For the sportsman, there seem to be some hopeful omens on the political front. GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is a true, bonafide hunter and angler.

We have had some politically ambitious imposters along the way who wanted you to believe that they were dyed-in-the-wool sportsmen, and that you would cast your vote accordingly. Former Maine Governor Angus King, despite his campaign television ads, was not the Real McCoy when it came to outdoorsmanship. The giveaway was when he was seen on his TV ad paddling a canoe solo from the wrong seat.

Then there was presidential aspirant John Kerry, who tried to pass himself off as an intrepid deer hunter who confessed to having “crawled around on his belly” in cedar swamps. Bill Clinton only hunted ducks when the media and an election was near at hand. There have been other politically motivated Great Pretenders, none of whom knew a beavertail paddle from a beaver’s behind.

To the everlasting delight of American sportsmen of most persuasions, however, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was shooting and field dressing moose long before John McCain tapped her for a VP slot. If she becomes this country’s Vice President, she may be the first Pennsylvania Avenue power figure to appreciate the hunter’s perspective since Teddy Roosevelt. American sportsmen could do worse.

Meanwhile, back in Maine, it is good to know that our Governor, John Baldacci, to his credit, has never tried to pass himself off as a Larry Benoit or a Lee Wulff. He has long professed, though, to be the sportsman’s ally, all the while eviscerating the budget of Maine’s Fish and Wildlife department and trying to marginalize it as a sub-department of conservation.

Good news! After much careful reflection and kitchen table chats with my wife Diane, I have decided to run for the Blaine House. Not unlike Sarah Palin, I will run as a North Woods contrarian and a true friend to the sportsmen of Maine. I pledge to fight for you in Augusta and I will work for change. Although it will take some time to fine-tune my platform and raise some money, here are just some of the changes that I promise to enact if you elect me to be your next governor.

• A fish in every pot.

• Venison backstrap in every fry pan.

• No more slot limits on trout and salmon.

• Moose permits for all Mainers.

• One Super Sportsman License that covers hunting for all legal game, fishing for all legal fish, and all registrations for boats , trailers, and outdoor recreational vehicles.

• Unlimited open season for hunting, trapping and snaring of coyotes.

• Fifty percent matching fund revenues for Fish and Wildlife budgets from the state General Fund.

• Blaine House cribbage tournaments every month between the governor and state fish and game club players.

• Fifty percent property tax credits for large landowners who allow hunting on their land by permission only.

• Additional Tree Growth Tax breaks for wildland owners who establish contractual cooperative deer yard management agreements with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

• No more eco-reserves

• A one-way ticket to Nova Scotia on the CAT for Roxanne Quimby.

This, of course, is just the beginning of my campaign for the Blaine House. As the perfect gubernatorial candidate for Maine sportsmen, I look forward to representing you. I should disclose that, although I once worked as a bartender, I have no restaurant experience. Neither do I know how to make a Risotto or Veal Marsala.

Now let’s see … who would make a good fish and wildlife commissioner? I’ll have to think about that, and get back to you after I put my moose, deer and bear mounts up in the Blaine House.

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to vote!

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].