Waterbury, Vermont - Vermont's antlerless deer hunting lottery applications for the muzzleloader season are now available on the Fish & Wildlife Department's website, at Fish & Wildlife district offices, and at license agents statewide.

Applications may be submitted on-line with a credit or debit card payment, or printed, filled out, and mailed in with a check. On-line applications are found at (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Go to "Hunting and Trapping" and click on Lottery Applications.

The permits are only for "antlerless deer," which is defined as deer without antlers or with antlers less than three inches long.

A hunter who wins an antlerless deer permit in the lottery may take one antlerless deer by muzzleloader during the December 5-13, 2009 muzzleloader season in the wildlife management unit (WMU) designated on the permit.

"We appreciate that most hunters are supportive of scientific deer herd management," said Dr. Shawn Haskell, the biologist who chairs Vermont's deer team. "They realize a certain number of antlerless deer must be removed in some areas of the state in order to keep the deer population in balance with its habitat. Wildlife biologists make recommendations annually, based on winter severity, habitat conditions, deer population goals, and harvest objectives."

The wildlife management units (WMUs) proposed to have muzzleloader antlerless permits this year are A, B, F1, F2, H1, H2, J1, J2, K1, K2, M2, N, O2, and Q. The 23,125 muzzleloader antlerless permits proposed to be issued to help slow the growth of the deer population in these units and are expected to net a harvest of about 4,000 deer.

The actual numbers of permits to be issued and WMUs to be open will be determined by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board at a later date.

Applications must be postmarked no later than August 27, 2009, or delivered in the Waterbury Fish & Wildlife office by 4:30 p.m. on August 27, 2009. On-line applications will be accepted until midnight of August 27, 2009.

The cost to apply is $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. A person may submit only one application.