Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024
2.
Establishment of Big Game
Registration Agents and Operation of Stations
3.
Establishment of Fur Registration
Agents and Operations of Stations
4.
How to Apply to Become a Big Game
Registration or Fur Registration Agent:
7.
Operating Standards for
Stations
8.
Performance Standards for Agents
9.
Termination of Agent
Services
10.
Furbearing Animal Possession, Transportation and Registration
Requirements for Trappers
1.
Scope: The rules in this section shall be applicable to the
establishment and the operation of registration (tagging) stations for big game
and furbearing animals as required by law.
2.
Establishment of Big Game
Registration Agents and Operation of Stations
A.
Selection of Agents and
Stations: Big game registration agents and their respective stations
shall be selected by the Commissioner on the basis of need, and the ability to
perform the function of a registration agent as outlined in the station
agreement. However, only one station shall be established per city or town,
except when it is determined by the Commissioner that more than one big game
registration agent is required to adequately service the hunting public. The
need for additional agents shall be determined upon the following
considerations:
(1) Number and location of
major access routes within the city or town;
(2) Location of existing big game
registration agents;
(3) Deer,
bear, moose and wild turkey registration levels; and
(4) Areas with special deer hunting
restrictions.
3.
Establishment of Fur Registration
Agents and Operations of Stations
A.
Selection of Agents and Stations: Fur tagging registration agents
shall be established by the Commissioner on the basis of need and for added
support to department staff.
B.
Location of Fur Registration Agents: Agents shall be located so as
to provide registration stations at strategic locations throughout the state.
All selections shall be based upon the following considerations:
(1) Location of applicants in relation to the
major access routes within the various sections of the state;
(2) Location of applicants in relation to
other fur registration agents. New fur registration agents shall be a minimum
of 20 airline miles from an existing agent;
(3) Location of applicants in relation to
major fur buyers; and
(4) Fur
harvest characteristics of the various sections of the state.
(5) Availability of personnel and facilities
required to register large lots of fur in an efficient and confidential
manner.
4.
How to Apply to Become a Big Game or Fur Registration Agent
Individuals interested in becoming an agent shall contact the
district game warden and regional wildlife biologist within whose district they
wish to operate the station. When the need exists for a new station in a
particular town, interested individuals will be given an application which must
be accurately completed and returned to the Commissioner by July
1st of the year in which the applicant wishes to
become established as an agent. The Commissioner may waive this deadline if the
need for another agent is identified and the deadline cannot be met.
5.
Approval
A.
Credit Checks: Each agent
applicant must demonstrate creditworthiness by allowing the department to
perform credit checks with any credit organization and provide any other
supplemental information deemed necessary by the Commissioner for this
purpose.
B.
District Warden
and Regional Wildlife Biologist Approval: For bear, deer, moose, turkey
and fur registration stations, the district game warden and the regional
wildlife biologist shall approve the request prior to recommending approval for
a new station. The Commissioner makes the final decision.
6.
Operating Agreement
Businesses or individuals must enter into a written agreement
using the form prescribed by the department in order to become a big game
registration and/or tagging agent. The operating agreement shall include the
following:
A. The location of the
station.
B. Operating standards for
the station and performance standards for the agents.
C. Minimum registration
requirements.
D. Statement that
explains the agent is prohibited from holding a trapping or hide buyers
license.
7.
Operating Standards for Stations
A.
Big Game Registration Agents:
(1) Minimum time of operation - 8:00 A.M. to
6:00 P.M.
(2) Minimum days of
operation - Monday through Saturday
B.
Fur Registration Agents
(1)
Dates open for operation:
Agents must be available to register fur from the start of the land (fall)
trapping season to ten days following the close of the beaver trapping season.
At a minimum agents must be open to tag fur by appointment and respond to
trapper's requests within 48 hours.
(2) During the 10-day timeframe after the
close of the beaver trapping season the agent must be available to tag fur for
at least 4 contiguous hours each day (excluding Sundays) and if necessary
schedule appointments to tag fur after normal business hours and on
weekends.
8.
Performance Standards for Agents
A.
Complying with Laws: Agents
designated by the Commissioner for the purpose of operating big game and/or fur
registration stations shall be responsible for complying with all pertinent
laws, regulations, and performance agreements regarding the registration of big
game animals as referenced within
12 M.R.S.
§12301-A.
B.
Training Requirements: Agents
must ensure that staff will be properly trained to complete registration for
customers according to the department requirements and that customers will be
serviced in a timely, helpful and courteous manner by all staff working for the
station.
C.
Electronic
Services Maintained: Agents must maintain internet connectivity and a
device to enter electronic data at the station location.
D.
Submission of Funds: Funds
owed to the department must be paid according to the agreement.
E.
No Transfer of Agreements
Agreements regarding the operation of big game or fur
registration stations are not transferable to another individual, location,
business or corporation.
F.
Termination of Agreement
All agreements with big game and fur registration agents
shall remain in effect until:
(1) The
agent no longer wishes to operate a registration station at the agreed upon
location and terminates the agreement with the Commissioner;
(2) The agent changes the location of the
station;
(3) The agent sells or
leases the station location to another person;
(4) The designation is terminated by the
Commissioner for failure to comply with pertinent laws, regulations, and
performance agreement;
(5) The
designation is terminated by the Commissioner because of changing conditions,
circumstances, or legal requirements;
(6) The agent acts in an incompetent,
fraudulent or negligent manner and thereby represents the department in an
unprofessional manner;
(7) The
agent fails to meet minimum training qualifications, or fails to maintain
internet access and a means to access it to provide electronic
tagging.
(8) The agent fails to pay
funds owed to the department in a timely manner.
9.
Termination of Agent Services
When the Commissioner determines that an agency agreement
will be terminated, the Commissioner will notify the agent in writing.
Immediately upon termination of the agreement, the agent must return all
materials, records and supplies provided by the department as part of the agent
sales program, and shall remit any remaining balance of moneys owed to the
department. In this regard, the agent shall follow any directions provided by
the Commissioner. The Commissioner's notice shall explain the reason for the
termination of services by providing a specific factual basis if applicable. If
the agent wishes to contest the termination, the agent must appeal to the
Commissioner in writing within 10 days, specifying all areas of disagreement
with the notice. The agent may supplement the appeal with written statements.
After reviewing the appeal, the Commissioner may decide to take no further
action, maintaining the original termination; or the Commissioner may modify
the termination in any manner determined to be appropriate in the
Commissioner's discretion. Pending the determination, the original termination
will remain in effect and the agent will be suspended from the program. The
Commissioner's determination is final.
10.
Furbearing Animal Possession,
Transportation and Registration Requirements for Trappers
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess, sell, give away, buy, accept 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 animal 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.
B.
Transportation of furbearing animals
prior to tagging: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.
C.
Registration of furbearing
animals: 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 registered. 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
registered.
D.
Time to
register furbearing animal pelts taken by hunting and trapping: The
pelts of all fox, bobcat, marten, fisher, coyote, beaver, mink and otter must
be presented for tagging within ten 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. 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.
(1)
Exception for bobcat and
otter: all bobcat taken during the open bobcat hunting season shall be
presented for tagging, by the person who harvested the bobcat, within 10
calendar days of harvesting the animal; and all otter taken between January 1
through April 30 must be tagged within 10 calendar days of harvesting the
animal.
E.
Mandatory Submission of Teeth
See section 16.07 for mandatory tooth collection for certain
species.
F.
Pelts from
another state, country or province: The pelts brought into Maine from
any other state, country, or province must bear the official stamp, tag, or
seal of that state, country, or province. 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 registered in accordance with this section
by the person possessing the pelt. The fee for registering such imported pelts
may be 25¢ for each pelt that is registered. Licensed taxidermists who
import tanned pelts of species that Maine does not require to be registered,
for the purpose of taxidermy are exempt from the provisions of this
paragraph.
