Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => BowFishing => Topic started by: coxral on April 08, 2012, 09:41:09 AM

Title: Legalities?
Post by: coxral on April 08, 2012, 09:41:09 AM: O.K., so I finally got WDFW to respond to my question! I wanted to know if there was a restriction to draw weight for bow fishing in WA. There answer is you can only bowfish for carp and bullfrogs! Refer'd me to pages 20 and 27 for the rules and regs. NO WHERE does it state anything about draw weights. So, am i to assume (I know bad word) that there is no restriction? Anyone here know? Thanks!
Title: Re: Legallities?
Post by: david0 on April 08, 2012, 09:50:36 AM: They are not much help are they. I asked a fish and wildlife guy if it was ok to bow fish in a city park by my house and grabbed the same rule book evrybody has and looked it up. All he said was bow fishing is legal for carp.
Title: Re: Legallities?
Post by: bigtex on April 08, 2012, 10:30:30 AM: Quote from: david0 on April 08, 2012, 09:50:36 AM
I asked a fish and wildlife guy if it was ok to bow fish in a city park by my house and grabbed the same rule book evrybody has and looked it up. All he said was bow fishing is legal for carp.

Regulations in city/state/etc parks are not under the jurisdiction of WDFW. This is very similar to how some counties/create no shooting areas, it may be legal to hunt there under WDFW regs but under the city/county law you can't shoot. Makes sense doesn't it? :bash:

WDFW Officers don't typically enforce city laws because they must get this authority from the city. The people to talk to about city/county laws are not WDFW, but the city/county itself.

It may be perfectly legal to bow fish in one city park but completely illegal in another city.
Title: Re: Legallities?
Post by: boneaddict on April 08, 2012, 10:33:56 AM: Should be posted at the park. Most parks are No hunting zones or sanctuarys but you can often fish. Soooooo....need to know if bowfishing is hunting or is it fishing?
Title: Re: Legallities?
Post by: bigtex on April 08, 2012, 10:39:34 AM: Quote from: boneaddict on April 08, 2012, 10:33:56 AM
Should be posted at the park. Most parks are No hunting zones or sanctuarys but you can often fish. Soooooo....need to know if bowfishing is hunting or is it fishing?

:yeah:
Most parks do have some type of "no discharge" of weapon regulation. I'm pretty sure a bow and arrow would fall under that term. HOWEVER it all depends on each city/county park reg.
Title: Re: Legalities?
Post by: david0 on April 08, 2012, 11:05:48 AM: I was going to bow fish in there anyway. He just happened to be there one day when i was going bass fishing so i thought i would ask. I have seen a few other people in there bow fishing and all the hikers just kinda look at you funny but no one has ever complained so I'm not too worried.I just thought it was funny he had to look it up .