The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife expanded the hunting season for gray squirrels by a month and shifted youth waterfowl hunting dates in the north zone to start and end a week later than last year.

The bounty of food, including acorns, in the last few years has helped the gray squirrel population increase to a point that the department felt the hunting season could be expanded, especially in southern and central Maine. It will be held from the last Saturday in September through the end of January.

The season has in past years ended on Dec. 31.

Hunting of small mammals and birds is more appealing to new hunters and youths than big game hunting, according to the department’s basis statement for the rule change. It also aligns Maine’s gray squirrel season with other New England states.

“The one-month season extension would maintain healthy gray squirrel populations, avoid the time of year when females are rearing their young, and allow additional time to hunt outside of the popular big game seasons,” the department said.

Several people expressed support for the change through emails and a Facebook page focused on small game, according to testimony from Ed Stubbs.

Bag limits will remain the same at four daily and eight in the hunter’s possession at one time.

The eight members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council who attended a meeting on March 18 voted unanimously to approve the expansion. A public hearing was held on March 6, where there was no opposition.

The season change does not affect hunting gray squirrels by falconry. That season will remain from the last Saturday in September through Feb. 28.

There is no open trapping season for gray squirrels.

In a second rule change, the department altered the dates for migratory bird seasons to comply with the 2025 calendar. Most moved by just one day, except for north zone youth waterfowl season, which will shift a week later this year from Sept. 14-Dec. 7 to Sept. 20-Dec. 13.

For other migratory bird seasons, it was simply a day shift. For example, woodcock season was Sept. 28-Nov. 19 in 2024 and will be Sept. 27-Nov. 18 this year.

Most migratory waterfowl bag limits are the same, except the number of pintail ducks has increased from one to three daily, and those on black ducks, scaup, scoters, eiders, coots and mergansers have special exceptions to the daily bag limit of six ducks.

Be sure to check on the specific bag limits and zone restrictions in the migratory game bird laws. They can be found here.

Hunters also were warned to be aware of avian influenza. It has been found in southern and midcoast Maine in particular. There are no confirmed cases in the Bangor area. State upland biologist Kelsey Sullivan said during the public hearing that hunters should be diligent about processing meat and cleaning.

The migratory game bird rules are revised to implement the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the framework for them is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The public hearing was held March 4, and included a presentation on the migratory game bird populations.

The changes were approved on April 9 without opposition.

All changes for the gray squirrel and migratory game bird hunts will go into effect on April 14.