Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Bushman452 on February 15, 2011, 02:14:01 pm

Title: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Bushman452 on February 15, 2011, 02:14:01 pm
Here in the state of Virginia we are being plagued by snakeheads which gives me more than good reason to try some summertime bowfishing. Has any of ya'll ever shot one these things before.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Cacatch on February 15, 2011, 02:16:46 pm
I never have. Ain't they the ones that can come up on land and bite?

CP
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: JackCrafty on February 15, 2011, 02:24:29 pm
Very interesting fish.  I think if you could surprise them when they are on land, they would be much easier to shoot.  Nice looking skins too!!
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Pat B on February 15, 2011, 02:48:51 pm
...and they eat good from what I understand.  ;D
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Bevan R. on February 15, 2011, 03:22:58 pm
Just happened to watch a show on netflix the other night. talked to mullet about it. it was about the bullseye snakeheads invading. one of the 'myths' the experts spoke on (wildlife experts in Florida) was the attacking on land. While the snakehead can 'breath' on land and move across ground, it is not an attack type of movement, just a typical fish movement across and they wear out fast.
They ARE very aggressive and will eat just about anything. The show also talked about them being good eating and said that is what has caused the issue that Florida is having. some bonehead brought them in and released them so that they could be harvested later for market.

The show is a segment of 'River Monsters'.

Bevan
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Postman on February 15, 2011, 03:45:59 pm
I don't know if they are commonly big enough or numerous enough to bowfish. They do come up for air, but I don't think they do it often. A few 2 foot long ones have been caught, but most are smaller.... FOR NOW... bum bum BAAAAAAAAA!  ;D
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Bevan R. on February 15, 2011, 04:26:51 pm
According to the show I watched, they are numerous enough.

Bevan
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Michael C. on February 15, 2011, 06:10:29 pm
What the heck??? That is a weird looking fish, I though you guys were pulling a snipe hunt on me for a sec till I looked it up. It was on the internet so it must be real  ;D
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Bevan R. on February 15, 2011, 06:24:52 pm
I asked mullet if he had run into any and he said not. I think they would make a really neat skin for some bows!

Bevan
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Kent D. on February 17, 2011, 05:02:32 pm
Shoot them all.  we need to get rid of them.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Hillbilly on February 24, 2011, 11:16:28 pm
They have found a couple in NC the last few years, hope they don't get started up here.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: mullet on February 24, 2011, 11:36:25 pm
 I've never seen one before, but it looks like what we call a Mudfish, or it's proper name, Bowfin. We also have Walking Catfish down here. They taste like crap.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Parnell on February 25, 2011, 03:22:56 pm
Wonder if they're in the Everglades?  I'd like to shoot some!
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Bevan R. on February 25, 2011, 03:40:00 pm
According to the show 'River Monsters' I watched, they are not in the glades YET. Just almost there.

Bevan
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: stickbender on February 27, 2011, 03:33:37 pm

     Well Eddie took the words right out of my mouth!  It sure does look like our Mud fish (Bowfin) down here. ;)  Supposedly they are from somewhere in Asia, and tasty.  Never seen one, but it is an interesting pattern on them though.  Yeah, we have a lot of inbreds that think it would be cool to have these in the wild.  Like pythons, cobras, monitor lizards, parrots, etc.  It is bad enough to have to look out for the afore mentioned critters, but now you have to be careful of what you reel in. :o  We already have our canals, and lakes full of talapia, and Nile perch, and those weird looking aquarium cleaning sucker type fish.  They get pretty big.  Look like some kind of Darth Vader fish. :o

                                                                           Wayne
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: bucksbuoy on March 01, 2011, 02:03:54 am
Snake heads dont come out of the water or breath air. They are a very normal fish. I had them as pets wen I was a kid. Filter broke. They died. No walking or air breathing. I have heard they are good to eat.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: oat on March 01, 2011, 02:12:35 am
Here, in Thailand. They tastes very good.  ;D
(http://learners.in.th/file/neung1988/plachon00.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H-W8F8KdHiw/SpZChnnDHiI/AAAAAAAABF4/Y-EOwD0c07k/s1600-h/%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%8A%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B22.jpg)
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: stickbender on March 01, 2011, 02:31:37 am

     Oat, if I hadn't just finished eating a little while ago, I would be very hungry right now!  That looks delicious.  How are things over there now?
                                                                          Wayne
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: El Destructo on March 01, 2011, 03:03:44 am
Well....Looks like Bow Backing to me...... ;D
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Postman on March 07, 2011, 11:34:51 am
wow, oat, that does look good!
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: johnston on March 09, 2011, 02:28:46 am
I caught a fish last summer out of a large creek below Lake Murray here in the midlands of SC. Thought it was a snakehead but one of our DNR biologist said bowfin. If it has a spot on the tail it is a bowfin or mudfish. And it tastes godawful.

Lane
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: stickbender on March 09, 2011, 03:41:10 am

     The head on a Snakehead is longer also, as opposed to the more round type of Mudfish head.

                                                                        Wayne
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: mullet on March 09, 2011, 11:20:11 am
 Lane, if you are gonna eat a mudfish you have to skin and fillet it and put the meat on ice as soon as you catch it. Then it is white and flakey meat, if not it will get mushy. It is good fried or in fish cakes.
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Postman on March 15, 2011, 01:20:10 am
Bowfins are very cool - and protected in some areas due to their rarity. Glad you mentioned the differences between the two. That said,  I HATE them  ;D or at least their heads...
Back in the day,  I had to take a vertebrate anatomy class and memorize every bone in a bowfin's skull  and how they compared with every other vertebrate.

Fun Fun Fun.....
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: stickbender on March 15, 2011, 02:52:50 am

    One old man told me a long time ago how to cook Mudfish.  He said you need to get a cedar plank, or shake, and clean it well, soak it in water, and fillet the Mudfish, and season both sides, and put olive oil on the board, and put some Cajun season, and garlic on it.  Then lay the seasoned fillet on the board, and wrap it with wet cotton string, to the board.  You need a good bed of coals, going, and then take the plank with the Mudfish filet's on it, and place it at an angle to the hot coals.  When the fish turns nice and golden, cut the string, and dump the fish in the fire, and eat the plank. ;D ;)

                                                                                 Wayne
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: Sparrow on March 15, 2011, 12:17:32 pm
 A good big mudfish, is excellent to eat. You have to fillet them and trim off everything that is'nt white boneless meat.No skin,no red side meat,no membrane and you have a very white ,tasty fish. My dad and I caught some nice ones out of the oxbows and creeks in the Big Pee Dee river swamp. Yummy !  '  Frank
Title: Re: Shooting snakeheads with a bow.
Post by: stickbender on March 15, 2011, 07:49:14 pm
Sparrow, you moved quite aways from home didn't you? :o  Big Pee Dee.  Some good fishing in there.  Never got to fish there, but been by it, and and the Little Pee Dee river.  Read about the fishing, and always wanted to go there sometime.  How's the fishing in Washington?  You do any Salmon fishing there?  When I finally get to Montana, I will be going over to Salmon Idaho, to fish for them .  My Buddy and his family go and they get some huge ones.

                                                                            Wayne