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.

View All Maine Policies

April 27, 2026

A Look Back at the Second Half of Maine’s Biennium

Why It Matters: To say things in Augusta have been contentious over the ’25-’26 legislative session would be putting it mildly. Deep-rooted divides, partisan axe-grinding, and all-out obstructionism made advocacy efforts feel like a one-day hike up Everest. Despite the political climate in the state house, several wins were secured for sportsmen and women, but, but other important legislation unfortunately fell short. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) were able to deliver wins […]

April 13, 2026

Statutory Right to Hunt and Fish Enacted in Maine

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, […]

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…

View All Maine News