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A bill (LD 1438) proposed in the Maine Legislature seeks to lift a long-standing deer hunting ban on Mount Desert Island (MDI), aiming to address ecological damage, tick-borne illness, and human-deer conflicts. Sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), the bill would allow the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to open MDI to deer hunting. Proponents cite overbrowsing, rising deer populations, and increased Lyme disease risk, with supporters including landowners and residents frustrated by property damage and health risks.

However, the bill has drawn strong opposition due to its lack of consultation with MDI towns, safety concerns, and the abrupt legislative process. Critics, including Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor), local town officials, and residents, argue that decisions about deer control should be made collaboratively with town governments and that each town must vote to allow hunting under current state law. Many oppose the bill’s top-down approach, express fears about firearms use near dense residential areas, and emphasize the island’s unique ecological and tourism context. Testimony revealed both passionate support and concern, with debate centered as much on process and local autonomy as on wildlife management itself.