Maine Hunting and Fishing Season Dates 2026-27

Every date below comes from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife season tables for the 2026–27 licence year. We keep this page current because the first question we get, every year, is “when can I actually hunt?” Seasons and zone boundaries do change, so confirm against the official MDIFW season dates page before you buy a plane ticket.

Deer

One antlered deer per year. Antlerless deer need the matching permit. We guide deer hunts in WMDs 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 17 and 23 — see our guided deer hunts.

Bear

Two bears per year: one by hunting and one by trapping. Our baited bear hunts and bear trapping run on private land during those weeks.

Moose (permit only)

One moose per year, and you must be the permittee or a sub-permittee. Permits come from the state lottery, with results posted in June. We guide in WMDs 4, 7, 8, 9 and 14 — see our six-day moose hunts and how the lottery works.

Wild turkey

Fall bag limits run from five birds in WMDs 15–17 and 20–25 down to one bird in several northern districts, and WMDs 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9 are closed to turkey hunting. We hunt WMDs 17 and 23 and the ground around them — see our turkey hunts.

Upland birds and small game

October is the month that matters here, when the flight woodcock arrive on top of the resident grouse. See our upland bird hunts and cast and blast days.

Furbearers

Trapping seasons are set separately by species and district. The current dates are on the MDIFW trapping page, and we run guided trapline trips through the season.

Fishing

Maine does not run one statewide fishing season. Under the general law, many waters are open to open water fishing from 1 April to 30 September and closed from 1 October to 31 March, while other waters stay open to both ice and open water fishing all year. Season dates, bag limits and gear restrictions differ between the northern and southern zones, and individual waters carry their own special rules on top of that.

Check the water you plan to fish in the statewide general fishing laws and the online angling tool, or ask us and we will tell you what is open the week you want to come.

Our own calendar runs roughly like this: ice fishing from January through March, the Kennebec shad run from early May into July, wade and fly fishing from ice-out to mid-July and again from mid-September, canoe fishing from May through September, and Kennebec float trips from May into October.

Licences

Every hunter and angler carries their own Maine licence, plus any permit the season requires: an antlerless deer permit, a bear permit, a turkey permit, a moose permit from the lottery, or a trapping licence. Licences are sold online through MDIFW. We handle the scouting, the access and the logistics; the licence is yours.

Dates on this page were taken from the MDIFW season tables for 2026–27. The state can change seasons, bag limits and district boundaries, so the official lawbook is always the final word.