If a raccoon is raiding your garden, nesting in your attic, or threatening your livestock, your first instinct might be to deal with it quickly. But before you act, it helps to know exactly where Maine law draws the line. The rules are more nuanced than a simple yes or no, and getting them wrong can result in fines or worse.
Maine classifies raccoons as game animals, which means they fall under a regulated framework managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). Whether you want to hunt, trap, or remove a nuisance animal from your property, there are specific rules that apply to each situation. This guide walks you through all of them.
Are Raccoons Protected in Maine?
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are not a protected or threatened species in Maine. They are classified as furbearers and game animals, which means they can be legally hunted and trapped — but only under the conditions the state sets out. They do not enjoy the blanket protections that apply to species like the Canada lynx or bald eagle.
The hunting, possession, or transporting of any species of wild animal for which an open hunting season is not specifically provided is unlawful under Maine law — but raccoons do have a clearly established open season, so this restriction does not apply to them when you follow the rules.
Raccoons carry rabies and raccoon roundworm, which is one reason Maine takes their management seriously. Their status as a rabies vector species also influences how the state handles relocation (more on that below). Outside of the designated hunting season and specific damage-control provisions, killing a raccoon without authorization is still illegal.
Important Note: Even though raccoons are not a protected species, you still need to follow Maine’s game laws when taking them. Killing a raccoon outside of an open season or without proper authorization can result in civil fines starting at $500 or higher, depending on the violation.
When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Maine?
There are two main circumstances under which killing a raccoon in Maine is legal: during the open hunting season, and when an animal is actively attacking or damaging your property.
During the open hunting season: According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s 2025–26 hunting seasons document, the raccoon season runs from October 1 through December 31, with no bag limit statewide. This applies to all Wildlife Management Districts. You need a valid Maine hunting license to participate.
When raccoons are damaging crops: Under Maine Revised Statutes Title 12, § 12404, the MDIFW commissioner may suspend the game laws relating to raccoons in restricted localities and for such periods of time as the commissioner finds advisable to relieve excessive damage being done by raccoons to sweet corn or other crops. This is a commissioner-level suspension, not a blanket right — you would need to confirm whether such a suspension is in effect for your area.
When wildlife is attacking your property: Maine law allows a person to kill any wild animal found in the act of attacking, worrying, or wounding that person’s domestic animals or domestic birds or destroying that person’s property. A person who kills a wild animal by authority of this section must report the incident to the Maine Warden Service as provided in section 12402. If you shoot a raccoon that is actively attacking your chickens, for example, you must still report it to a game warden.
You can also find out how neighboring states handle similar situations — see how the rules compare in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Maine
Maine permits several methods for taking raccoons, but each comes with specific conditions. Using the wrong method — even during an open season — can still put you in violation of state law.
- Firearms: The use of a firearm, crossbow, or bow and arrow is permitted to hunt for raccoon during the open hunting season on these animals. Rifles, shotguns, and handguns are all permitted under the appropriate conditions.
- Night hunting: Raccoon hunting at night is legal from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and shall cease at midnight each Saturday and resume at 12:01 AM on Monday. This is one of the specific exceptions to Maine’s general night hunting prohibition.
- Dogs: From July 1 through the following March 31, including Sundays, dogs may be trained on fox, gray and red squirrels, snowshoe hare, and raccoons. During such training, it is unlawful to use or possess a firearm other than a pistol or a shotgun loaded with blank ammunition, except during the applicable open hunting seasons on these species.
- Dispatching a treed raccoon: When using dogs, a hunter may load a rifle or handgun only when dispatching a raccoon that is treed or held at bay by a dog or dogs and has been identified by flashlight.
- Euthanasia after live trapping: If releasing a trapped raccoon nearby is not an option, you may humanely euthanize it with a .22-caliber rifle or pistol, or by placing it in a carbon dioxide chamber. Note that if rabies testing is needed, you should not shoot the animal in the head.
Pro Tip: Discharging firearms in developed areas is often prohibited by local safety ordinances and state hunting laws. Always check local rules before using a firearm for raccoon control near residential areas.
Poison is never a legal or acceptable method for killing raccoons in Maine. Placing any medicinal, poisonous, or stupefying substance to entice any animal is prohibited under Maine hunting law.
Trapping Raccoons in Maine: Rules and Restrictions
Trapping is a widely used and legal method for managing raccoon populations in Maine, but the state has detailed rules you need to follow. Getting a trapping license is the first step — it is illegal in Maine to trap without a license.
Once licensed, you need to understand the gear and placement rules:
- Trapping is only permitted within the built-up portion of a city or town with the use of cage-type live traps and drowning sets, unless trapping on property owned by the trapper.
- Enclosed foothold traps designed primarily to catch raccoons and avoid incidental catches of other animals may be used throughout the general trapping season.
- Trappers are permitted to keep any incidental opossum, raccoon, or skunk that are caught in fox and coyote traps.
- Keeping incidental mink, otter, or raccoon caught in muskrat traps is also permitted.
- You can now label your trap set with either the trapper’s full name and address or MOSES ID.
Trap jaw spread restrictions apply in certain Wildlife Management Districts. In WMDs 1–6 and 8–11, no foothold trap may be used that has an inside jaw spread of more than 5 3/8 inches unless the trap is fully or partially covered by water when set, placed, and tended.
You also have reporting obligations. Fall and Spring Harvest Reports are due for all licensed trappers 16 years and older, by January 31 and May 31, even if a trapper did not trap.
If you want to use dogs as part of your trapping or hunting approach, there’s an additional permit requirement: anyone 16 years of age or older who is using a dog to hunt for bear, coyote, fox, bobcat, or raccoon, or train for bear, fox, and raccoon, must possess a Dog Training and Hunting Permit, which can be purchased online or at a local license agent. As of the 2025–26 season, that Dog Training and Hunting Permit costs $12.
For a broader look at how trapping and removal rules compare in other states, see our guides on Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in Maine?
This is where many Maine residents run into trouble. Relocating a live-trapped raccoon sounds like the humane option, but the state’s approach is more restrictive than most people expect.
Many states, including Maine, mandate the killing of a raccoon removed from a property for any reason. The primary reason for this strict stance is disease. The eastern raccoon rabies variant is a documented, active wildlife disease corridor, and moving raccoons from one location to another risks spreading that disease into new areas.
Because raccoons often carry rabies, they should not be relocated when live-trapped. Some states do not allow relocation. Raccoons should be released on your property following repair of openings, but the potential for recurring damage and for conflicts with other landowners should also be considered when making this decision.
Self-relocation by a homeowner, without professional assistance, is one of the most commonly illegal approaches to raccoon removal. If you trap a raccoon on your property and drive it to a state forest to release it, you may be violating Maine law even if your intentions are good.
Key Insight: The safest legal path when you live-trap a raccoon in Maine is to either release it on your own property after securing the entry point, or humanely euthanize it. If you are unsure what your situation requires, contact a Maine game warden or a licensed wildlife control operator before acting.
If you are curious how other states handle this question, our guide on Virginia covers a state that outright bans raccoon relocation, while Washington takes a more conditional approach.
Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Maine
If you are not a licensed trapper or hunter, or if the situation is complex — such as a mother raccoon with kits in your attic — hiring a licensed wildlife control operator (WCO) is often the most practical and legally sound option.
If you need help at your home or property with a raccoon conflict, no free agency will come to your house to take care of the problem for you. You must hire a local licensed wildlife control operator. Animal control services in Maine generally do not handle wild animal problems.
When a person wants to employ someone outside of that person’s immediate family to take or kill wild animals, that person must contact a game warden. If the warden is satisfied that substantial damage is occurring, the warden may arrange for a department agent to alleviate the damage; when an agent is not available, the warden may authorize a person who is knowledgeable and can perform the work in a reasonable, safe, and proficient manner.
A licensed WCO brings several advantages beyond legal compliance:
- They know which traps and methods are permitted in your specific Wildlife Management District.
- They can identify and seal entry points to prevent re-entry after removal.
- They understand how to handle raccoons safely given the rabies and roundworm risks.
- Nuisance control activity should take breeding seasons into account to prevent orphaning young — a professional will factor in timing, especially between April and July when kits are present.
You can reach the MDIFW directly at (207) 287-8000 to ask about authorized operators or to report a damage situation. You can also visit the MDIFW trapping regulations page to review current rules before hiring anyone.
For comparison, see how other states structure their wildlife control operator systems in our guides on Ohio, Illinois, and Georgia.
Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Maine
Maine state law sets the baseline, but local municipalities can add restrictions on top of it — and in some cases those local rules are more limiting than the state’s.
Some towns may have municipal ordinances which prohibit certain activities or further regulate the keeping and handling of animals which the state otherwise allows. Check with your city or town to comply with both state and local laws.
The most common local restrictions you may encounter include:
- Firearm discharge ordinances: Many Maine cities and towns prohibit discharging a firearm within city limits or within a certain distance of homes and roads. Even if you are legally permitted to shoot a raccoon under state law, a local ordinance may prevent you from doing so in a residential neighborhood.
- Trap placement rules: Some municipalities go beyond the state’s built-up area rules and impose additional restrictions on where traps can be set.
- Nuisance animal complaint procedures: Certain towns require residents to file a complaint or obtain local approval before taking action against a nuisance animal, even when state law would otherwise allow it.
Before setting a trap or discharging a firearm to deal with a raccoon problem, call your town or city office and ask specifically about local wildlife or nuisance animal ordinances. This one step can save you from an unexpected fine.
It is also worth noting that Maine’s roadkill laws have their own separate rules. If you find a dead raccoon on a road, see our guide on roadkill laws in Maine for what you can and cannot legally do with it.
For more state-by-state comparisons on raccoon laws, our guides on Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Florida, and California cover the full range of approaches across the country.