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·Do you think "bowfishing" is fishing or hunting ? Please don't start up with the cop-out answer,"It's a marriage of fishing AND hunting." Halfarsed answers like that deserve an arskicking. I believe it to be 100% hunting.
Is "bowfishing" fishing or hunting?
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·Illinois DNR considers it fishing.
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It may be fishing, but I think it should be considered hunting. You fire a projectile at an animal in an attempt to kill it. Sounds like hunting to me.
Marty
Marty
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It's fishing...with a bow... Just like Spearfishing is Fishing...with a spear! There are many ways to fish, beyond rod & reel fishing... there is trot lining, power lining, netting, noodling etc. etc. Bottom line, is that all are means of taking fish, so it's fishing! That's my take on it 
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2Its fishing as its covered in the aquatic life codes. And the actual act of bowfishing is fishing, we look for fish in different locations and alter our way of doing it as water and weather conditions change like any other kind of fishing. I compare it to sight fishing with rod and reel. But instead of placing a lure or fly right in front of its nose, you place a fiberglass....err.....lure REAL close to it. Instead of being good aim while you cast, you are a good aim with a bow.
mplant, Ill be glad to get you out there this spring. Got lots of extra equipment for you to use if you dont have any. You will love it2 I enjoy taking new people out to try it almost as much as I did watching the second place guy sweat last year in the big fish contest as I put over 10pts. between us :lol: :lol:
mplant, Ill be glad to get you out there this spring. Got lots of extra equipment for you to use if you dont have any. You will love it
2 I enjoy taking new people out to try it almost as much as I did watching the second place guy sweat last year in the big fish contest as I put over 10pts. between us :lol: :lol:
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That's the great thing about hunting and fishing. There is such diversity that everybody can find something they love.
I'll risk an arskicking to say there is a lot of overlap of hunting and fishing when you are bowfishing. Bowfishing is not monolithic. It ranges from sneaking shorelines, spot and stalk, sitting in travel lanes and shooting passing fish, cruising with your trolling motor, jumping those crazy silver carp, shooting sex crazed common carp thrashing the water, hunting trophies, etc. I do all of the above.
I'll risk an arskicking to say there is a lot of overlap of hunting and fishing when you are bowfishing. Bowfishing is not monolithic. It ranges from sneaking shorelines, spot and stalk, sitting in travel lanes and shooting passing fish, cruising with your trolling motor, jumping those crazy silver carp, shooting sex crazed common carp thrashing the water, hunting trophies, etc. I do all of the above.
Can you bowfish with a cross bow? The only time I've ever shot a hunting bow I took a lot of skin off my forearm with the bowstring and am hesitant to try that again.
Bowfishing looks like fun, but also like a really expensive way to go carp fishing.
Bowfishing looks like fun, but also like a really expensive way to go carp fishing.
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Yes in Illinois. No in Indiana.Cluricaun said:
Your brace height must have been too short......Cluricaun said:Can you bowfish with a cross bow? The only time I've ever shot a hunting bow I took a lot of skin off my forearm with the bowstring and am hesitant to try that again.
Bowfishing looks like fun, but also like a really expensive way to go carp fishing.
But, its not expensive at all. A bow can be bought used pretty cheap, and a reel and arrow will cost under $25. And you can get an inexpensive crossbow set up too. Ive got one all set for bowfishing, let me know when you want to try it.
I will try and get as many new people out bowfishing as I can. Its one of the biggest reason myself and a few guys started the BAI. Bowfishing was under attack in parts of the country and bad mouthed in Illinois. We were minding our own business like any other outdoorsman and this stuff started. Dont hear much of it anymore, but I still want to bring as many people into the sport as I can. Plus, Ive met some great people doing that, and have gotten some good friendships too......so let me know when you want to get out guys!
Might have to take you up on that offer Ejoe.
My eleven year old boy likes fishing o.k.
But he seems REALLY intrigued with bowfishing.
He has asked me about it more than a couple of times,
so I've shown him a couple of bowfishing videos online, and
he always says something like "..that's freaking AWESOME!!"
and loves plinking around with his slingshots.
Paul
My eleven year old boy likes fishing o.k.
But he seems REALLY intrigued with bowfishing.
He has asked me about it more than a couple of times,
so I've shown him a couple of bowfishing videos online, and
he always says something like "..that's freaking AWESOME!!"
and loves plinking around with his slingshots.
Paul
Hey Ejoe, I have some really good friends out in the South Dakota area that started an SD Bow Fishing website.
http://www.bowfishingsd.com
I'm going to try talking them into coming on down to IL and checking out the bowfishing here. If they agree I'll definitely let you know what their time frame is, maybe we can get a group out and try our hand.
I go out to SD every year and I've seen some crazy nights of bowfishing.
Here is the link to one of the albums that shows some of the crazy bowfishing they've had.
http://www.bowfishingsd.com/forum/album ... C&start=36
http://www.bowfishingsd.com
I'm going to try talking them into coming on down to IL and checking out the bowfishing here. If they agree I'll definitely let you know what their time frame is, maybe we can get a group out and try our hand.
I go out to SD every year and I've seen some crazy nights of bowfishing.
Here is the link to one of the albums that shows some of the crazy bowfishing they've had.
http://www.bowfishingsd.com/forum/album ... C&start=36
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Never really thought about it, but it is a rather interesting question. Depending on which dictionary one uses it could fall under fishing, or not. One also has to determine the definition of "catching" and this again still causes some gray areas when attempting to firmly classify "bow fishing". I don't buy the argument that because it's classified in the fishing regulations under aquatic life that it therefore is fishing. First off, it's there because of the quarry and convenience, not necessarily because this is the true classification of the deed. Why would one look under hunting regulations to find out to harvest a fish? Secondly, it wouldn't be the first time the DNR was WRONG - lol!
Personally, by traditional definition of "fishing" I would say it is closer to hunting than fishing due to the projectile being used to harvest the fish. But then again, netting fish or crab "fishing" is also really not "fishing" by traditional definition, yet we use the terminology "fishing" when discussing either. BUT, again - I contend this is due to the quarry we're after, NOT the method used to capture that quarry. My vote goes to it being classified as "hunting". After all "the act of pursuing game" seems closer to the task at hand than the traditional, hook and line definition of "fishing". "Fishing" to me involves provoking the fish to strike a bait, not striking the fish with a projectile....
Personally, by traditional definition of "fishing" I would say it is closer to hunting than fishing due to the projectile being used to harvest the fish. But then again, netting fish or crab "fishing" is also really not "fishing" by traditional definition, yet we use the terminology "fishing" when discussing either. BUT, again - I contend this is due to the quarry we're after, NOT the method used to capture that quarry. My vote goes to it being classified as "hunting". After all "the act of pursuing game" seems closer to the task at hand than the traditional, hook and line definition of "fishing". "Fishing" to me involves provoking the fish to strike a bait, not striking the fish with a projectile....
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fish·ing [fish-ing] –noun
1. the act of catching fish.
2. the technique, occupation, or diversion of catching fish.
hunt·ing [huhn-ting] –noun
1. the act of a person, animal, or thing that hunts.
I say we group bowfishing in with spearing, gigging, and noodeling and call it fishhunting.
1. the act of catching fish.
2. the technique, occupation, or diversion of catching fish.
hunt·ing [huhn-ting] –noun
1. the act of a person, animal, or thing that hunts.
I say we group bowfishing in with spearing, gigging, and noodeling and call it fishhunting.
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