Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Official page of the Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the Maine Warden Service Please consider this when creating posts and comments. Keep it legal.

Welcome to the Official page for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife! This page is dedicated to promoting hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and enjoying the Maine outdoors as well as sharing information about MDIFW programs and initiatives. If you're looking for the official source of information about MDIFW, please visit our homepage at: www.mefishwildlife.com

Remember

, this page is a family-friendly forum enjoyed by individuals of all ages. All posts and comments must comply with the MDIFW rules for posting and must meet the requirements below. Use appropriate language. Please do not use profanity or crude language. Comments or posts that are graphic, obscene, explicit, abusive, hateful, or potentially libelous will be removed. Don't get yourself into trouble by defaming others, plotting illegal activities such as poaching, or posting other people's private information. Do not create content of a discriminatory or derogatory nature. Rich debate is important and can be done without being offensive, humiliating, or intimidating based on:
race, ethnicity, nationality, or physical characteristics
gender or sexual orientation
religion or non-religious viewpoints
political opinion
Do not advertise commercial products or services. Advertising includes promotion or endorsements of any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency. NOTE: MDIFW will permanently remove fans who violate these rules. We do our best to keep up with correspondence on our page, but MDIFW does not have the staff resources to always respond to individual posts. For detailed information about fish and wildlife topics, please visit our website or contact us at (207) 287-8000 Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm. Comments submitted on the MDIFW page are considered public records and are subject to public disclosure. If you post comments on the MDIFW page, you are responsible for any information contained in your comments. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username, and any information provided. We reserve the right to remove any post, comment, photo, video, or link from this page. If you have questions or wish to speak with someone, our contact information is available at: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/about/contact/index.html

Because our page is not monitored 24/7 please remember that if you need immediate assistance from a Maine Game Warden you need to contact your nearest State Police Dispatch center:

Augusta..............................1-800-452-4664
Houlton..............................1-800-924-2261
Bangor................................1-800-432-7381

Less impact now, more riding for years to come. In effect since 2021, Maine law prohibits the registration of oversized ...
09/04/2026

Less impact now, more riding for years to come.

In effect since 2021, Maine law prohibits the registration of oversized ATVs. An ATV is considered oversized in Maine if:

1️⃣It is wider than 65 inches.
OR
2️⃣It weighs more than 2,000 pounds according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Why it matters:
80% of Maine's ATV trail system is on private land. Oversized ATVs have raised significant concerns about trail damage, infrastructure limitations, safety, and other issues that threaten continued landowner permission for trail access.

This law is part of a broader effort to protect trail infrastructure, preserve relationships with private landowners, and maintain long-term access to ATV riding opportunities statewide.

Find more details and answers to FAQs at mefishwildlife.com/atv.

New home, new name, same great work to conserve Maine's natural heritage.Coming from Maine Department of Agriculture, Co...
09/03/2026

New home, new name, same great work to conserve Maine's natural heritage.

Coming from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Natural Areas Program is settling in to its new home right here at MDIFW.

As the new Ecology Group with our Wildlife Diversity Section, they bring decades of expertise identifying, documenting, conserving, and providing education about rare plants, natural communities, and important habitats in Maine - core work that will now continue alongside our wildlife and habitat programs.

Conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and habitat are all connected, and now the people behind the partnership are all under one roof.

Learn more about the integration and resources during the transition here: https://lnks.gd/3/3b9ZxH8

🦌 One Week Warning 🦌That white flag is your signal to act fast! Claim and purchase your antlerless deer permit online by...
09/03/2026

🦌 One Week Warning 🦌

That white flag is your signal to act fast! Claim and purchase your antlerless deer permit online by September 10, 2026 at 11:59PM at mefishwildlife.com/deerpermit.

The Maine Warden Service is seeking information regarding the illegal killing of a deer shot at night and left in a fiel...
09/02/2026

The Maine Warden Service is seeking information regarding the illegal killing of a deer shot at night and left in a field off of Route 225 in Rome last week.

On August 24, Maine Game Wardens received a tip through the Maine Operation Game Thief hotline about the dead deer in the field, and gunshots heard in the middle of the night.

Game Wardens responded to the area and quickly located the female deer, which appears to have been shot with a small caliber r***e. After investigating the area, and talking with numerous residents, it is believed the deer was shot between 2:00am and 3:00am on Monday, August 24.

Maine Game Wardens believe the illegal killing of this deer may be connected to a similar case in the neighboring town of Mercer. The Mercer deer was killed and left in an apple orchard on the West Sandy River Road sometime between 11:00pm and 11:30pm on Sunday, July 26.

Maine Operation Game Thief is offering up to $3000 for information regarding the killing of this deer in Rome and the deer in Mercer.

Anyone with information regarding the killing of either deer is encouraged to submit a confidential report with Maine Operation Game Thief at maineogt.org or 1-800-ALERT-US, or to contact the Augusta Regional Communications Center at 207-624-7076.

Hard work pays off. It is our honor to announce the promotion of Maine Game Warden Investigator Ethan Buuck to Sergeant ...
09/02/2026

Hard work pays off. It is our honor to announce the promotion of Maine Game Warden Investigator Ethan Buuck to Sergeant in Maine’s western mountain region.

A degree in Conservation Law Enforcement, a distinguished 20-year career in the United States Coast Guard, 12 years as a District Game Warden, and the last four years as a Maine Warden Service Investigator, make up the foundation for where Sergeant Buuck is today, but it is his long list of accomplishments earned along the way that sets him apart.

Sergeant Buuck has been a dedicated member of our Dive Team since 2013, a heavy responsibility within the Maine Warden Service that has brought closure to many Maine families. He has also served as cadre staff at our Advanced Warden Training Academy, been formally recognized for exemplary service throughout his career, and was named Maine Game Warden of the Year award in 2024.

Specialized training and experience in search warrants, major case investigations, boat crash reconstruction, and more, add to his extensive dive and military experience to form a capable, competent, and respected leader. Congratulations Sergeant Buuck!

For over 200 years, Maine landowners, residents, and visitors have forged a tradition of public access to private land n...
09/01/2026

For over 200 years, Maine landowners, residents, and visitors have forged a tradition of public access to private land not found anywhere else in the nation.

As an Outdoor Partner, you can help maintain the foundation of respect, trust, and neighborliness that keeps gates open and adventures going. To say thank you for joining the effort, our program sponsors provide gear for weekly drawings. Become an Outdoor Partner today at mefishwildlife.com/outdoorpartners.

September prizes:

Johnson Outdoors Flash Jetboil
Old Town Watercraft Hat and T-shirt
North Maine Woods Inc. T-shirt
L.L.Bean Game Warden Field Pack

September brings some of Maine's best fishing—and a few important regulations to remember:✅ Artificial lures and flies o...
09/01/2026

September brings some of Maine's best fishing—and a few important regulations to remember:

✅ Artificial lures and flies only:
Through September 30, rivers, streams, and brooks under general law are open to fishing with artificial lures and flies only. Bait fish, smelt, and worms are prohibited. The daily bag limit is also reduced to one landlocked salmon and one brook trout (including splake and Arctic charr) to help protect Maine’s spawning species.

✅ New lead tackle restrictions: Effective September 1, painted lead jigs measuring 2.5 inches or less in length or weighing 1 ounce or less are now prohibited for use in Maine's inland waters, joining existing restrictions on small lead jigs and sinkers.

So before you grab your rod and reel, be sure to review the regulations for the body of water you plan to fish.

Dive into the September Fishing Report for regional recommendations on where to go, what to target, and how to adjust your approach as conditions change: mefishwildlife.com/fishingreport

Even when the sun sets on summer, Maine's commitment to aquatic invasive species prevention never fades. How Mainers enj...
08/31/2026

Even when the sun sets on summer, Maine's commitment to aquatic invasive species prevention never fades. How Mainers enjoy our waters may change with the seasons, but how we protect them remains the same: Clean. Drain. Dry. Every water, every time, every Mainer working together for the future of our natural resources.

mefishwildlife.com/cdd

Fall's almost here folks!It's open season on autumn essentials for the Maine woods in our online store! Keep yourself vi...
08/31/2026

Fall's almost here folks!

It's open season on autumn essentials for the Maine woods in our online store! Keep yourself visible, your pup in style, and your outdoor safety skills sharp with blaze orange MDIFW gear. Stock up and get out there: mefishwildlife.com/store

🦇 It's International Bat Night!From crawling through caves for winter bat surveys to detecting bat ultrasound on rocky s...
08/29/2026

🦇 It's International Bat Night!

From crawling through caves for winter bat surveys to detecting bat ultrasound on rocky slopes, our biologists go all in for Maine bat conservation. You can support bats in your own backyard by committing to a few simple conservation actions. Quit hangin' around and take the pledge:

🌲 Provide habitat by leaving dead trees standing or building a bat house.
🤚 Never touch a bat with my bare hands to keep both myself and bats safe.
🏠 Only remove bat colonies from my home outside of the summer maternity season and winter hibernation season.
🦇 Learn more about bats, and appreciate the ecosystem services they provide.
📋 Report bat colonies in Maine to MDIFW biologists.
😎 Encourage others to take this pledge.

Visit mefishwildlife.com/bats and batcon.org to find species info, bat conflict solutions, and bat house building plans.

Address

353 Water Street
Augusta, ME
04330

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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