Bow Fishing.... Is It Ethical? 2024
newcreation reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
not if its an invasive species
Grey Wolf reply :
Kill just to kill ?? 
Marty reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 8:07 AM, oteymc said: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 reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 8:10 AM, clayton86 said: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 reply :
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 reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 8:10 AM, Locked said: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 reply :
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 reply :
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. reply :
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 reply :
i have no problem with it i just got back from Illinois where i went with my cousin
Bluebasser86 reply :
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 reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 8:10 AM, Locked said: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 reply :
Yes, Gar, mudfish, carp, and invasives, bass NO!
CWB reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 10:08 PM, South FLA said: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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 =/.
ChrisAW reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 10:29 PM, CWB said: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.
I dont think they are bowfishing for Gator Gar, but Gar Pike.
200racing reply :
we have improved habitat so almost every species thrives.the deer and turkey population recovery are miracles in consevation.our man-madelakes are full of sportfish.we even have man-made hybrids from our angling pursiut.
we(man) have irreversibly altered nature. its now imbalanced and needs maintinance to stay serving our needs best. this has a pretty, happy side and a ugly side.
almost everyone would find watching twins fawns play in the sun pleseant but half the people in this country would have something negative to say about a stack of coyotes taken so those fawns have a higher chance of surving.
now i know its a jump from coyotes to carp. the principle is very similar. it is not pretty,it is not for everyone,but they need controlling just the same.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
On 7/19/2011 at 12:33 AM, Bass_Fanatic said: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.
HELL YA I AGREE
JDuncan reply :
On Invalid Date at NaN:NaN PM, Bass_Fanatic said: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.
so supporting human lives conflicts with support for animals? Id say help all life if given The oppurtunity. Btw if abortion was banned that's more people to possibly feed. But whatever..
Jim_M reply :
I support the sportsman afield regardless of game and legal method taken period. The benefits derived from them are now generational. We owe them much.
Personally, I only 'take' what we will eat. With the exception of invasive pests.
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 7/18/2011 at 4:39 AM, newcreation said:on the flip side plants rob oxygen for all fish.
This is incorrect. Plants, in the process of photosynthesis, produce oxygen.
Bass_Fanatic reply :
On 7/20/2011 at 9:31 PM, JDuncan said:so supporting human lives conflicts with support for animals? Id say help all life if given The oppurtunity. Btw if abortion was banned that's more people to possibly feed. But whatever..
If I have $20 a month to help out a cause, all $20 is going to go towards something that is helping out human lives.
CWB reply :
On 7/19/2011 at 8:39 AM, ChrisAW said:I dont think they are bowfishing for Gator Gar, but Gar Pike.
I've seen T.V. shows where Gator Gar were stalked and shot at night. I believe it was in Texas.
P.S.
What's a Gar Pike?
Shooting a Pike, or any gamefish for that matter, is illegal, here in Illinois anyway. Currently Gar are not considered gamefish.
http://www.ifishillinois.org/awards/bow_table.html
CWB reply :
On 7/20/2011 at 9:31 PM, JDuncan said:so supporting human lives conflicts with support for animals? Id say help all life if given The opportunity. Btw if abortion was banned that's more people to possibly feed. But whatever..
Without getting into a political discussion here, first, I believe all life is sacred. I also believe we as humans need to eat and being at the top of the food chain, animals must die, through hunting, fishing, farms, whatever. I also believe human life should always be considered above animal life. I do love animals but if push came to shove.....
On abortion, I feel in most cases, like just about everything else today, it has taken the responsibilty out of the equation in a very personal decision. Act first, think later. I don't like it but that seems to be the way it is in today's society.
It is almost like going to the pet store, buying a certain fish, getting home and deciding you don't want it, then flushing it down the toilet. JMO
ChrisAW reply :
On 7/21/2011 at 7:56 AM, CWB said:I've seen T.V. shows where Gator Gar were stalked and shot at night. I believe it was in Texas.
P.S.
What's a Gar Pike?
Shooting a Pike, or any gamefish for that matter, is illegal, here in Illinois anyway. Currently Gar are not considered gamefish.
http://www.ifishillinois.org/awards/bow_table.html
Gar Pike -
Similar creature, but smaller and more abundant. The above picture is a pretty frickin' big Gar Pike, I've never personally seen one above 24".
As far as I know, Gar pike is legal to bow-fish (atleast here in MI) But Northern Pike aren't.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 7/21/2011 at 10:33 AM, ChrisAW said:Gar Pike -
Similar creature, but smaller and more abundant. The above picture is a pretty frickin' big Gar Pike, I've never personally seen one above 24".
As far as I know, Gar pike is legal to bow-fish (atleast here in MI) But Northern Pike aren't.
That's a longnose gar and they get a lot bigger than that. I shot one a couple years ago that was 51.5" long and I've seen ones that were quite a bit bigger. I agree that alligator gar should probably not be harvested by bowfishing but all of the smaller gar species that are more plentiful are fine.
SirSnookalot reply :
I'm not a fan of hunting in any form, what some one else does is their business not mine. I'm curious, are these bow killed fish eaten, left on the bank for the buzzards, buried or taken home and used as fertilizer? What happens in the event a clean swift kill isn't made?
JDuncan reply :
On Invalid Date at NaN:NaN PM, Bass_Fanatic said:If I have $20 a month to help out a cause, all $20 is going to go towards something that is helping out human lives.
I agree. Just coming at it from a diffrent angle
JDuncan reply :
On Invalid Date at NaN:NaN PM, CWB said:Without getting into a political discussion here, first, I believe all life is sacred. I also believe we as humans need to eat and being at the top of the food chain, animals must die, through hunting, fishing, farms, whatever. I also believe human life should always be considered above animal life. I do love animals but if push came to shove.....
On abortion, I feel in most cases, like just about everything else today, it has taken the responsibilty out of the equation in a very personal decision. Act first, think later. I don't like it but that seems to be the way it is in today's society.
It is almost like going to the pet store, buying a certain fish, getting home and deciding you
don't want it, then flushing it down the toilet. JMO
[/quote
I agree with everything u said, more people should help people in need. And it's as easy as donating can goods because that's better than nothing. or volunteering at habitat for humanity. only diffrence is I absolutly support abortion. I like this forum very much because of topics like the bow hunting topic.
Grey Wolf reply :
Abortion and bow fishing , why did the two get mentioned together here ? 
SirSnookalot reply :
On 7/21/2011 at 8:47 PM, Grey Wolf said:Abortion and bow fishing , why did the two get mentioned together here ?
I see no relationship in bowfishing, abortion, charitable endeavors and how one views mankind in general.
Teal101 reply :
The WDFW releases Tiger Musky in certain lakes to help control the carp population. They are invasive and destroying a lot of our lakes. Some lakes are planted with sterile grass carp to help control the weed problems in them. Most have the asian carp in them and they need to be thinned. They're a huge problem up here, muddying the water and displacing game fish.
ChrisAW reply :
On 7/21/2011 at 3:25 PM, Bluebasser86 said:That's a longnose gar and they get a lot bigger than that. I shot one a couple years ago that was 51.5" long and I've seen ones that were quite a bit bigger. I agree that alligator gar should probably not be harvested by bowfishing but all of the smaller gar species that are more plentiful are fine.
Thats just one of the first pictures that came up when I searched Gar Pike. Looks like the same creature by two names? All I know is that is the biggest I've seen.
Bass_Fanatic reply :
On 7/21/2011 at 10:09 PM, SirSnookalot said:I see no relationship in bowfishing, abortion, charitable endeavors and how one views mankind in general.
Haha...there is no relation between these topics, just got off topic for a bit, but I am pretty proud that the conversation stayed civil and though we didn't completely agree with one another, no one bashed the other. Good to see that we can civily disagree and can still respect one another. 
Bigtimezonafan reply :
Kill all of the slimy useless fish. God put animals under our dominion. I dont kill to kill. I kill carp to let bass have a better habitat
Fish Chris reply :
Carp are fantastic sportfish on a rod and reel. In many situations, they are much more difficult / challenging to catch than a Largemouth bass. They are also bigger and stronger.
Carp almost never do any harm to bass fisheries.
I don't go out of my way to kill living creatures, without good reason.
The whole "Carp are trash fish, while bass are prized sportfish" train of thought, just goes to show how human beings are so into "following the leader"...... Just like lemmings running off of a cliff.
So glad I can think for myself. It would be a shame not to recognize Carp as the great sporting potential that they are.
Travel to almost any part of Europe, and you will find millions of anglers who treat Carp with nothing but respect and attention, just like many Americans do bass !
Bottom line; Bowfishing for Carp, is just as pointless as it would be to bowfish for bass.
Fish
Grey Wolf reply :
You tell em Chris !!!!!!!!!!!!! 
skunked_again reply :
On 7/23/2011 at 1:00 AM, Fish Chris said:Carp are fantastic sportfish on a rod and reel. In many situations, they are much more difficult / challenging to catch than a Largemouth bass. They are also bigger and stronger.
Carp almost never do any harm to bass fisheries.
I don't go out of my way to kill living creatures, without good reason.
The whole "Carp are trash fish, while bass are prized sportfish" train of thought, just goes to show how human beings are so into "following the leader"...... Just like lemmings running off of a cliff.
So glad I can think for myself. It would be a shame not to recognize Carp as the great sporting potential that they are.
Travel to almost any part of Europe, and you will find millions of anglers who treat Carp with nothing but respect and attention, just like many Americans do bass !
Bottom line; Bowfishing for Carp, is just as pointless as it would be to bowfish for bass.
Fish
i agree with this whole post. that said, no matter what you kill, if its done within the law and youre using what you harvest i say post pics. i love a good, legal harvest.
fish/hunt on.
Gatorbassman reply :
If you've never eaten carp you are missing out. It's a great tasting fish. You just need to know how to prepare it.
RoLo reply :
In my opinon, K_Mac's reply is spot-on.
I am by no means a fussy eater, but the highest rating I'd give carp flesh is 'so-so' (give me a bass, any day)
Any sportsman who's never engaged in underwater archery is depriving himself of a very fine sport (why limit your recreation?).
Unlike deer archery, the stumbling block to underwater archery is "refraction", where you need to aim well below your target.
It's highly unlikely that fish archers alone could put a dent in the carp fishery,
but I'm sure many conservation officers wish they could. 
Roger
MAD reply :
Why is bowfishing for carp when they are not to be eaten wrong? I hope noone is naive enough to believe that all the bass you caught and released survived. This is really not to make anyone mad, but to realize that fighting within the sporting ranks is just what they want. If you don't know who "they" are then we are in real trouble.
Mike
K_Mac reply :
On 7/24/2011 at 7:28 AM, MAD said:Why is bowfishing for carp when they are not to be eaten wrong? I hope noone is naive enough to believe that all the bass you caught and released survived. This is really not to make anyone mad, but to realize that fighting within the sporting ranks is just what they want. If you don't know who "they" are then we are in real trouble.
Mike
There are many different ideologies and world views represented here. It is naive to think we are all going to agree on much of anything other than bass fishing is fun. One of the great things about this forum is the ability to discuss issues related to fishing. Yes, we all know who "they" are, and intelligent conversation about fishing ethics only makes "us" stronger in my opinion. You are entitled to yours.
MAD reply :
I think the point I was making was missed. People said they don't believe that killing fish is ethical if they are not going to be eaten. I was bringing up the fact that not all bass released survive either. So what then is the difference in shooting a carp that isn't going to be eaten or catching and releasing 50 bass in a day, knowing that a certain number of those bass will die.
Mike
K_Mac reply :
On 7/24/2011 at 9:18 AM, MAD said:I think the point I was making was missed. People said they don't believe that killing fish is ethical if they are not going to be eaten. I was bringing up the fact that not all bass released survive either. So what then is the difference in shooting a carp that isn't going to be eaten or catching and releasing 50 bass in a day, knowing that a certain number of those bass will die.
Mike
Mike a person stating that killing fish just for the sport is unethical is simply giving their opinion. That opinion is what the OP asked for. Whether you or I agree with that opinion makes no difference at all.
The difference between shooting a carp and knowing statistically that a certain number of released fish will not survive is this; a fish that is shot, whether it is eaten or not, has zero chance of surviving the encounter; a fish handled properly and returned to the water has a very good chance of surviving most the time. Catch and release has made a huge difference in fisheries across the country, making fishing better for all of us. Selective harvest in many situations is also a good thing. I think bow fishing falls into the later category. Just my opinion.
BassinB reply :
Im all for it. The damage carp cause to spawning areas of soft bottom lakes for other fish is enough reason for me to remove as many as possible. The Asian carp are at the top of my list of carp that need to be controlled through whatever means possible and if that includes killing them with bows, bats, or heck even shotguns I'm fine with it. All of the carp shooting tournys around here donate their catches to local farmers for fertilizer.
trevor reply :
I'm conflicted on this subject, as far as with the common carp. Carp are invasive, but as stated I know plenty of places where bass and carp coexist. I have bowfished for carp when I was around 12 and loved it, but now that I catch and release carp, I would feel bad about it. It's like if a bass fisherman went bow fishing for bass... just weird. I definitely won't say it's wrong to do, but I don't do it. I find it much more satisfying to try to fool them with artificials, and the good fight they put up is great. I do however not like to see the guys just chuck them up on the bank to die. Seems disrespectful, and it gives sportsmen a bad name.
SirSnookalot reply :
We aren't talking survival, that's entirely separate issue. Ethical to bow hunt a fish, IMO no, but if it's legal I can't get bent out of shape about it. I see little or no difference in shooting a carp, bass or any other species. Some people classify fishing as a sport, others call it an activity, I can't be convinced that bow hunting fish is a sport.
joshholmes reply :
i see no real problem with bowfishing for carp as long as it doesn't go to waste. i've tried it and it is fun. but one thing that really urks me is people who bowfish for alligator gar, which are practically extinct in america because of unethical fishing practices and ignorant people.
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