AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has extended the deadline to participate in the lottery for 2018 any-deer permits until 5 p.m. Monday.

The deadline had been Wednesday, but heavy online traffic slowed the department’s application portal, leaving many people unable to access the system.

Those holding a valid Maine Big Game Hunting License can apply for any-deer permits at mefishwildlife.com. This year, the state is allotting 84,745 any-deer permits, an increase of nearly 30 percent over last year. The lottery drawing will be announced on the department’s web site on Sept. 7.