The powerful sportsmen lobby and its state and federal political supporters are pressuring the agency to change existing standards. State game agencies and hunter constituency groups want to relax baiting regulations that they claim hurt the average hunter. It is obvious, however, that the proposed changes discriminate in favor of commercial interests namely private hunt clubs which cater to wealthy and influential members who want to enhance their hunting fields through baiting. Since birds would no doubt flock to the clubs' many acres of prime, heavily manipulated habitat, the common hunter would no longer have an equal chance to compete for limited waterfowl resources. Congressional legislation has also been introduced to relax regulations by making it more difficult to punish hunting violators who fail to understand baiting laws.
Most offenders are indeed victims of ignorance.
They failed to learn the cardinal rule of federal game laws the hunter is always responsible when it comes to hunting over baited areas. The violator, Mr. Ronald Kokel a wildlife biologist with the Office of Migratory Bird Management was principally involved in formulating the agency's proposed rule change regarding baiting. If enacted, the new rules would erase an enormous body of case law that has aided in the prosecution of violators. By eliminating proven deterrents to comply with the law, baiting relaxation would increase enforcement costs at the expense of the too few officers in the field. The net effect would be a drastic reduction in game bird populations.