Updated May 4 State biologists propose 40% increase in any-deer permits this fall For the 3rd time in 4 years, a record number of deer permits has been proposed in an effort to shrink the whitetail population, particularly in southern, coastal and central Maine. Share Maine state biologists are proposing a record number of any-deer permits – as many as 153,910 – to try to cull the deer population, especially along the coast and in the central part of the state. Kennebec Journal photo State biologists have proposed increasing any-deer permits by 40 percent this fall in an effort to reduce the population in parts of Maine where there are high levels of Lyme disease and public complaints about too many deer.