Just got this from Mark Clavette in Wildlife:

You can’t apply for any lottery area until we announce the details after June 1st. There will not be paper applications. You haven’t missed out!

There is no deadline at this point, but it will probably extend through August, based upon the meeting I was in recently. It won’t be a first-come-first-served system. It will be based upon “winning percentages” and factors that we determine based upon an area’s previous demand (applicants vs. quota), so it will be based on probability of winning a slot, where everyone who applies gets an equal chance, at a “roll of the dice”. They will know immediately (Instant Award) whether they “won” the slot. They can apply on-line as an individual or as a group of up to five members. That’s the best way I can explain it.

Any leftover or unsold slots will be available “over the counter”, at DEEP outlets only, after the Instant Awards process closes. That process for distributing unused permits will truly be first-come-first-served.

At this point, it looks like the first day "live" will be on June 3, but that could change. More details will be posted on the Hunting and Trapping web page as they become available.

Incidentally, we will also be using this system for awarding at least some portion of the small game daily permits quota for most of the Permit-Required Hunting Areas.