BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 28, 2022
It was always clear that Maine’s pioneering right-to-food amendment could spark wide-ranging legal challenges. Few expected the first to be over one of the state’s most high-profile hunting regulations. The lawsuit is only the first test of the constitutional amendment passed by Maine voters in November guaranteeing a right to grow and harvest food for personal consumption. It is vague and will be defined over time by judges pressed to choose which hunting and food regulations are too onerous and which ones are not. Since hunting in Maine largely relies on landowner permission, a court order lifting the Sunday ban could effectively lead to bans on hunting in many areas, said Tom Doak, the executive director of Maine Woodland Owners. He wondered if bag limits or hunting seasons themselves could face challenges later on under the amendment.