Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
Maine trappers will see several changes this fall, including an early raccoon season and other updates to the state’s rules.
The season will begin on the Sunday two weeks before the general fall trapping season opens and end the day before the general trapping season begins. It will coincide with Maine’s early fox and coyote trapping season.
The additional season will help reduce raccoon numbers while providing more trapping opportunities, according to IFW. Raccoons also account for many human-wildlife conflicts and continue to dominate annual rabies cases in Maine. Until now, Maine has had one of the shortest raccoon trapping seasons in the Northeast.
The department also broadened the legal definition of bait. Only actual animal matter, such as meat, skin, bones, feathers and hair, was considered bait. Objects that mimic or replicate animal matter, such as synthetic fur or imitation bones, are now also considered bait and are subject to the same restrictions.
Before the change, these materials could be placed near traps without being covered from above. The revised language better reflects the original intent of reducing accidental captures of non-target wildlife.
Annual beaver trapping closures were updated based on landowner requests. For the 2026-27 season, three closed areas reopened and two additional areas closed. The changes affect portions of towns in wildlife management districts 5, 6, 17 and 18.
Trappers may also use additional types of traps for weasels and red squirrels. Previously, only wooden-base rat traps were permitted. Now, rat traps with wooden, plastic and similar solid-material bases are allowed while existing placement requirements remain unchanged.