Page 30 - 2021 JAN/FEB Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

Oklahomans and visitors to the state participate in bow- Almost No Management
Non-tournament opportunities also abound. Many
fishing year-round in a leisurely, non-competitive way.
Although bowfishing in Oklahoma is not new, the Many articles and exciting videos on bowfishing exploits
expansion of the sport and improvements in technol- have been created in the past decade, but almost no man-
ogies in the past few decades have resulted in more agement plans or articles have been written by wildlife
efficient take and more satisfied bowfishers of all ages. agencies nationwide on how bowfisheries can and should
Along with this success comes the need for the Oklahoma be managed for different species. This was the conclusion
Department of Wildlife Conservation, as trustees of the in a recently published scientific paper titled “Bowfishing
public’s fishery resources, to ensure that the sport is not in the United States: history, status, ecological impact, and
only providing bowfishing opportunity but benefiting the need for management” (https://bit.ly/33jgIBX) written
ODWC’s conservation mission and efforts at sustainably by Jason Schooley, senior fisheries biologist with ODWC,
managing native fishes for long-term public benefit. and Dennis Scarnecchia, University of Idaho professor.
ODWC seeks to provide sustainably managed bowfish- One important consideration in bowfishing that
eries in the same way that it does for other fisheries and emerged immediately in our review was the need to
fishing methods such as rod-and-reel, jug-lining, or noo- decide, based on both human values and on scientific
dling. It also sees opportunities for bowfishing to aid in evidence, how different species should be managed for
efforts to reduce impacts of non-native invasive species the benefits of bowfishers and the broader public. With
while providing plentiful targets for bowfishers. the exception of paddlefish, alligator gar, and flathead
Bowfishers are a valued component of the state’s rec- catfish, the nongame fishes targeted by bowfishing have
reational stakeholders, and ODWC seeks to ensure that no daily size or bag limits and have historically been held
bowfishers are heard, understood, and given opportuni- in low social regard. However, the nongame fish can be
ties to participate in the sport where these opportunities subdivided into two groups: natives such as gars, buf-
can be provided responsibly and sustainably. falofishes, carpsuckers, paddlefish, flathead catfish, and

Alligator Gar

Common Carp

Black Buffalo

Shortnose Gar

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