Bow Fishing.... Is It Ethical?

[newcreation]

Hope I don't open a can of worms. Bowfishing for carp is it ethical? I have read a few articals recently one on how carp rob stregic cover for bass, on the flip side plants rob oxygen for all fish. Straight up I have been bow fishing and it is a ball! we saw a ton of silver fish (carp) and some green and browns (bass). We shot 14 carp between 4 of us. The particular lake has very very low amount of grass. I also read carp can lay over 2000 eggs a year. I cannot verify that number but it is what comes to mind. I love the sport of bass fishing and would love to see numbers explode in my local lake. BTW I would never run a knife through a bass. Just throwin it out there.

[clayton86]

Iv always wanted to but I like to use what I kill and I don't see any use of shooting a carp to just let it lie on the bank. The only exeption I make is with ground hogs vet bills are to much to let the horses break there legs on the holes from the d**n things. But carp I don't see the point unless maybe use them to fertilize a garden I guess

[brushhoggin]

not if its an invasive species

[Grey Wolf]

Kill just to kill ??

[Marty]

First of all, carp don't destroy bass fishing. I know nothing about the details but I do know that plenty of excellent bass fisheries also have lots of carp in them.

As to whether bow-fishing is ethical, it's not my cup of tea, but if it's legal you can have a clear conscience.

[grimlin]

We have so many Carps in our waters that bowfishing doesn't even put a dent in their population. People here eat em'. I haven't seen a carp tossed aside to rot this year at all.

I'm all for it....long as it's done accordingly to rules,law and regulations.

[oteymc]

Not sure that bowfishing is the answer, but we should all wage war against the asian carp. They are taking over a great deal of rivers in the midwest. Shoot away!

By the way, don't growing plants give off oxygen as a by-product of photosythesis?

[clayton86]

A certain ethnic group here eats them I'm not being racist but I feel weird going up to them saying " y'all want these carp" when younger they used to come up to me and ask for them if I got one.

[Locked]

I don't think it is ethical to kill carp if you're not going to eat them. I don't believe any form of sport hunting is ethical, but it isn't my right to tell someone what they can or can't do. I do however think it's ethical to control deer populations and invasive species like gophers.

[newcreation]

Not sure that bowfishing is the answer, but we should all wage war against the asian carp. They are taking over a great deal of rivers in the midwest. Shoot away!

By the way, don't growing plants give off oxygen as a by-product of photosythesis?

your right i meant to say supplies all fish with oxygen, had the thought on my mind of robbing cover. my mistake.

[newcreation]

A certain ethnic group here eats them I'm not being racist but I feel weird going up to them saying " y'all want these carp" when younger they used to come up to me and ask for them if I got one.

There is a n old guy here in town that will take them clean em and eat. That is if we can save them on ice til he gets up as we usually are out til 3am or so. otherwise they go on the sweet corn patch.

[00 mod]

Kill all asian carp you see! They are taking over the waters down here. I dont care if you throw them on the bank. Kill em all! At least they will get eaten by coons and buzzards! They are much less invasive! If you saw the wads of hundreds I saw today while fishing, you would share the same philosophy!

Jeff

[IntroC]

I don't think it is ethical to kill carp if you're not going to eat them. I don't believe any form of sport hunting is ethical, but it isn't my right to tell someone what they can or can't do. I do however think it's ethical to control deer populations and invasive species like gophers.

Carp where introduced from Europe and are an invasive specie. Have also heard in extreme cases carp can replace up to 75% of a game fish populations. The more carp you have in a lake the less gamefish will exist. In other words lakes have a carrying capacity of fish per acre. Where I live I have never seen the introduction of carp(which is never purposefully done) end up being a good thing. Its a matter of how bad it will it will effect gamefish populations. I say shoot as many as you can and give them away, bury them or trash them just like you would a gopher.

[kms399]

nothing wrong whatsoever. if you cant eat them or give them away at least bury them so they don't stink up the shoreline.

[figure8racer]

Some of the waters around here require you slit their gills, pierce the air bladder and split their tail. (I also give em a whack with a little bat so they don't have to suffocate to death) then throw em back and they become food for the other fish species. If I get a big one ill cut it up so its manageable for the predators.

[Wisconsin Heat.]

i have heard from alot of people that carp isnt edible.. but alot of people havnt tried eating them. i have read articles saying that carp actually tastes good. i have never caught a carp, but you can bet im taking it home to try the first time i catch one.

dont judge a book by its cover...or a fish by its ugly appearance

[bassinKS]

i have no problem with it i just got back from Illinois where i went with my cousin

[Bluebasser86]

I've heard this argument many times before over whether or not bowfishing is ethical and it is a topic that irritates me. As long as you're following the laws set forth by whoever is in charge then I feel it's alright. Couldn't someone argue that bass fishing is unethical if not done properly? If you take over your limit or keep a fish just to put it on your wall is that ethical? I personally love bowfishing and shoot hundreds if not thousands of silver,bighead,grass,common, and buffalo carp along with drum and gar. A vast majority of these fish are given to the people who are always camped out on the boat ramp fishing when I get back. Some are used as cutbait, some for fertilizer, some are tossed on the river bank for whatever lucky animal comes across an easy meal. Carp are a problem in some waters. Our state spends thousands of dollars a year that could go towards stocking more fish or building nicer boatramps and facilitys but instead it goes towards control of roughfish populations. I don't agree with juglining or trotlining but as long as people follow the rules I'm not going to give them a hard time about it.

We all enjoy the outdoors and seem to be facing an ever growing number of "antis" who would love nothing more than to see hunting and fishing outlawed and all of us living off of broccoli,carrots, and tofu. So I guess I really feel like we need to stick together more in protecting and promoting our sports and not worry so much about who is more "ethical". Now if you see someone shooting bass or other gamefish that you aren't supposed to shoot then it's a whole different story. Sorry for my rant, I'll get off the soap box now.

[Sfritr]

I don't think it is ethical to kill carp if you're not going to eat them. I don't believe any form of sport hunting is ethical, but it isn't my right to tell someone what they can or can't do. I do however think it's ethical to control deer populations and invasive species like gophers.

Gophers invasive?????????

Were they brought in by???????? Golfers??

[South FLA]

Yes, Gar, mudfish, carp, and invasives, bass NO!

[CWB]

Yes, Gar, mudfish, carp, and invasives, bass NO!

Carp, yeah. Gar no. As Ted Nugent says, Whack 'em and Stack 'em.

Our lakes management association uses them and the weeds they harvest as fertilizer for the local farmers and they take all they can. Some people smoke them and claim they are pretty good. I cannot confirm this. I go out with my son at night and we have a ball.

I do not think gar are a threat to anything and Gator gars are one of the last true huge freshwater GAMEFISH in America. They were once hunted to the brink of extinction here. I understand the thrill of shooting a large fish and handlining it in but why gar? I'd rather catch a 100lb gar than shoot one. But then I'd rather catch a 40 lb. carp than shoot one also. Could be a local overpopulation issue.

No problem then and it is legal. As said previously, conscience needs to be your guide.

[scbassin]

I see a lot of people bow hunting for carp here on Santee Cooper. In fact there boats are rigged with flood lights, generators, & some have platforms. They fish mostly at night. Check with your DNR to make sure it's ok, if it is go for it.

[skunked_again]

i assume im not alone here but grass carp cooked properly is good to eat. we set rigged 8' step ladders up in the creeks. its a blast!

[Bass_Fanatic]

I have no problem with it...I have no problem with people killing any animal until abortion is banned. I much rather fight for the lives of humans rather than animals. Like those commercials with the starving dogs and beaten kittens, they just make me mad. There are billions of people who go to bed hungary every night and millions die from starvation, but they want me to feed a dog? No thankyou...I much rather help out a boy or girl.

[Scorcher214]

I want to but i have no use for them. I know my grandpa use to use them to fertilize his garden, but i have no garden =/.