The History of Bowfishing

The Aborigines, Aztecs, Inuits and other ancient groups of people use a device that could throw spears and arrows faster at a longer distance with more force. It is not known when exactly bows were created but archeological studies show that some bows are 15,000 years old. The design has undergone so many developments. There are many uses, too. Before, bow and arrows were used for wars. The fighting has stopped and bows and arrows are now used only for hunting deer and other animals including aquatic animals. People used to hunt for survival but bowfishing and hunting are now done mainly for recreation and sports. Thousands of years ago, people would go out to the lake, river or sea to shoot any fish they could see with their arrows and cook them for their meals. It is one of the main ways to get food. Today, bow fishing is an activity to get food, have fun and practice your shooting skills at the same time. It is also a proven way to regulate the number of fishes and avoid a species from going extinct. Bow fishing also evolved over the years. There are federal and state regulations these days. Even the clothes and shoes that one should wear are now carefully thought of when the kinds of bows and arrows are the only issue years ago. Various laws were also passed and amended. It was not long ago when all lakes and rivers in the United States were made available for bow fishing at night. All lakes are open for night bow fishing since 1919. Ten years later, some owners of the properties near the lake complained and most states limited the lakes that are open for bow fishing. Some issues regarding bow fishing are too many fishes being taken, very bright lights, and noise. In fact, Minnesota banned the use of lights in 1945. It greatly affects the sport because the success rate dropped down to a great extent. After about 50 years, bow fishing as a sport improved its popularity except in states like Minnesota. It took three years for the bow fishers to convince the state’s DNR and make it open over 70 lakes for bow fishing. There are also regulating bodies formed. In 1990, the Bowfishing Association of America was founded. One of its purposes is to monitor the bow fishing tournaments in the United States. It also helps bow fishers to fight for their right. BAA has been working with several government bodies to regulate bow fishing with both bow fishers and the fishes in mind. Bowfishing is one of the main ways to get fish for meal. Thousands of years later, it is a sport that’s regulated by federal and state governments. Click here to check out details of bowfishing bows.