag limit of 6, Species-specific bag limits may differ, see regulations for more details.
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Sep 30, 2023 | Oct 7, 2023 |
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Duck – South Zone 2
Daily bag limit of 6, Species-specific bag limits may differ, see regulations for more details.
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Nov 1, 2023 | Dec 25, 2023 |
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Duck – Coastal Zone 2
Daily bag limit of 6, Species-specific bag limits may differ, see regulations for more details.
|
Nov 9, 2023 | Jan 9, 2024 |
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Fox
Statewide. No limit.
|
Oct 16, 2023 | Feb 28, 2024 |
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Goose – Early Canada Goose
Statewide. Bag limits vary by zone. Please check regulations to ensure accurate bag limits. |
Sep 1, 2023 | Sep 25, 2023 |
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Goose – North Brant
Bag limit: 1 |
Sep 25, 2023 | Nov 28, 2023 |
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Goose – North Canada Goose
Daily bag limit of 2.
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Oct 2, 2023 | Dec 9, 2023 |
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Goose – South Canada Goose 1
Daily bag limit of 2.
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Oct 2, 2023 | Oct 14, 2023 |
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Goose – Coastal Canada Goose 1
Daily bag limit of 2.
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Oct 2, 2023 | Oct 7, 2023 |
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Goose – Snow Goose
Statewide. Daily bag limit of 25.
|
Oct 2, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
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Goose – South Brant 1
Bag Limit: 1 |
Oct 2, 2023 | Oct 14, 2023 |
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Goose – Coastal Brant 1
Bag Limit: 1 |
Oct 2, 2023 | Oct 7, 2023 |
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Goose – Coastal Canada Goose 2
Daily bag limit of 2.
|
Oct 27, 2023 | Jan 9, 2024 |
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Goose – South Brant 2
Bag Limit: 1 |
Oct 31, 2023 | Nov 20, 2023 |
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Goose – South Canada Goose 2
Daily bag limit of 2.
|
Nov 1, 2023 | Dec 25, 2023 |
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Goose – Coastal Brant 2
Bag Limit: 1 |
Dec 13, 2023 | Jan 9, 2024 |
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Ruffed Grouse
Statewide. Daily bag limit of 4.
|
Sep 30, 2023 | Dec 30, 2023 |
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Moose 1
District 1-6, 10, 11, 18, 19, 27, 28. By permit only. Bull only
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Sep 25, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 |
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Moose 2
District 1-15, 17-19, 27, 28. By permit only. Bull only. |
Oct 9, 2023 | Oct 14, 2023 |
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Moose – Adaptive Unit Hunt
District 4A. Antlerless only
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Oct 16, 2023 | Oct 21, 2023 |
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Moose – Adaptive Unit Hunt 2
District 4A. Antlerless only
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Oct 23, 2023 | Oct 28, 2023 |
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Moose 3
District 1-6, 8. By permit only. Antlerless only.
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Oct 23, 2023 | Oct 28, 2023 |
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Moose – Adaptive Unit Hunt 3
District 4A. Antlerless only.
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Oct 30, 2023 | Nov 4, 2023 |
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Moose – Adaptive Unit Hunt (Late)
Hunters that are issued a moose permit for the Adaptive Unit/WMD 4A moose hunt who do not harvest a moose during the first week listed on their permit may hunt in their respective zone 11/6/2023-11/11/2023. |
Nov 6, 2023 | Nov 11, 2023 |
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Pheasant
Statewide. Daily bag limit of 2.
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Sep 30, 2023 | Dec 30, 2023 |
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Bobwhite Quail
Statewide. Daily bag limit of 4.
|
Sep 30, 2023 | Dec 30, 2023 |
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Rabbit – Snowshoe Hare
Daily bag limit of 4. Vinalhaven Island season closes on Feb 28th. |
Sep 30, 2023 | Mar 30, 2024 |
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Turkey – Youth Fall Wild turkey Day
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Sep 16, 2023 | Sep 16, 2023 |
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Turkey – Fall General
Districts 6-8 and 10-29. Bag limits vary by district. Please Check Regulations to ensure proper bag limit. |
Sep 18, 2023 | Nov 7, 2023 |
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Turkey – Spring Youth Day
May take up to 2 bearded Wild Turkeys from WMDs that have a 2 bird limit. |
Apr 27, 2024 | Apr 27, 2024 |
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Turkey – Spring District 7, 9-29
2 bearded turkeys.
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Apr 29, 2024 | Jun 1, 2024 |
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Turkey – Spring District 1-6, 8
1 bearded turkey.
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Apr 29, 2024 | Jun 12, 2024 |
Maine Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
Maine hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the official website of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Maine hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Maine hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of wildlife management districts, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Maine.
Wildlife Management Districts
Maine’s ability to manage its wildlife is helped by coordinating 29 Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs). Maine’s Wildlife Management Districts are defined geographical sections of the state that have biological and geophysical similarities. They are broken up by geographies, such as western mountains or down-east coastal plain, as well as by temperature ranges, human population densities, and land use. Click below to view Maine’s wildlife management districts in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
ME Private Lands
Over 650,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Maine. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
ME Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate public lands maps with over 1,900,000 acres in Maine to help you plan your next adventure. Tap any public land parcel to learn more.
ME Possible Access
onX has mapped 270,000 acres of possible access lands in Maine including timber companies and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
ME Hunt Areas
Maine Hunting Areas and Districts
Includes 2 Sublayers
- ME Wildlife Mgmt Districts
- Deer Expanded Archery Area
The #1 GPS Hunting App
- 975 million acres of public land
- 10,668 unique hunting units
- 421 map overlays and counting
- 5,000 game wardens approve