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1. HiHting is a privilege -not a ri^ In the 1942 4tfi Circuit Coun of Appeals Case, Bailey vs. 

 Holland, the Justices wrote "Pennission to hunt is inereiy a grant of a privilege". This re&n to 

 ifae judicially recognized &ct that the USFWS has a piimaiy respoosibility for the conservation 

 and enhanceinent of an intemational resource 



2. The basic prohibitiaos against baiting have been in place for 61 years. The current regulation is 

 not periect, but under the vast majority of drcumstanccs. it provides the necessary balance 

 between oonservatian needs, hunter opportunity and ethics, and osforceability It doesn't talce 

 much to tip &at balaice. 



3. tf we are really iaterestsd in providing long term benefits to our migratoiy bird resource, we 

 should conceittrate our eSons on preventing loss of habitat and related environmental problems. 

 Baiting/feeding of our migrat(»y birds is, at best, an artificial, ^rt term maiupulatioD which has 

 provoi to increase shorlstopping and mortality, especially in the northern dimes. 



4. The ethical reality of baiting is that it cheapens the hunter experience. There is nothing "sporting'' 

 about birds killed over bait As a devoted hunter and a wildlife resource professional, I defend 

 iny privilege to hunt based upon my oonunitment to hii chase and respect for the wildlife I 

 pursue. I singly cannot look an anti-hunter in the fitce and try to justify hunting over baitl 



5. Baitingtilts the distribution ofharvest toward the wealthy and the entitled It also results in over 

 oq>k)itatian of the resource. Barbng simply concentrates birds to the detriment of other hunters 

 who do not/cannot afford to bait It also results in unwarranted high hunter success and 

 commercial exploitation <^ a public resource 



6. Current regulation* altovy for the management of habitat for migratory birds and the hunting of 

 diose birds on both privatety-owned and publicly-owned lands. The regulations allow a wide 

 variety of nunagement options which are attractive to both waterfowl and doves, including the 

 hunting of waterfowl over flooded standing crops. Deposition, scattering, or esqwsing seeds 

 and/or grains steps over the line, bodi legally and ethically. 



7. We need to quit killing the messengersl Wildlife enforcement officers do not unilaterally write, 

 enact, ai&rce nor interpret the migratory bu-d hunting r^ulations as some outdoor v¥riteis and 

 other critics suggest Enfbrcemau officers want dear, understandable, impartial regulations 

 which accomplish biobgical and ethical objective. Wildlife oflicets do expect a high standard of 

 behavior &Dm our hunters and they also expect hunters to know and obey the laws. I can assure 

 you that die enforcement personnd I know and work with enforce the regulations in as fair, 

 impartial, and equitable manner possible. 



Every recreational activity has a set of rules, written and unvtoitten. which govern conduct. The 

 onforcement officers I know are in support of ethical hunters and ethical hunting skills. The 

 unethical "killer" who judges his/her success by body count is a liability for those of us who care 

 deeply about our outdoor pursuits 



8. If the Committee chooses to deal with the tough issue of the hunter being aware or havmg some 

 kitowledge of the bait being present (the dement of sdenter), it must be extremely careful of how 

 die regulatioa changes are written. As the 1969-70 Conututtee found out "clarifying and 

 improving" the regulations to more effectively protect die truly innocent is mdeed Qot a simple 

 task. 



