Maine

With 90% of the natural landscape covered by forests, The Pine Tree State offers vast expanses of natural resources and beautiful countryside. Formerly a part of the Massachusetts colony, Maine has a rich history that includes the Wabanaki people and its admission into statehood in 1820. Maine is home to a vast variety of sportsmen’s activities from a 3,500-mile ocean coastline, 17 million acres of forestland, and over 6,000 inland lakes and ponds. Classical game species that call Maine home consist of whitetail deer, black bears, wild turkeys, various upland game birds, and the legendary moose.

For more information on the elected officials protecting and promoting the sportsmen’s traditions in Maine, please contact: Fred Bird

Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus

Senator Susan Collins Representative Jared Golden Senator Angus King Jr.

Maine Governors Sportsmen's Caucus Member

Governor Janet Mills

Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus Leadership

Representative Tiffany Roberts Senator Trey Stewart Representative Jim Thorne Representative Stephen Wood

Maine Policy Highlights

Over its tenure, the Caucus has spearheaded efforts to enact numerous pro-sportsmen’s policies, including the permitting of
hunting with firearms suppressors; an expansion on the use of crossbows during the hunting seasons; authorizing the discharge of a firearm on a sport shooting range that is within a certain distance of a building; and, working for an earlier
opening of sporting camps during the COVD-19 shutdown.

The Caucus has worked to fight and kill restrictive legislation, such as prohibitive magazine capacity and a ban on traditional bear hunting methods.

Caucus leadership recently passed legislation that removed a duplicative permitting process relative to hunting with a firearm suppressor.

Paid Hunting License Holders

Paid Angling License Holders

.8 M

Generated for Wildlife Conservation

Crossbows

Over the last decade, many states have expanded opportunities for archery hunters wishing to use crossbows. Incorporating crossbow hunting opportunities into game management may increase… Read more.

Discharge Distance Restrictions

Defined as the distance from an occupied dwelling, public road, or city limits that is required to legally discharge a bow or firearm, legal discharge… Read more.

Federal Land Hunting & Angling Access

Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and… Read more.

No-Net-Loss

“No-Net-Loss” of public lands has become increasingly important to ensure access to public lands and waterways for current and future generations of sportsmen and women.… Read more.

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September 2, 2025

FWS Expands Hunting and Fishing Opportunities Across 11 States

Why it Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides important hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. Despite the importance that FWS lands, particularly through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), play for sportsmen and women, there are often inconsistencies between state and federal regulations, as…

August 11, 2025

What’s Ahead for Sportsmen and Women in the Northeast?

Why it matters: With many hunting seasons in the Northeast coming into focus in the next few weeks, sportsmen and women going afield should brush-up on new laws and regulations that could change their approach to the ’25-’26 hunting seasons. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was on the frontlines of advancing pro-sporting legislation and stopping…

April 29, 2025

Lead Ammo Continues to be Scrutinized in the Northeast

Why It Matters: The attacks on the use of lead ammunition have continued throughout the 2025 legislative sessions across the northeast. The use of lead ammunition in hunting is a contentious issue in some states, with the primary concern being the potential effects on wildlife. However, bans on such lead products can cause a decrease…

April 7, 2025

Attempt to Abolish 72-Hour Waiting Period on Firearm Transfers in Maine

Why It Matters: Introduced on March 25, 2025, Maine Legislative Docket 1230 (LD 1230), a bill that seeks to repeal the 72-hour waiting period on firearms transfers, currently sits in the Joint Committee on Judiciary where it awaits action. In 2024, LD 2238 was hurriedly passed in an attempt to” do something” after the tragic,…

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