112 



Hearing Statement 



William K. Boe to 



U.S. House Committee on Resources 



May 15, 1996 



Within the agricultural community it would be said, "There's something rotten in the 

 cotton." This term is applied when a situation is of an undesirable nature, when something 

 is profoundly wrong or inappropriate. That agricultural cliche can be applied to the actions 

 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, October 13, 1995, when their agents intervened in a 

 dove hunt in Dbde County, Florida, sponsored by Florida State Senator Charles WUliams. 

 The cliche also applies to the federal law used to justify their actions. 



The annual dove hunt provides comradery for community leaders from the North Central 

 Florida counties represented by Senator Williams. It is a widely-publicized event in that 

 political, economic, civic, and professional leaders are present. Revenues beyond event 

 expenses are provided to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch, a facility for disadvantaged 

 children and orphans. 



I attended the event as the invited Chapter Advisor of the Alpha Gamma Rho agricultural 

 fraternity at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Senator Williams' legislative 

 aide is a chapter member, and fraternity members were present to assist with refreshments 

 and to hunt. Most of the University of Florida students hunted in an adjacent field to the 

 scheduled event, a field owned by one of the students' parents. 



Prior to hunting, we were served lunch in a bam and briefed by Senator Williams to be 

 "legal and safe." He said guests were not to hunt unless they had a current Florida hunting 

 license and were prepared to honor hunting laws including game limits. We expected to 

 have the hunt inspected by the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. I rode into 

 the field with five employees of a company sponsoring the event. We drove to a comer of a 

 100 acre (plus) field and walked 50 yards down a dirt road. I went about 200 feet into the 

 field and hunted next to a small clump of bushes. At no time did I observe grain on the 

 road, or in the area in which I hunted. During the next two hours I shot five doves, 

 recovering four. While searching for downed doves, I did not see any grain on the ground 

 of any type. If com or other grains used as "bait" were present, I would have seen it. The 

 volume of doves flying near me was unimpressive. I fired about 15 shells the entire 

 afternoon. 



About two hours into the hunt I observed several persons drive up, park, and begin talking 

 with hunters along the dirt road. They wore hunting attire and military style camouflaged 

 fatigues. I observed hunters emptying their shotguns and being directed to a cluster of trees. 

 I thought the persons were Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission officers, although 

 state officers wear uniforms and drive vehicles with department emblems on the doors. I 

 decided to join the officers and have my license and bag limit checked so I could resume 

 hunting. 



I left the field, introduced myself, and offered by license for examination. The person 

 inspecting my license said he was with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also stating that 

 the field was being closed because it had been determined to be illegally baited, that I must 

 give him my hunting license, and go to the clump of trees to be questioned. I was surprised 

 and disappointed. Surprised at being told the field was baited, since I knew there was no 



