NEWS/REC LAU R IE PEAR M AN
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BOW-ING TO THE LOWLY CARP Since they aren’t much to eat, think of hunting them as pest control RANDY KING
Look, Ma. The new track is opening soon.
BIKES, BAD TRAILS AND BOOSTERS
said. “They root around in the mud, and this affects water quality. That impact is hard on the native fish populations because it inhibits the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton. They basically affect the whole food chain in a river.” Carp are drawn to warmer waters and are prolific springtime spawners in the shallow waters along river banks and on reservoir shores during early summer. And it’s at this time when most bow fishermen strike. “During this time of year, they are cruis-
River, I spotted a carp cresting. I pulled my bow back and shot. The arrow flew strangely with the string attached to it. I watched as it plummeted into the water about two inches in front of the fish, but the arrow didn’t sink. Instead, it and the attached fish started to swim rapidly up stream, nearly tugging my bow from my hand. I started wrapping the string around the reel attached to my bow. The fight was on. The more I tugged, the harder the fish swam. Slowly, I pulled the carp closer. Just as the fish was at the shore, my arrow came loose from his skin and the fish started flopping its way back to the water. I grabbed it by the tail and hoisted my 10-pound trophy into the air. Back at camp, I gutted the fish and filled it full of onions. Then I wrapped it in foil and tossed it into the fire. About 30 minutes later, I was having a hard time convincing the rest of camp to eat the fish; it was a carp, after all. I have eaten carp a number of times. Many years ago, I even ate one in desperation for food. It’s not a bad-tasting fish, but it does lack in the texture department. Carp is a little soft on the bite, kind of like pollock. And the rumors that carp are full of bones are entirely true. They’re riddled with them. The best bet for avoiding the bones is proper filleting, but even then, there are no guarantees. I would guess that most bow fishermen are like me: not exclusively bow fishermen. Most are bow hunters who are also fishermen. They like to have fun and get rid of a pest at the same time. “Hour for hour spent on the water, I don’t know if I have done any fishing that is as fun and entertaining as bowfishing,” Fealko said. “Watching an arrow arc through the air and into the water at a 20-pound carp is priceless, especially when you connect.” And as a friend of mine often says: “Bowfishing is so much fun, it should be illegal ... but it’s not.” BEN WILSON
The May 11 edition of Boise Weekly was all about bikes but there’s more. A new organization of cyclists is looking to step up and act as a unified voice for all fans of non-motorized transportation, be it on foot or two wheels. The Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance is in the foundation-building phase, but organizers hope to channel the ideas and energy of cyclists to create a group to focus on broader bicycling issues in the community. The group will hold its first organizational meeting Tuesday, May 24, at the Boise Watercooler (1405 W. Idaho St.). The event will start at 5 p.m. with a social hour, followed by a brainstorming session to hammer out the focus and identity of the new group. For more information, check out the IPBA website at idahobikeped.org. Speaking of bikes, the Eagle Bike Park’s new BMX track will have its official opening on Saturday, June 4. And how better to celebrate a new bike playground than with a race? Events will run from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with an entry fee of $20. The event will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. For more info, go to eaglebikepark.org. Of course, some people prefer horsepower to pedal power, in which case the Mountain Home Ranger District has reopened the trails in the Danskin Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area of the Boise National Forest. The trails had been closed to protect them from damage caused by use when conditions where particularly wet and sloppy. The area—about 29 miles from Boise— includes roughly 160 miles of trails for motorized use. Forest officials warn that there are still pockets of snow, the streams are running high, and there are assorted other road hazards as well. For more information or maps, contact the Mountain Home Ranger District at 208-587-7961 or visit fs.usda.gov/boise. Finally, since it seems like summer might actually show up, it’s time to start thinking about summer sports—specifically, the boys of summer and whether you’re willing to open your home to one. The Boise Hawks Booster Club is looking for families who would be willing to host a Hawks player for the summer season. Host families give first-year players a home base and a family atmosphere when they’re in town for games. Players arrive in midJune and the season runs through Sept. 3. To find out more, contact Judy Pierce at 208-850-6741 or email clpjap2@yahoo. com.
There I stood, bow in hand on the banks of the Snake River, squeezing my way to the water on the hunt for an invasive species. I wasn’t looking for a hog, a deer or any other mammal: I was seeking out the lowly carp. Not a native to Idaho waters, carp were introduced into the United States in the 1880s as a substitute protein resource, which turned out to be a big letdown for the U.S. Fish Commission, a precursor to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hope was that aquaculture—specifically carp—would become as “important among the American farmers and planters as the cultivation of cattle, sheep, swine, poultry or of grains, fruits and berries.” The Fish Commission got that wrong. Aquaculture of carp is almost nonexistent in America. Even Idaho, home to a very productive aquaculture industry, does not farm carp. But these fish lurk in our waters, and some have taken up arms against them. The leader of the pack in Idaho is Brian Pokorney, a chapter representative of the Idaho Bow Fishing Association. “It technically is a form of hunting that has been used for ages as a way to acquire food,” said Pokorney, although bows are now much more high-tech and a special type of line is attached to a fiberglass bow for bowfishing. While it might be considered a form of hunting, all you need to have in Idaho is a valid fishing license to shoot non-game species of fish like carp. “Carp are a non-native invasive species that can have an adverse effect on a whole fishery as they feed on the eggs of game fish and reduce the amount of food for them,” Pokorney said. “They reproduce in huge numbers and can take over a body of water if they are not controlled.” Idaho Fish and Game state fisheries coordinator Dave Parrish explained why carp can be so damaging to a river’s ecology. “Carp like the shallow areas,” Parrish
For more information on bowfishing, visit idahotraditionalbowhunters.com. Visit fishandgame.idaho.gov for more information on carp.
ing the shorelines and are often swimming shallower than normal, making them more visible to the human eye,” said Jeff Fealko, chapter president of Idaho Traditional Bowhunters, (a group I am a member of). “On a good day, you would be able to feed an entire block—some days you can easily shoot up to a dozen carp in a few hours.” But nobody, especially not an entire block, is eating carp. “I don’t eat the carp, and I never have,” Pokorney said. “We have people that take the carp for animal food, as well as fertilizer. Sometimes we just bury them to dispose of them. We don’t ever put them back in the water to rot.” About 15 yards from the bank below Swan Falls Dam, as I sneaked from rock to rock, pressing closer to the waters of the Snake
—Deanna Darr
28 | MAY 18–24, 2011 | BOISEweekly
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