The state Natural Resources Commission has approved quotas for the number of licenses sold to hunt deer without antlers this year.

A total of 666,800 antler-less deer licenses will be available, down from 715,700 available last year. The reduction reflects a smaller deer herd in the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan.

In the Upper Peninsula, the number of antler-less licenses will drop by 12,300 in 2004. There will be 41,600 fewer licenses available in northern Michigan.

Rodney Clute, a state Department of Natural Resources specialist, said Monday the quotas were lowered in areas where the state wants to let the deer populations grow.

Antler-less licenses will not be available in Lake and Wexford counties this year.