Outdoors and the 'New Media'

Social media, new media, what is it anyway?  Why is it even being discussed in an outdoors column?

The reality is our world has changed and continues to progress.  It is much smaller than it was just a decade ago.  At one time, places like Africa, Alaska, and Australia were distant lands that you could only find in either an encyclopedia or National Geographic magazine.  Now, we can call up a ‘friend’, watch them in real time and speak to them through the computer.  Now we have ‘wiki’ instead of actual volumes of books.  And National Geographic is much more than a magazine; it is a television network and website.  I’m sure the younger generation is oblivious to who is a ‘pen-pal’, my generation’s original ‘friend request.’

The new media consist of online television shows and episodes, e-magazines, and podcasts.  My podcasts consisted of taping a one way conversation on an old cassette recorder and mailing it to a friend who moved several states away one summer.  Can you imagine if this was our way of communicating now?  Fortunately the new media is easy and available.  As for the outdoors community, this opens the world to us all.

We are able to learn from others in ways as never before.  My grandfather was a hit with my friends with his stories of big game hunts from around the world.  There were not many people you could meet and talk to who had ever taken any game other than dove, ducks, deer, squirrels, or rabbits.  Everything else was exotic; things you only saw in the zoo or again, the encyclopedia and magazines.  Now we can not only reach out and hear the stories from all kinds of hunters, anglers, mountain climbers, hikers, kayakers, and bird watchers, we can interact and learn.

We can get answers to our questions, hear others questions that we would have never thought to have asked, and participate without having to be the 10th caller.  Online no-frills talk shows bring in educated and experienced guests to share knowledge to others and help the non-experienced prepare for their own outdoors adventures.

The new media has become such a hit and shows so much potential in growth, companies are investing largely into it to better their brands.  Podcasts like FMP Bowcast garner a large audience and multiple advertisers just so someone can download the audio to their media player.  The Outdoors Channel has acquired MyOutdoorTV.com that is set-up somewhat like Netflix while only showing outdoor shows.  Just a quick count on the hunting directory produces over 100 high definition shows both popular such as North American Hunter and Remington Country and regional like Southern Ohio Wild.

This Monday, July 2nd, I will be a guest on Coast to Coast Outdoors.  This is one of those new media talk shows that share what is going on with all things outdoors with everyone.  They have talked about things such as the Alabama Rig and its influence on both the professional anglers’ tours and the regular weekend fisherman searching for his own trophy bass.  They have discussed the problem with feral hogs, not just in a single state, but everywhere from North Carolina to California.  In fact, the two hosts are in each state.  R.B. Wright hosts the show from the ‘Ole North State while Kerry Mackey hosts from the left coast.  At the same time.  That is the beauty of the new media.

The show is hunting and fishing show that is not really hunting and fishing show.  You will likely not see the trigger pulled, the bass bend the rod, or the arrow flung, but you will see R.B. and Kerry talking to you, almost face to face like, discussing hunting and fishing.  It makes it personal and enjoyable.  So if you have a few moments this Monday at 9pm go to Livestream.com/Coast2CoastOutdoors and get a glimpse of what the new media has to offer the outdoorsman.  One other nice aspect about this new media is even if you cannot watch it live, most shows are available when you want it available without having to set the VCR, DVR, or whatever other ‘R’ there is.

But one last observation; Pen-pal does have a better ring to it than E-mail-pal.  We’ll have to work on that one.

You can follow Coast2Coast Outdoors on twitter @C2COutdoors or on facebook at Coast2Coast Outdoors.

Bowfishing the Slam

A popular pastime on the coast involves a camouflaged flat fish that is mostly deformed and nicknamed the ‘doormat’ and the ruling weapon of choice of King Neptune himself.  I had never been flounder gigging officially but it sure seemed like it would be fun.

To catch you up on this whole little expedition, I am currently writing a book with a working title of “Bowfishing the Slam.”  Over the next year I will be crossing the United States in search of 10 different species of aquatic targets while using my bow.  This particular trip, I was after the stingray.

You can follow the pursuit HERE

So why is flounder gigging the lead paragraph if I am after stingrays?  Well, in my research on the stingray and where to go, there doesn’t seem to be any ‘stingray authorities.’  No guides to call that specialize in rays, no stingray genius who is well known to have taken the biggest and baddest rays there are.  So I had to improvise.  Who could I contact that would know something about the rays and where and when to find them?

Flounder giggers.  They were my best answer I could come up with.  Find a flounder gigger that knows what he is doing and ask him when and where he comes across the creatures.  That brought me to Jason Shi, owner of Simple Life Charters.  Jason is a captain and commercial fisherman near Wrightsville Beach.  After a short interview, I was convinced that he would be able to put me in the right spot.  I also understood this is just like hunting; in fact it is hunting; hunting fish in water.  Since it is hunting, there are no guarantees, but you try to give yourself the best odds of success.

Jason and I looked at the tide tables and lunar cycles and decided on the best evening that would fit both of our schedules.  The night we choose would allow us about two and a half hours of ‘hunting’ time.  We had to wait for the sun to set so the lights would do their thing.

To explain the whole gigging process, we are on a boat with two 100 watt light bulbs partially submerged in the water.  As we poll the boat over the shallow flats just off the Inter-coastal Waterway, we search for fish on the bottom.  If things go correctly, a ray will take off in a flutter from the bottom and I would get a shot with the bow before it leaves the halo of the light.  As for gigging, it consists of a poll usually 8 to 14 feet long with several points on the end.  The gig poll is what Jason uses to push the boat around the flats.

Follow the quest on Facebook HERE

I explained to Jason that even though the target of the evening was the stingray, that basically anything legal I would like to attempt to harvest.

Bowfishing was new to Jason.  He routinely takes clients out several nights each week for gigging.  He expressed his concerns about the bow and arrow.  Would the arrow have enough penetration after passing through the water?  Would the barbed fish point (I used the Garpoon by Cajun Archery) be sufficient to hold the prey after a successful shot?  Did I know how to swim?  Ok, the last question wasn’t about the equipment, but still a valid concern. And yes, I do know how to swim.

After we set down the first shoal, Jason quickly spotted a flounder on the bottom.  The boat gently passed over the fish.  I never saw it.  Jason backed the boat up and pointed to a vague half football shape.  He motioned where the eyes were.  It still took a moment for my brain to process what I was looking at.  Then, thwack! Splash!  I released the arrow quickly and in a short moment I was reeling in my first flounder by archery equipment.  It surpassed the minimum legal size and weighed nearly 2 pounds.  Jason felt much more at ease after seeing what the bow could do as well.

We continued and spotted several small flounder, a few nice sized sheepshead, mullet, and a beautiful red drum that must have weighed over 30 pounds.  Again, as I have stated before, it is remarkable what you can see while outdoors.

The tide was coming in hard and the weekend boat traffic assisted in stirring the sand making many of our spots difficult to see.  Jason began having second thoughts on any luck with the rays as he usually would spot 5 or 6 each trip.  Hunting has a way of sneaking up on you though.  While heading to another flat, Jason spotted a ray several yards away escaping the light of the boat.  Just his quick shout of “RAY!” was enough to have me go from balancing myself on the front of a wobbly boat to fully drawn and finger on the release trigger.  Ten yards out the arrow cut into the saltwater and the line from my bow reel screamed.  Several minutes later, the target was in hand.  My first ray.

But the highlight of the evening was still to come.  We later spotted another flounder while making our way back to the Inter-coastal Waterway.  Again, Jason’s trained eyes quickly spotted what my untrained eyes quickly missed.  But after Jason’s expert imaging of the fish on the bottom I released the arrow.  What a fight!  The flounder had taken the line 25 yards out before I could set drag to slow it up.  After a good fight, I was able to bring in a superb specimen of a flounder.  Jason assisted the net, as he was worried we would lose it (it is not uncommon for the flounder to wiggle free from gigs).  But the Garpoon point held true and the flounder was on for good.

So, in a quest for the stingray which was a success, I was also true on the new North Carolina State Bowfishing Record Flounder, breaking the old record held by Amanda Carr by 4 ounces.  Nearly 2 feet in length, it was certainly a ‘doormat’ to be proud of.

Bill Howard with new NC State Bowfishing record flounder, weighing 4 lb 8 oz.

BowAmerica April 2012

Suckers are a Sign

It is a sign of spring.  Sure, the dogwoods and Bradford pears begin to bloom.  The grass begins to grow.  And certainly, it is just a matter of days, not weeks, before everything begins to collect a hazy yellow film from the pollinating pines and other plants.  But to me, at least as of the last few years, the true sign of spring is when the sucker fish begin their spawn.

In a manner not unlike the great salmon of Alaska, the sucker fish will make their way upstream to an ancient spot that many, many generations have congregated throughout the centuries.  They flap on top of the water as they squirm over shallow runs, depositing their eggs and secretions along the way.  Often, if you are lucky enough to time the event, it usually lasts only a week or so, you can catch dozens upon dozens rolling amongst each other in their annual dance.

Of course, being one fond of the outdoors and bowfishing, this ignites the inner spirit within me.  No longer must I brave the cold, the biting wind, and the other wintery elements nature has to offer.  While I do enjoy it, the seasons remain in motion for a reason.  They keep us from the having a passion that grows too monotonous to continue.  The seasons pass so that we have something to look forward to as new challenges and adventures await.

Yes, as the sucker fish work their way over distances, I envision myself as hunters of days passed.  Much like the Native Americans hundreds of years ago must have done, I ready the draw on my bow, though it is much more technologically advanced than the ones used then, and release an arrow toward the golden fish.  My arrow contains a string and barbed point.  Theirs were likely longer arrows without a tether.  Many used sharpened sticks to gig the fish instead.  The suckers provided nourishment and an easy catch during the spawn.  The suckers do the same now as well.

Last year my daughter was fortunate in taking a sucker fish as her first animal with the use of a bow.  She did it on the last day we were able to attend the spawning affair.  In the process, she held the North Carolina State bowfishing record for youth female.

This year, she was anxious and willing, and we were able to get out the creekside once again.  I also held the overall North Carolina bowfishing record at 5 pounds 14 ounces.  On the first night, I was able to bring in a nice 6 pounder.  Officially measured, it came up to 5.99 pounds.  Since the weights are not measured in hundredths but rather ounces, it temporarily breaks my old record by 2 ounces.  After a busy day of birthday parties and dancing recitals, I was able to take Julianne back out.  I would guide her, hoping it would not take the hundreds of shots it took the previous year before the hit was made.

Using a LED Lenser headlamp, I searched the shallows and the running waters.  She had taken a couple of shots, just missing each time.  Then, about 10 yards away, there was a flurry of motion as several fish climbed, wallowed, and rubbed over each other.  She pulled back the bow, and before I could finish the statement ‘shoot when you are ready’, she released the biting arrow.

Yes, she hit her mark and the arrow’s barbed point held the fish tight.  We were able to pull it to the shore moments later.  Official weight: 6.01 pounds.  Luckily for me, it gets rounded off to 6 pounds and 0 ounces.

Now, at least for the time being, Julianne and I will share the state record.  That is until someone else is able to find the ancient spawning runs and share an experience with the spirits of old.

Swamp Rats

This is an excerpt from my article in BowAmerica e-Magazine.  You can subscribe for free at BowAmerica.com or http://issuu.com/bowamerica/docs/bowamerica_february_2012.

NUTRIA

     I headed out to the duck blind early.  It was about 6am, another 45 minutes before shooting time.  I spotted some a commotion deeper in the swamp.  I adjusted my LED Lenser headlamp from wide angle light to a spotlight.  I saw a bunched up brushy area ahead.  It was likely a beaver hut.  I scanned the water and could see ripples, but I could not find the source.

     Shooting light came and after a 20 minute span of high flying wood ducks and ringnecks I knew the hunt was likely over except for just a few stragglers and maybe some Canadian geese.

     Down near the beaver hut I saw some more ripples.  I figured it could be a grebe, merganser, or maybe a woodie swimming from deeper in the swamp.

     Nope.  Dead wrong.  I caught the furry head.  Trailing was a motion filled ‘S’.  Not a beaver.  But it was huge.

     Nutria usually make their homes in holes they build on the shoreline.  Often, their digging will tear and expose roots.  This particular one had not made a home of the beaver den; rather it seemed curious as to whether it was occupied.

     Nutria are as rat-like as it gets.  Their long tail is round and slender like a rat, rather than the waffle shape of a beaver.  Their head has rat features other than being much larger and having a blunt nose.  Also unlike a beaver, its fur is of different lengths and appears unkempt.

     They were introduced to North America, relocated from South America, due to the fur trade industry.  They were valued for both their meat and their hides.  Once the value of the fur increased to a premium, at one time as valuable as mink, farmers found a way to raise them.  They were easy to keep, had large litters, and females could breed the day after giving birth.  Due to the farming of the nutria, the fur become over abundant and the value plummeted.  A hurricane hit the Southeast and many of the farmed nutria escaped.

     Like many invasive species, they began to take over their habitats.  Nutria feed only on the bottom of saplings and plants, leaving over 80% of the plant useless.  They choked out the muskrat, as they shared habitats and dens.  And with the beaver falling to near extinction, the nutria’s breeding habits, able to give birth nearly 3 times in a calendar year, the nutria overwhelmed many areas.

     If you know where to look, you can find nutria in nearly any southern state, and they range as far north as Ohio.  They can expand further north if there are subsequent mild winters.  The only barrier is they tend to get frostbite on their tails, causing infection and death.

     As mentioned prior, I took note of where I saw the nutria and the time.  The next time I would be in the water, the bow would be in hand rather than the shotgun.

     A couple of days later, the nutria had a head start on me.  As I was headed to where the blind was, I saw him already swimming well ahead as the water and air was clear.  I positioned myself near the blind and could see it still swimming amongst the trees in the swamp.

     It only took 15 minutes for it to become curious enough to see what I was.  Once it was in range, about 20 yards, I released the arrow towards its mark.  No thrashing, no circling, no fighting.  Just a roll over and the arrow was sticking nearly straight up.

     Once there, I had to look to see if it was a beaver and not a nutria.  It was as huge up close as it looked the other day.  I pulled it into the boat and headed to shore.  This was by far the largest I have taken.

 

Bucket List Dream Hunt - Alligator!

With opening day of archery deer season hitting this last weekend, you would think I might have a column on a bow hunt.  For a reason I cannot ignore, I had to forgo this weekend’s opening.  For the last three years I have attempted to pull a tag for an alligator in Georgia.  This weekend allowed me to put a check beside an item on my hunting bucket list.

Georgia Alligator tag for 2011.

I was notified in August that I was successful in drawing a gator tag for zone 4, which encompasses the counties around Valdosta, Georgia.  With less than a month before the hunt was to start, I had to find a place to hunt, decide what I was going to do with the gator if I was successful and find a the appropriate vendors to take care of it depending on my decision.  I had to do hours upon hours of ‘online’ scouting.  Looking trough different maps, contacting potential land owners, monitoring weather circumstances, and arranging my work schedule were critical in making this a successful hunt.

Lake Lewis. This would be my hunting 'land' for the next 48 hours.

Southern Georgia is in the middle of a drought, where many of their rivers are nothing more than small streams, often not even flowing because the water is so low.  I joined a hunting forum based in Georgia, and from information gathered there, decided a lake or pond would offer me the best opportunity.  I met one gentleman, Dane Lancaster, on the forum who received his first gator tag this year for zone 4 also.  We talked on the phone and agreed to tackle the hunt together rather than finding a guide.  He has a small camper he allowed me to stay in, which knocked off the cost of a hotel room.  He also would provide a boat for us to use and would work on permissions for us to hunt several areas.  I was to supply the equipment for the hunt, namely a Muzzy Gator Getter setup for the bow, as well as some lights.  We decided not to use a generator for fear of scaring the gators, and went with a couple of LED Lenser H7 head lamps instead.  Both of these ideas played to our favor in getting up close to the alligators.

READ ABOUT THE LED Lenser H7 HEAD LAMP HERE!

Now my wife, she had nightmares about this trip.  All she could envision was some swamp people with no teeth.  Their tools of the trade would consist of a chain saw and a banjo, and likely be using me for gator bait.  When I met Dane and his wife Sheri in person, I asked them to smile big for me.  Seeing they each had their teeth, I told them my wife's concerns and we all got a good laugh out of it.

Gator trying to get in the boat.



The hunt had its challenges.  After the first evening, we saw several dozen alligators, their reflective red eyes resembling a demon resting on the water’s surface.  We practiced calling, using a sound that imitates a young gator in distress.  Without fail, when we made the call, eyes would surface to see what was making the commotion.  Once we had a small alligator make a swim to the boat.  Dane commented if we had steps, the gator would have come right into the boat.  It is an eerie feeling in the swamps with the different noises, the glowing eyes, and the soft lifting fog in the middle of the darkness.  When we were pulling out that morning we heard a pop and watched the boat’s front end lower.  Upon investigation, the trailer broke near the tongue.  We set the boat and trailer to the side and decided to catch a few hours sleep, and then we would return with a generator and welder to secure the trailer in order to get it back to the house.

The killing shot.

After we made the repairs, we borrowed a boat from one of Dane’s relatives.  Things seemed to be working against us, but we were going to give it a good try with a positive attitude regardless.  Even if we did not harvest an ‘ole swamp lizard, we were enjoying the hunt and the pursuit.



Dane Lancaster (Nashville, Ga) and Bill Howard



Around 1am, we spotted a gator resting in some swamp grass.  With the lights, we were able to make out most of its head.  The rule to determine how big a gator is is to measure from the snout to the eyes.  Whatever the measurement is in inches, the total length will be that in feet.  Based on this information, we estimated the gator to be about 6 feet long, easily the largest we had come across.  I decided to take the shot, and we drifted in an arc behind the gator.  When the body lined up, I shot the arrow through the back.  After some thrashing and splashing, we pulled the gator to the side of the boat.  Usually in these instances, a pistol or ‘bang stick’ will be used to dispatch the gator before pulling him in the boat.  I wanted it to be strictly a bow kill, so I used a hunting broadhead to the base of the spine.  If anyone ever thinks a bow and arrow will not kill an alligator, I have testament to the contrary.

With the right photography, even this 6 foot'r looks like a monster!

In the end, I had experienced something I have only dreamed of.  I met new people and made new friends, all in the fellowship of hunting and the outdoors.  I had my trophy, regardless of size, taken the way I wanted to hunt it and by knowledge I had learned rather than watched.  If that is not considered a successful hunt, there is no such thing.

FIND OUT HOW I PLANNED MY LOTTERY QUOTA HUNT HERE!

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Dream Fishing Destination - How to decide?

Note: This blog entry is my submission for the Red Tuna Shirt Club and Outdoor Blogger Network Writing Contest.

I was presented with the question “what would be your dream fishing destination?” and it took me back a little.  I mostly hunt, so I have my dream hunts on paper.  But my dream fishing destination, that had me search my thought database.

The nice thing about fishing is it can be what you want it to be.  If my mood strikes, there is nothing like popping the water with a fly in a cold mountain stream.  Then again, a beetle spin or mister twister worm in a farm pond or small lake pulling in largemouth, crappie, and bream, the action is all but guaranteed.  Pier fishing on the coast bringing in croaker and spot with the occasional flounder and blue; well that is a summer ritual at least once each year.

Read More Fishing Memories

But the one destination may not be the one destination.  I like the peaceful rap of the running water over the rocks in the mountains.  However, if I was there all the time, then that farm pond may be what ignites the memories that bring the solitude to an aging soul.

As far as my dream hunts go, there are two that may not be hunts at all, or they may epitomize what a hunt actually is.  I would love to hit the Trinity River in Texas with a bowfishing rig.  A huge alligator gar wading in the shallow turn of a muddy river, while I stalk the creature on the front end of a boat, bow, arrow, and line in hand.  What a rush it would be to have a 6 or 7 foot prehistoric monster on the barb of a bone and scale splitting tip.

Read about North Carolina's River Monster



(AP Photo/Illinois River Biological Station)



Then again, a weekend excursion up the Illinois to witness the flying curtains of carp, desperately trying to fling a shaft through a shiny alien fish all the while dodging the ones setting their flights toward you would be an adventure to behold.  All I can see there are laughter, misses, and an occasional exuberation when the arrow actually does impale a fish out of water.

So you see, fishing can take different forms and therefore can mean so many different things, that one destination may not be able to fulfill your actual dreams.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

River Monster



North Carolina's River Monster



One of my favorite shows on television is River Monsters with Jeremy Wade.  Each show features a story of a fresh water fish attack on humans.  Wade then heads to the area to see what type of fish would be responsible for the attacks.  Wade is considered the world’s top angler and is a renowned biologist and blends an informative narration to the action.  One thing that really makes the show more interesting is the types of fish he brings in.  Fresh water rivers and lakes are the settings, and everything from the ferocious piranha to fresh water stingrays to catfish weighing in excess of 300 pounds are caught and studied.

That had me thinking about North Carolina’s water system.  I have heard rumors of giant catfish in our lakes, and snakeheads have infiltrated some of our rivers.  To me though, nothing looks more prehistoric or sinister as the longnose gar.  Most adults will range in the 3 to 7 pound range with the North Carolina records hitting the mid twenty pound range.  During spawning season, you can pick the males from the females easily.  The females are very large, and many males will surround the female.

The gar is considered a nuisance fish.  Due to its elongated mouth lined with penetrating rows of teeth, they are hard to catch by line, but put up a huge fight when hooked.  Many times you will see a fisherman cut the line without touching the gar to avoid the teeth.  Because of this, bow fishing is one of the preferred methods for harvesting gar.  Even when bow fishing though, you need special equipment.   The gar is lined with diamond shaped scales with a thick skin; therefore nearly armor piercing fish points are a must.

I took up bow fishing several years ago as a way to keep the bow in my hand during the non hunting seasons.  Since that time, the gar has been a favorite for its toughness, challenge, and, well, appearance.  Like I said, it looks menacing.  One of the larger gar I have taken swam up to me while I was standing in the creek.  I took the shot no further than five feet away, and even after getting the hit, the gar turned slightly and swam between my legs.  The arrow shaft was still sticking out of the water while embedded in the back of the creature.   I quickly reached down with one hand and pulled the fish from the water and carried it to shore.  Able to breathe air, the gar was still alive for several hours before filleting it.

As far as the meat goes, it tastes much like scallop, depending on the recipe.  The eggs are toxic though, so be careful during spawning season.  In fact, just be careful around gar, period.  Instinct is to grab the fish near the mouth, but unless you have a glove on, you will learn quickly not to.  So if you see one of these fish at the lake or river next time you are hitting the water, stop and appreciate it for a change.  It truly is a magnificent river monster.

Persistence Pays Off

My daughter has always been interested in my hunting and fishing trips.  Several years ago, I carried her out to the field to let her shoot the old Ithaca 20 gauge shotgun I grew up with to get her used to handling it so she could go on a dove hunt with my dad, my son, and I.  The kick did not bother her, but she hated the BANG.  She wanted no part of gun hunting.

Over the last few years, she has wanted to go bow hunting with me, and she has helped me when I was practicing several times.  We purchased another bow for my son this Christmas, since he had outgrown the youth bow we had for him.  Naturally, it became a hand down to Julianne.  I had to adjust the draw length and draw weight for her, but at the time, she still could not pull the bow back.  I told her to keep practicing pulling it back and by spring when the red horse sucker fish make their annual run, she could go bow fishing with me.

Bow fishing in itself is a very unique style.  It is set up with a line attached to a heavy solid core arrow, tipped with a barbed point.  When aiming, the saying goes “aim low”, because the refraction of the light through the water makes the fish appear at a higher angle.  Think of looking at a straw in a glass of water.   The straw is not really bent, but it looks that way through the glass.  Also, unlike bow hunting, where you are trying to get a clean kill by hitting the vitals, bow fishing just requires you to hit the fish.  Your object is to get the fish on the arrow and then bring it in.

Well, over the first few months of this year, Julianne pulled and pulled and pulled.  Finally one night, she called me and my wife into the living room.  “Watch!  I can pull it back now!”  Her excitement caused my son to roll his eyes!

Just as they do every year, the sucker fish made their spawn in late March, and as I promised, the first night I saw they were running I carried Julianne out to the creek banks.  For a period of a week, and easily over a hundred attempts, and through several bow fishing arrows (the rocky bottom of the creek is not that great on the fish points) Julianne and I attempted to get her first take with a bow.  We went at night using a light, went during the day using polarized glasses, I honestly believe she probably went in her dreams while sleeping.  Occasionally she would take a break, and my son and I would get a few fish, then she would be at it again.

My regular job allows me to work four days each week, and during the sucker run, my weekday off was on a Friday.  I usually carry the kids to school on my day off, so I made my usual track.  After dropping my son off at high school, we still had an hour before Julianne was due at middle school.  I looked over at her and asked, “Wanna try one shot?”

She answered, but did not need to.  We ran out to the creek.  She strapped on her release while I was driving.  “Julianne, do you know what the saying is for snipers?”

“No, daddy.”

“One shot, one kill.  They cannot afford to shoot twice because the second shot will give away their cover.  We’ve only got time for one shot this morning, and there is no guarantee the fish will be here this afternoon.”
We walked down to the bank and spotted several fish.   They were a little too far, so I motioned for her to follow me upstream a few yards.  There we spotted one about ten feet out.  I had Julianne pull back her bow.  “Now?” she asked.  I whispered to her to take the shot when she was ready.  And ‘twang’, ‘splash’.  She backed up a few feet.

“You got one!”  She had not even noticed.  We both grabbed the line, and pulled it up on the shore.

Her persistence had paid off, and now there is another kid hooked to the outdoors.

Julianne Howard with her first game taken with a bow.
North Carolina State Record for Youth Female
Redhorse Sucker Fish  4 lb 2 oz

Bill Howard is a Hunter Education and Bowhunter Education Instructor , a Wildlife Representative and BCRS Program Chairman for the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, and an avid outdoorsman.  Please forward any pictures or stories you would like shared to billhowardoutdoors@gmail.com.

Bowfishing March 2011