AUGUSTA — Maine’s deer hunters will learn this week if they’ve been selected for a permit that allows them greater ability to hunt the animals.

Maine manages its large deer population with “any deer” permits that allow hunters to hunt antlerless deer and bucks that have antlers less than 3 inches in length. Hunters without such a permit can only pull the trigger when longer-antlered bucks are in their sights.

The any deer permit lottery is scheduled for Friday. The results will be posted online at noon that day.

The state intends to issue a little more than 68,000 any deer permits this year. That represents a reduction of about 20 percent from the previous deer season. Hunters harvested more deer than the state’s objective last year.

The firearms season for deer takes place in November.