This column is the second of three reviewing the results of the most recent Christmas Bird Counts in Maine. Let’s visit some coastal count circles together, working our way from York County downeast to Eastport.

Hunting is big business. If you doubt it, consider that fish-and-wildlife-related activities generate $2.4 billion in economic value for the people of Maine. Deer hunting alone brings in an estimated $200 million a year. That huge economic impact depends on maintaining a healthy natural resource. Managing that resource is an expensive proposition, and most of the bill is footed by sportsmen and women.

Here’s the good news. In my lifetime, trout and salmon fishing in Maine has improved — not a lot but enough to notice.