Why It Matters: Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been our heritage, dating back to before the Europeans first arrived in North America, only recently has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. 24 states have already successfully provided their citizens with a right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife in their state constitutions. This session, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member, Governor Janet Mills, signed into law Public Law No. 642, Right to Harvest Wildlife, which protects sportsmen’s rights statutorily.
Highlights:
- On April 6, 2026, Governor Mills signed bipartisan-supported legislation, LD 1343, into law, becoming Public Law No. 642.
- Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus member, Senator Craig Hickman sponsored the bill which was co-sponsored by the House Co-Chairs of the Caucus, with National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council Member Rep. Steve Wood, Rep. Tiffany Roberts, and Senate Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Trey Stewart.
- Public Law No. 642’s passage strengthens Maine’s previously adopted constitutionally protected “Right to Food” by defining and establishing hunting, fishing, and trapping as a means for food procurement in statute.
In 2025, Maine legislators were vying for the opportunity for Maine to become the 25th state to guarantee via state constitutional amendment, the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife by traditional methods with LD 820. The effort for the constitutional amendment failed to move forward, in part, due to arguments raised that because of the pre-existing “Right to Food” which was added to the Maine Constitution in 2021, the right to hunt was already protected and an additional amendment was not needed. While potentially true (though not yet tested in the courts), the “Right to Food” amendment did not specifically account for trapping and fishing as a means of harvesting food.
Then, entered LD 1343, which updated the definition of harvest in statute to include trapping and fishing and supported the 2021 amendment by codifying, in statute, citizens’ right to hunt, fish, and trap.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) supported the measure from early on in the process and worked with the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus to bring about such guarantees, despite earlier goals in LD 820 failing to advance.
CSF would like to thank and congratulate Sen. Hickman on the successful passage of this important legislation – protecting Maine’s sportsmen and women. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the leadership of Caucus Co-Chairs, Sen. Stewart, Rep. Wood, and Rep. Roberts. Maine’s sportsmen and women are the backbone of wildlife management and conservation funding in the state. These protections will ensure the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife will continue to function and deliver on the ground mission objectives for the foreseeable future.