Based on reports by state fisheries biologists this winter, the ice fishing season is either going great or hardly going.

There is riding and grooming going on across the state, now that many parts of Maine have received substantial snowfall, but the snow is patchy in some places. The warm fall and a few days of warmer than normal weather in January have resulted in open water — not all lakes and ponds are frozen enough for riding.

Another Maine winter has set in, and sportsmen and wildlife managers alike hold their collective breath waiting to see how it will affect our deer herd. So far, winter conditions have been relatively mild, and despite a poor mast crop, there is hope the deer may come out of it OK. But a mild winter alone may not be enough.

Over the last 38 years, “The Maine Sportsman” magazine has conducted a survey that covers hunting, fishing and environmental issues, and the results intrigue politicians, outdoors activists and interested public.