09-137 C.M.R. ch. 17, § 07 - Registration of Furbearing Animals

1. Data Collection; Mandatory Submission of Teeth

A. Bear - Whenever a bear is presented for registration a premolar tooth must be removed from the bear and submitted to the department by the person presenting the bear for registration.

B. Bobcat - Whenever a bobcat is presented for registration, a lower lateral incisor, lower canine, or the lower jaw must be submitted to the department by the person presenting the bobcat for registration. There shall be a tissue sample provided (from either the tongue or a muscle) and the tissue and tooth sample shall be labeled. The label shall include the following information:

(1) Species

(2) Sex

(3) Seal number

C. Fisher, Marten or River Otter - Whenever fisher, marten, or otter are presented for tagging, the entire lower jaw or the lower canine must be submitted to the department by the person presenting the fisher, marten, or otter for registration. The tooth samples shall be labeled with the following information:

(1) Month and Year

(2) Sex

(3) Species

(4) Town of kill

Bear Transportation Tag

To meet the requirements of 12 M.R.S. §11352, the tag for transporting a bear must be a tag provided by the hunter or the department bearing the full name, address, and hunting license number of the person harvesting the bear.

2. Mandatory Submission of Annual Trapper Survey

Trappers ages 16 years old and older must complete and submit surveys provided by the department to be eligible to renew their trapping license.

A. Trappers must complete a survey by January 31^st for any fur taken (in the previous calendar year) during the time that the fall trapping season begins through December 31^st.

B. Trappers must complete a survey by May 31^st for any fur taken from January 1^st through April 30^th of the same calendar year.

3. Possession of Pelts Without Fur Registration Tag

It shall be unlawful for any person to possess, sell, give away, buy, accept as a gift, offer for transportation or transport out of the State of Maine the pelt of any fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink or otter unless each pelt receives a permanent fur tag. The tag utilized for otter and bobcat will be a CITES tag which must be affixed by a game warden or a biologist. Coyotes can be gifted without a permanent fur tag, if a tag is attached to coyote with the following information: person's name who harvested the coyote, hunting or trapping license number of the person who harvested the animal, harvest method (hunt or trap), harvest date, and harvest town. This information must be presented accurately to the tagging agent when the coyote is registered. Coyote must be registered and a permanent fur tag affixed prior to being bought, sold, offered for transport out of state or transported out of state.

4. Possession and Transportation of Pelts Within the State

Notwithstanding this regulation, any person who lawfully possesses the untagged pelt of any fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink or otter may transport that pelt within the jurisdiction of the state for purposes of pelt preparation and tagging.

5. Presenting for Registration and Fee

The pelts of all fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink and otter must be presented to a warden, or other agent of the Commissioner, and each pelt legally presented shall be tagged. All information requested relating to the taking of each pelt shall be accurately and truthfully reported. A fee of 25¢ may be charged for each pelt that is tagged.

6. Time Limits to Register Pelts

The pelts of all fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink and otter must be presented for tagging within 10 days after trapping season closes for that species. If there is an extended trapping season for that species, tagging is required 10 days after the end of the close of the extended season. There are 2 exceptions: all bobcat taken by hunting shall be presented, by the person who harvested the bobcat, for tagging within 10 calendar days of killing the animal; and all otter taken between January 1 through April 30 must be tagged within 10 calendar days of harvesting the animal. Ten days following the close of the open trapping season, it shall be unlawful for any person to possess the pelt of any fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink or otter which does not have attached to it the necessary tag.

7. Pelts Brought to Maine from Another State, Country or Province

A. The pelts, either raw or processed of any fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink and otter that come into Maine from any other state, country, or province must bear the official stamp, tag, or seal of such other state, country, or province; or

B. Any such pelt that comes into this state from any other state, country, or province which does not require an official stamp, tag, or seal must be tagged in accordance with this chapter by the person possessing the pelt; and

C. The fee as established within 17.07 - 5. for tagging such imported pelts may be 25¢ for each pelt.

Notes

09-137 C.M.R. ch. 17, § 07