Wild turkey hunting season runs from Sept. 14 to Nov. 7, 2026. Youth Fall Wild Turkey Day is Sept. 12. Anyone age 10 and older must obtain a license to hunt. Turkey licenses are $22 and are available at the Town Clerk’s office or online from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) website. It’s a good idea for hunters to visit both websites for more specific info about limits and closure dates.
The Town of Gorham website also has specific info, including a map, which shows where you can and cannot hunt locally. It is a violation of Gorham’s Firearms Ordinance for any person to discharge a firearm of any type in the following restricted municipal areas:
A. Within 500 feet of any school property
B. Gorham Municipal Center
C. Baxter Memorial Library
D. The Chick property, located between Main Street, Libby Avenue and Gray Road
E. Within 300 feet of the Public Works Garage
F. Within 300 feet of the fuel tanks located on Huston Road
G. Fort Hill Park
H. Little Falls Recreation Area
I. Little Falls School Area
J. Shaw Park
K. Robie Park
L. Cherry Hill property, located between Route 237 and Smith Road on Main Street
M. Lavoie Pumptrack
N. Gorham Industrial Park
The Narragansett Game Sanctuary, a 3,600 acre plot of land located in the center of downtown, has special provisions as defined in Title 12, M.R.S.A. Sec. 12706 (1)(S) and Title 12, M.R.S.A. Sec. 12707 (2)(D).
Both hunters and land owners can find excellent information at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website, including rules about hunting and trapping on private property and a listing of Public Lands, most of which are open for hunting.
Homeowners should know their rights. Unlike most other states, Maine relies on an implied permission structure, meaning that if land is not posted, it is legal for hunters to use the land.
For hunters, the unwritten rule is to always ask permission. Hunting, fishing or otherwise using private land without the owner’s permission is reckless and dangerous. It puts everyone’s future access at risk.
When seeking permission to hunt on someone’s land, ask specific questions to find out what matters most to the landowner. Follow all special requests they make. Make sure you ask where you can or cannot drive or park a vehicle. Just because you can hunt there does not mean you have permission to place a tree stand or game camera or cut a shooting lane. Game cameras or tree stands/observation stands require written/verbal permission from the landowner before being placed, and must be labeled with a 2 x 4-inch tag with the owner’s name and contact information along with the address of everyone the landowner has authorized to use it.
Heading into hunting season, it’s time to be a good neighbor. Play it safe and be careful out there.