Bowfishing legal question
 

While at school I bowfish in the French Broad river that borders the edge of campus. I did all last spring and this summer without any problem. But tonight my RA told me that was told by the dean of students that it is illegal for a bow to be possessed on school property because it is a weapon. I don't think they have a problem personally with me bowfishing, it is a small Christian college and they know that there is absolutely no danger to anyone for me to have a bow. Even the president of the college talked to me while I was bowfishing once and thought it was a neat thing to do. Teachers have given me tips on where to look for the carp. I don't shoot around people, but from the woods or wading. So they must just want to cover themselves to make sure they are not liable for anything. Is this an actual state or federal law I am breaking? Would it be an diffrent if I park by the river and wade without actuall being on campus property? If this isn't really a law or they are misunderstanding it I would like to know because they and I know that I am not causing any problems for anyone.

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

Talk to the Pres.
Check your State regs (I don't even know what state you're in)

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

A lotta' times the problem with bowfishing is it's smack in between hunting and fishing... you are fishing, but you are using a projectile-firing device... a misdemeanor in many locales.

There are alot of city parks around here that are teeming with rough fish, and Lord knows they need to be thinned out (census estimates for many Texas lakes indicate that for every 100 lbs of fish living in a given body of water, 80 lbs are rough fish, carp, gar shad etc.).

Only problem with the city-parks is that projectile-firing devices have been outlawed for many years, might be the same where you are at.

When my father was in school in a rural community, kids were allowed to take guns to school and put them in their lockers so that they could hunt while walking back home.

The world has changed much since then...
BP

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

They say the same thing in the parks near my house. We fish the channels that extend from the park, but in the park, it's considered a weapon. Florida Law calls Bowfishing "Spearfishing" , but technically wherever you can't have a weapon, it would be hard to get away with.

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

When I attended college, I went to a small 2 yr school. I'd say 75% of male students and 25 to 35% of females were hunters and/or fisherman. Regardless of this fact, however, the school would NOT allow us to possess any weapon while living on campus, including of course guns, and bows both compound and X. They insisted that in order to legally have them we needed to check them in at the local PD where they'd be kept in the meantime. While a good portion of the dorm students did this, I risked keeping my bow locked in the truck because i hunted roughly 45 minutes from school and didn't want to screw around w/ it at 4am every time i wanted to go out in the morning. But you're absolutely right, they are just covering their butts if anything was to go down. I even attended before the Va Tech tragedy. Can't imagine how much harder it might be nowadays. I'd say talk to the pres. or someone else higher up. Explain the benefits and explain like you did to us how you're careful and responsible w/ it. Good luck!

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

go for the big wig and change that. i like what your doing i love bowfishin

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

SEMPER FI BROTHER!!

RE: Bowfishing legal question
 

I was bass fishing along the trail next to the river yesterday and I met a guy who it turns out lives with access to the river by where I bowfish and he gave me permission to park at his house whenever I want to go bowfishing. So now I can get to the river without going through school property, I am exited to get back out the other evening there were carp in the shallows everwhere and I could see there fins out of the day water, and yesterday afternoon I saw some buffalo to. I finally had figured out how to catch the carp on a rod and reel but it just isn't quite the same!