PORTLAND, Maine - Maine hunters might once again see a major bump in the number of deer they are allowed to harvest.
The state has about 200,000 white-tailed deer and uses "antlerless deer'' hunting permits to manage the population. The state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says it is planning to offer more than 65,000 permits this year.
That is a bump of more than 45 percent from last year's total of more than 45,000, which was a 60 percent climb from the previous year. The antlerless deer permits allow hunters to shoot deer of either sex.
The state is holding a public hearing on the proposal on June 21 in Augusta. The hunt runs from Sept. 9 to Dec. 9, with dedicated weeks for archery, muzzleloaders and firearms.