Maine Hunting Laws
Maine sets no minimum caliber for centerfire deer and bear rifles or handguns, but bans .17/.22 rimfire cartridges outright for bear and for deer except the .22 WMR. Autoloading firearms used for hunting are capped at a 5-round magazine, and firearm-season deer hunters must wear a hunter-orange hat plus a torso garment that is at least 50% hunter orange.
Rules checked against Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regulations, August 30, 2026.
At a Glance
Check a Cartridge in Maine
Sourced Rules
Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it.
Rifle
1 ruleNo minimum caliber — any centerfire rifle cartridge is legal for deer or bear; only .17/.22 rimfire cartridges are barred (see rimfire rules).
12 MRS §11454; §11305 · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
Black Bear
|
No minimum caliber — any centerfire rifle cartridge is legal for deer or bear; only .17/.22 rimfire cartridges are barred (see rimfire rules). | 12 MRS §11454; §11305 | Aug 2026 |
Rifle and Handgun
3 rulesDeer may not be hunted with .17 or standard .22 rimfire cartridges; .22 WMR (rimfire magnum) is the one rimfire round allowed.
"A person may not hunt deer with any firearms using a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire cartridge, except that the use of the .22 caliber rimfire magnum cartridge is not prohibited."
12 MRS §11454 · verified Aug 2026
Bear may not be hunted with .17 or .22 rimfire firearms (no .22 WMR exception here, unlike deer) or with a shotgun loaded with shot rather than slugs.
"A person may not use a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire firearm or a shotgun using shot loads to hunt bear."
12 MRS §11305(1) · verified Aug 2026
Autoloading firearms used for hunting may not carry a magazine holding more than 5 cartridges unless permanently altered down to that capacity; exempt are .22 rimfire (or smaller) guns and autoloading pistols with barrels under 8 inches.
"Use for hunting or possess for hunting any autoloading firearm having a magazine capacity of more than 5 cartridges."
12 MRS §11214(1)(B) · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Deer may not be hunted with .17 or standard .22 rimfire cartridges; .22 WMR (rimfire magnum) is the one rimfire round allowed.
"A person may not hunt deer with any firearms using a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire cartridge, except that the use of the .22 caliber rimfire magnum cartridge is not prohibited." |
12 MRS §11454 | Aug 2026 |
|
Black Bear
|
Bear may not be hunted with .17 or .22 rimfire firearms (no .22 WMR exception here, unlike deer) or with a shotgun loaded with shot rather than slugs.
"A person may not use a .17 or .22 caliber rimfire firearm or a shotgun using shot loads to hunt bear." |
12 MRS §11305(1) | Aug 2026 |
|
All species
|
Autoloading firearms used for hunting may not carry a magazine holding more than 5 cartridges unless permanently altered down to that capacity; exempt are .22 rimfire (or smaller) guns and autoloading pistols with barrels under 8 inches.
"Use for hunting or possess for hunting any autoloading firearm having a magazine capacity of more than 5 cartridges." |
12 MRS §11214(1)(B) | Aug 2026 |
Shotgun
2 rulesStandard lead turkey loads: shot sizes 4-6 (or mixed loads down to 7) in 10-20 gauge shotguns. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) loads in 10-28 gauge, including .410, may additionally use shot sizes 7-9.
"A person can use shotgun gauges 10 through 20, using shot sizes 4 through 6 or mixed loads that include shot sizes 4 through 7."
Wild Turkey Hunting — Legal Hunting Equipment · verified Aug 2026
Nontoxic shot is required for ducks, geese, brant, rails, and coots; woodcock and snipe are exempt. Maine has no separate statewide nontoxic mandate for deer, turkey, or general upland/WMA hunting beyond this federal-aligned waterfowl rule.
"The use or possession of ammunition loaded with other than nontoxic shot while hunting wild ducks, geese, brant, rails, or coots is prohibited."
Migratory Game Birds — Nontoxic Shot · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wild Turkey
|
Standard lead turkey loads: shot sizes 4-6 (or mixed loads down to 7) in 10-20 gauge shotguns. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) loads in 10-28 gauge, including .410, may additionally use shot sizes 7-9.
"A person can use shotgun gauges 10 through 20, using shot sizes 4 through 6 or mixed loads that include shot sizes 4 through 7." |
Wild Turkey Hunting — Legal Hunting Equipment | Aug 2026 |
|
Waterfowl
|
Nontoxic shot is required for ducks, geese, brant, rails, and coots; woodcock and snipe are exempt. Maine has no separate statewide nontoxic mandate for deer, turkey, or general upland/WMA hunting beyond this federal-aligned waterfowl rule.
"The use or possession of ammunition loaded with other than nontoxic shot while hunting wild ducks, geese, brant, rails, or coots is prohibited." |
Migratory Game Birds — Nontoxic Shot | Aug 2026 |
Muzzleloader
3 rulesDeer muzzleloaders must be at least .40 caliber and capable of firing only a single charge.
"40 caliber or greater"
12 MRS §11404 · verified Aug 2026
Legal ignition types include flintlock and any caplock design, including modern in-line and primer-fired muzzleloaders.
"capable of being loaded only through the muzzle; is ignited by a matchlock, wheel lock, flintlock or caplock, including an in-line caplock or a shotgun or rifle primer ignition system"
12 MRS §10001(42-A) — definition of 'Muzzleloader' · verified Aug 2026
Unlike many states, Maine allows scopes (not just open or aperture sights) on a standard muzzleloader used to hunt deer.
"may have any type of sights, including scopes"
12 MRS §10001(42-A) — definition of 'Muzzleloader' · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Deer muzzleloaders must be at least .40 caliber and capable of firing only a single charge.
"40 caliber or greater" |
12 MRS §11404 | Aug 2026 |
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Legal ignition types include flintlock and any caplock design, including modern in-line and primer-fired muzzleloaders.
"capable of being loaded only through the muzzle; is ignited by a matchlock, wheel lock, flintlock or caplock, including an in-line caplock or a shotgun or rifle primer ignition system" |
12 MRS §10001(42-A) — definition of 'Muzzleloader' | Aug 2026 |
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
Unlike many states, Maine allows scopes (not just open or aperture sights) on a standard muzzleloader used to hunt deer.
"may have any type of sights, including scopes" |
12 MRS §10001(42-A) — definition of 'Muzzleloader' | Aug 2026 |
Air Gun
1 ruleAir guns and pellet guns are legal for small-game hunting in Maine. Because Maine's statutory 'firearm' definition explicitly covers compressed-air/gas guns, general firearm hunting rules (magazine caps, legal hours, felon-possession bans, etc.) apply to them too; MDIFW has not published a separate airgun caliber or energy minimum.
"Is it legal to hunt small game with a pellet gun or air gun in Maine? Yes. ... The definition of Firearm in title 12 laws includes pellet/ air guns. Laws that pertain to the use of firearms also apply to pellet/ air g..."
FAQ — Pellet guns / air guns · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Small Game
|
Air guns and pellet guns are legal for small-game hunting in Maine. Because Maine's statutory 'firearm' definition explicitly covers compressed-air/gas guns, general firearm hunting rules (magazine caps, legal hours, felon-possession bans, etc.) apply to them too; MDIFW has not published a separate airgun caliber or energy minimum.
"Is it legal to hunt small game with a pellet gun or air gun in Maine? Yes. ... The definition of Firearm in title 12 laws includes pellet/ air guns. Laws that pertain to the use of firearms also apply to pellet/ air g..." |
FAQ — Pellet guns / air guns | Aug 2026 |
All Weapons
3 rulesDuring firearm and muzzleloader deer season, two articles of hunter orange are required: a solid orange hat plus a torso garment that's at least 50% hunter orange. Archery-only hunters are exempt (orange is recommended, not required).
"One article must be a solid-colored hunter orange hat; the other must cover a major portion of the torso, such as a jacket, vest, coat or poncho and must be a minimum of 50% hunter orange in color."
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Hunter Orange · verified Aug 2026
Maine dropped its $12 state suppressor permit in 2021 and now has no hunting-side condition at all: suppressors are legal for any species, and the statutory list of unlawful implements does not mention them. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife still tells hunters to get the ATF tax stamp, but that describes federal possession law rather than a Maine rule — and ATF stopped requiring it, so that line is out of date. Certain violations committed while carrying a suppressor-equipped firearm cost three years of licence suspension instead of one.
Suppressor law in 2026: what changed · suppressor prices
"While a person no longer needs a permit from Warden Service to hunt with a suppressor device, anyone who wishes to possess a firearm fitted or contrived with any device for deadening the sound of the explosion must st..."
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Firearms Laws, 'Silencers:' · verified Oct 2026
Electronic calls may be used for most game in Maine; they remain prohibited for migratory game birds under federal law.
"Electronic calling devices are legal except for migratory game birds."
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Electronic Calls · verified Aug 2026
| Species | Rule | Citation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White-tailed / Mule Deer
|
During firearm and muzzleloader deer season, two articles of hunter orange are required: a solid orange hat plus a torso garment that's at least 50% hunter orange. Archery-only hunters are exempt (orange is recommended, not required).
"One article must be a solid-colored hunter orange hat; the other must cover a major portion of the torso, such as a jacket, vest, coat or poncho and must be a minimum of 50% hunter orange in color." |
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Hunter Orange | Aug 2026 |
|
All species
|
Maine dropped its $12 state suppressor permit in 2021 and now has no hunting-side condition at all: suppressors are legal for any species, and the statutory list of unlawful implements does not mention them. Inland Fisheries and Wildlife still tells hunters to get the ATF tax stamp, but that describes federal possession law rather than a Maine rule — and ATF stopped requiring it, so that line is out of date. Certain violations committed while carrying a suppressor-equipped firearm cost three years of licence suspension instead of one.
Suppressor law in 2026: what changed · suppressor prices
"While a person no longer needs a permit from Warden Service to hunt with a suppressor device, anyone who wishes to possess a firearm fitted or contrived with any device for deadening the sound of the explosion must st..." |
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Firearms Laws, 'Silencers:' | Oct 2026 |
|
All species
|
Electronic calls may be used for most game in Maine; they remain prohibited for migratory game birds under federal law.
"Electronic calling devices are legal except for migratory game birds." |
Laws Pertaining to Hunting Equipment — Electronic Calls | Aug 2026 |
Federal Rules That Apply in Every State
These federal requirements apply in Maine on top of state law.
Sources
How to Use This Page
Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it. Rules marked needs review come from summaries rather than the regulation text, and never produce a green answer in the checker. The checker's energy figures are typical factory loads, so where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, check your own load's rating. This page covers equipment only, not seasons, tags or local ordinances, and it isn't legal advice. The current Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regulations are the final word.