Bailey introduces bill to launch pilot program to electronically tag deer

Senator Donna Bailey, a Democrat from Saco, has introduced a bill to create a pilot program for electronically tagging deer.

“It is vital that we modernize hunting if it is going to remain a part of Maine’s culture, heritage and history. Sometimes, to preserve a piece of the past, we must adapt to the present in order to protect it in the future,” said Bailey in a written statement.

Electronic tagging, or field tagging, allows hunters to register their hunted game with a smartphone or other electronic device instead of going to a tagging station. Allowing field tagging for deer hunters would make it easier for hunters, who sometimes have to drive long distances to tagging stations or wait in long lines, said Bailey.

Bailey introduced the bill, LD 139, at the request of Saco resident Roger Chisholm.

Chisholm was one of four people, including Bailey, who testified Monday at a public hearing before the legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.

“I believe it's time to offer hunters the option of tagging deer electronically. In whatever form this needs to be in order for biologists to still attain their needed info. Whether that offers restricted days to register deer electronically, or restricted zones if needed. This is a strong option, particularly in southern Maine,” he said in written testimony.

 Nate Webb, the Wildlife Division Director at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, spoke in favor of a pilot program.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has made significant efforts to modernize its registration system, he said, and in 2023 began allowing hunters to self-report their harvest of wild turkeys.

Webb said that while the DIFW believes deer hunters would benefit from an electronic tagging system, there are many factors to consider. He said states that have implemented field tagging systems have reported “some reduction” in compliance with registering big-game animals. If a self-reporting system is implemented for deer hunting, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife may have to employ new strategies to ensure accurate data collection, he said.

Other factors could include a financial loss to small businesses that run tagging stations, and a need for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to pay for technical support to implement the new program.

“While there would be some growing pains and challenges associated with this effort, we are confident that the timing is good with a national trend towards online self-reporting and a thriving deer population in most of Maine,” said Webb.

Webb said the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife thought it was reasonable to develop a plan for a pilot program by December 2025, which could be implemented in the fall of 2026.

James Cote, representing the Maine Professional Guides Association spoke out neither for or against the bill.

He said the association was concerned that the integrity of data that has been historically  collected by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife could be compromised in the transition to electronic data.

“We are proud of the data collection work that DIFW has done for decades which has resulted in a reputation nationally that Maine has some of the most reliable wildlife harvest data in the country,” said Cote.

Cote said the association did see potential benefits with electronic tagging. He suggested the bill be amended to direct the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to get input from key stakeholders and members of the public and report to the committee next session with a plan for the pilot program before such a program is implemented.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.