Any bowfishermen out there?

[aclemons]

Hey guys,

Just curious if any of y'all do any bowfishing in spring and summer when deer season's closed?

Just curious. Thanks for your time.

Alan Clemons
DDH Managing Editor

[kellory]

I did when I was younger. I haven't done so for the last few years. I do more catch and release, these days.

[Deebz]

I've never gone, but I do eyeball the starter kits every time I walk through the archery aisle at my local sportings goods store. I would love to get started with it. I just don't really know anything about how to get started or what is needed for bows/strings/arrows, etc...

[aclemons]

Deebz, it can be a bit perplexing.

The Bowfishing Association of America has chapters or clubs, and members, in many states. Check their website below to see if you maybe can find one in your neck of the woods.


http://www.bowfishingassociation.com/baa/Home.html

[Ohio farms]

I did do that a couple of times many years ago, but always was uncomfortable with just throwing rough fish on the bank. Just didn't seem right to me. Just my opinion.

[Deebz]

garden fertilizer, coon/coyote bait...and you might be surprised at how many people will actually eat things like carp...

[Ohio farms]

Yes, I know there are some things that can be done with them, but I personally have no use for them or know anybody who wants them. I'm not in judgement of those who do, but for me it would be a hassle. If I knew somebody who wanted all I could get, it might be different.

[Deebz]

One fish that I would have no problem with just eliminating would be the Asian Carp that are infesting out waterways... Granted they may not be near you, but in places like the IL river they are doing a lot of damage to the native populations.

But I definitely see your point in not wanting to just kill things without putting them to use.

[Woods Walker]

When I was younger I used to do a lot of it. Like Deebz says, we used the carp for fertilizer (make GREAT fertilizer in fact!), and back in those day I also did a ot of trapping. We'd cut the carp into chunks and put them in a big glass jar out in the sun. After a few weeks the flesh and bones would decompose into an oily sludge which we'd use for 'coon lure, as racoons are extremely fond of fish.

When my buddy came back from his tour in Viet Nam, he told me that the people over there used to basically do the same thing but then the'd pour it over rice and eat it! YIKES!!! They called it Nuc Mum, or something to that effect.

I do miss bowfishing. Wading a flooded field in May and sticking a huge carp and then watching as the arrow went speeding off making it's own wake and all is probably the closest I'll ever get to harpooning a whale!!!