The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission’s agenda item: Discussion of the take of saltwater fish with bow and arrow gear, and the operative word was “discussion.”
And, bow and arrow gear means only one thing – bowfishing.
It’s an occupation for some, a singular sport for some and, apparently, a thorn in the sides of many others.
Commissioner Andrew Blanchard pushed this item after being contacted by a Terrebonne Parish landowner.
The discussion lasted nearly an hour and a half.
The landowner spoke and, simply stated, he doesn’t want nighttime bowfishing activity on his land or his property, that, in his words, “I have a right to protect my land.”
Bowfishing interests, mostly guides, lined up to protest what they believe was another chance to legislate them out of business.
Those opposed cited problems with marsh degradation, possibly shooting undersized and over-the-slot-limit (27 inches) redfish, discarding unwanted fish (mostly garfish), hunting at night during the duck season, and the use of surface-drive engines to get into shallow waters.
Confrontations
From the start, Blanchard identified a user conflict in the bowfishing world and mentioned what landowners he knows have told him is a “…lack of respect for landowners,” among bowfishermen.
Blanchard said this was a “no-action item,” but said something needs to be done “…before somebody gets hurt.”
While instances of confrontations between landowners/local law enforcement and bowfishermen mostly go undocumented, a bowfishing guide said he’s seen the business end of a firearm while on a guided trip and said he knows others who also have been threatened.
Bowfishing interests defended their activity by the 47 holding bowfishing permits generally do not allow customers to shoot at undersized or over-the-maximum-sized redfish, and go to lengths to police those involved in the sport.
Still, the main issue appeared to be trespass, and the problem, as Blanchard identified, is that when Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents are called, agents respond that it’s a local enforcement problem, and when local enforcement gets the first call, the general response is it’s a Wildlife and Fisheries issue.
All told, the meeting attracted more anti-bowfishing response and those appealing to allow this activity, yet, to a man, the bowfishing community viewed the discussion as another attempt to make bowfishing illegal.
Other items
In other action, LDWF undersecretary Bryan McClinton unveiled updated fines to replace illegally taken game and fish. This is called Civil Restitution, and the fines will increase later this summer on most every species taken in Louisiana’s fields, forests, swamps and marshes and in freshwater and saltwater fisheries.
A modification to the Special Bait Dealers permit will allow the sale of “freshly caught” shrimp.
Both notices passed unanimously.
Staff biologist Cody Cedotal told the commission the 2017 move to push the spring turkey season up a week is paying dividends. It moved the start of the turkey season to the first week in April from the last weekend in March.
Cedotal said the move aligned the opening of the spring season to better coincide with the beginning of the nesting season for hens.
He said 2025’s 3,576 turkeys taken is close to the record take of 3,695 turkeys in 2024.
Capt. Davis Madere told the commission that Enforcement Division agents issued nearly 1,500 citations and written warnings in May, including eight boating while intoxicated incidents, and May’s eight boating accidents had one fatality and nine injuries.
Public comment
At the end of the meeting, during the public comment period, David Hicks was one of four hunters that asked for more time to use dogs to hunt small game on our WMAs. He gave the commission a petition with over 1000 signatures.
