So, I am very interested in hearing what has to be said this 

 morning, but I would disagree with my friend from Minnesota that 

 we give special prerogatives to enforcement officers in the Federal 

 Government. I do not think they know any more about wildlife or 

 any more about issues than anyone else, and they do not have any 

 special prerogative to go out and take action that is not warranted 

 by the facts and circumstances. Too often, they seem to think they 

 do, but that is not the case, and I hope we make that clear in the 

 course of this hearing. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



The Chairman. I thank the gentleman. I am sorry; I was so agi- 

 tated with the previous speaker that I did not see you at the end 

 of the line. 



Mr. Vento. I was agitated too, Mr. Chairman. 



The Chairman. Well, I know you do. 



The gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Gilchrest. 



STATEMENT OF HON. WAYNE T. GILCHREST, A U.S. 

 REPRESENTATIVE FROM MARYLAND 



Mr. Gilchrest. I will just take a minute. I come to this section 

 of hearings today with a totally open mind. I certainly do not want 

 to open the door for the wholesale slaughter of migratory birds or 

 other species. I do think, however, there ought to be some clear un- 

 derstanding as far as what the rules and regulations are so that 

 we do not get innocent people caught up in them. 



Management of wild species, especially migratory birds, is a very 

 difficult, very complex thing for humans to endeavor to accomplish 

 successfully. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1980, we had 

 about 600,000 wintering geese on the Eastern Shore alone. We 

 have about 250,000 now, and that is for a number of different rea- 

 sons. But there are farmers who grow corn out there so the geese 

 can eat the corn, or they leave a little bit of wheat, or they leave 

 the corn standing, or they leave a lot of other things. And on the 

 next field over, where they happen to land, you are going to have 

 hunting. 



In the county where I come from, we actually have legalized bait- 

 ing deer. Now, you cannot do that unless it is very carefully man- 

 aged. Now, I am not sure if I like that on a continuing basis, but 

 there are so many deer there that to manage them, you have to 

 make sure that the herd has enough food to eat. It is a very com- 

 plicated issue. 



So, Mr. Chairman, I am going to listen very carefully to the testi- 

 mony. I do not think we want to open the door to the slightest 

 crack to give anybody an advantage over shooting geese or what- 

 ever, but I think we have to be careful that is making a law that 

 is clear, that the public can understand so we do not have an inci- 

 dent like that which occurred in Florida. 



Thank you. 



The Chairman. Are there any other opening statements? The 

 gentleman from Oklahoma has to 



How much time have you got, Bill? 



