The annual poll results from "The Maine Sportsman" magazine are in, and here his Your Scribe's take on the annual survey.

The poll, of course, is composed of questions addressed at an ardent choir. The magazine is read by die-hard outdoorsmen, and the supposition of most questions assumes that the reader is a fisherman or hunter seeking to expand (or at least maintain) the quality of the activity.

There were about 40 questions. Here are the answers that intrigued me:

"Do you believe the deer herd is increasing in the area where you hunt?" 40 percent said yes, but a full 56 percent said no. (An aside: Please don't be bugged by the fact responses often don't add up to 100 percent). State bureaucrats and cranky gardeners in recent years say the herd is expanding, but I agree with the 56 percent. The herd is getting smaller. I see fewer deer than five years ago, both on my property or along the rural roads.

"Would you favor the state buying northern Maine deeryards so they could be managed for the long term?" Fully 78 percent said yes, which is a high percentage for a state whose residents are known to be tight with the buck. (The dollar, that is). Would a referendum pass approving bonds for such a project? I doubt it.

Here's one with language that tips off the editors' bias: "Does the importance of catching coyotes in deeryards outweigh the risk of killing a few lynx?" 75 percent said that whacking a "few" lynx would be OK if that helped save deer from the much-despised coyote.

"Should there be a fall shotgun season for turkeys?" 87 percent said yes. But I am with the 13 percent here. Now that wild turkeys have returned, why not give them a chance to thrive, rather than be "thinned out"?

"In order to provide funds for enforcement of boating laws, should the state charge a license fee for floats and docks on great ponds?" Only 28 percent said yes, which is good. This is one area in which the tax collector need not get involved.

But here's one where the voters would favor state assistance. "Should the state use its power of eminent domain to acquire more boat access sites?" 59 percent said yes.

"Do ice-fishing derbies hurt the quality of Maine fishing?" 73 percent said no, though I am not sure they have many facts on their side. Still, it's a very popular activity for those in rural areas where activities are limited in winter.

And here are two questions that reflect a desire to calm down the activity of powerboats:

"Should we have more small waters where no outboard motors are allowed?" 72 percent said yes.

"Should more lakes and ponds have restrictions on the maximum horsepower allowed on boats?" 77 percent said yes.

And here's one that the oft-undernourished deer might like: "Should winter feeding of deer be prohibited?" 73 percent said no.

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