The new Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife app surprised me

By Julie Harris, Bangor Daily News Staff

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife just introduced its new app to the public this week called ME Outdoors. It was not what I expected.

If you’ve ever used the department’s website, it is chockablock with so much information, it’s sometimes hard to tease out the things you need in everyday activities like fishing and hunting. It is a treasure chest of history, statistics, how-tos, wildlife identification, community science, derbies, ice-outs, laws, descriptions of state regions, biologists’ reports and so much more.

But that kind of archive can make it difficult to find the thing you need at the moment and that’s where the new DIF&W app comes in handy. I expected the new app to be the same as the website in its complexity, but it’s really so simple, intuitive and easy to use.

For example, if I am sitting in the dark in my treestand during deer hunting season and I suddenly remember that I hadn’t checked what the legal shooting time is for that morning. Normally I would have to go through Google and hope it narrowed it down to the correct list for the year and region I was in, but with the new app, I just click on “hunting” and the fourth link down is “Legal Hunting Hours.” 

Boom. There it is.

Or what if I am out fishing and I catch what I think is some kind of trout but I’m not sure which one. Open the app, click on “Fish and Wildlife,” then on “Fish” and I can look at pictures of the different species and figure out what I caught.

Or maybe I want to fish in a lake or pond and I have no idea where the public access might be to get my boat in the water. Click on “Fishing” and “Water Access Sites,” put in your location and there you have it.

The new app includes lake depth maps, fish stocking sites, where to buy bait and how to find a registered Maine guide. You can even buy a license through the app.

There’s other information for hunters besides legal shooting times, but also for trappers, snowmobilers, ATVers and boaters. From laws pertinent to the specific outdoor activity to practical information you need on the spot, it is a very useful resource I plan to use a lot during my upcoming retirement.

The app, which has been a longtime goal for the department, came about now because of a 2023 resolve — LD 1186 — that directed DIF&W to make an app in which licenses and permits for hunting, fishing and trapping could be accessed, according to Emily MacCabe, the department’s director of public information and education.

“Users can now purchase and store licenses, permits and registrations on their phones for themselves and their family members, eliminating the need to print or carry physical copies,” MacCabe said in a press statement.

The ME Outdoors app fulfills the requirement of LD 1186 and takes it way beyond.  

The app addresses what the DIF&W said is one of the most frequently cited barriers to people participating in outdoor activities — knowing where to go. Anglers can find out what lakes and ponds have been stocked with fish and when, and hunters can locate state wildlife management areas open to hunting, plus game registration stations and meat processors.

“We’ve all likely searched for a restaurant or gas station on our phones. Now you can use our app to find a new fishing or hunting spot near you,” said Judy Camuso, commissioner of the DIF&W. “By removing the barrier of knowing where to go, we hope more people are able to enjoy Maine’s natural resources and outdoor opportunities.”

The app is available free to download to your phone or other device from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The department plans to add more features and tools based on user feedback and as needs change to help ensure the safe, responsible and enjoyable use of Maine’s natural resources, MacCabe said.

 “This app is a game changer for anyone who enjoys the Maine outdoors,” Camuso said. 

I have to agree.