urocyon: Grey fox crossing a stream (Default)
[personal profile] urocyon
I decided to check out the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' Freshwater Fishing Regulations for nongame fish, to see if there was anything specific about catching crawfish. At the prices charged for them, one meal's worth costs more than a couple of Frabill traps. (I may be willing to go crabbing with a bucket and some bait on a string, but it would take a while to collect enough crawfish that way.) A couple of trips to Meadow Creek hardly seems a huge price for tastiness.

As it turned out, there was; they didn't seem to have considered that anybody might want crawfish other than as bait, and set a limit of 50 to protect those bait-dealing licenses. (They were mentioned in the same breath as finger-pinching hellgrammites--scary, I tell you! *g*) No, I'd never ignore that. ;) It was probably the most boring thing I spotted while skimming the regulations, though.

I was slightly surprised to learn that "Taking bullfrogs with a gig or bow and arrow requires a hunting license," while "Taking turtles by hook and line requires a fishing license." Who'd have thought? Who'd go around shooting frogs with a bow and arrow, for that matter? It only gets worse: "Bullfrogs may also be taken by gigging or bow and arrow and from private waters by firearms no larger than .22 caliber rimfire." I should hope so; use anything bigger, and they wouldn't even have legs left.

It looks like I'd have to travel a bit, were I interested in taking nongame fish by "Snagging, grabbing, snaring, gigging and the use of a striking iron". Darn. I have no idea what "the use of a striking iron" is--just whacking them with something?--but it sounds, erm, interesting.

Some of the stranger things one can do include:

Bow and arrow and gigging for carp year round in the Shenandoah River

and

Shooting with a rifle for suckers and carp from April 15 to May 31 during daylight hours in the shoals of the Clinch River within the limits of Scott County except, that it shall be unlawful to shoot fish on Sunday or within the limits of any town, or from any bridge. Fishing license is required. Creel limit: 20 per day.

Those bring some terrible images to mind. I've been dragged along fishing enough times, and am glad I've never seen anyone going after carp with a bow and arrow, much less a "striking iron". Amazing what people will get up to.

Date: 2003-12-24 03:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] finalfantasyfrk.livejournal.com
Thos are some weird laws, but things are there because someone probably tried it. I caught some crawdads in TX and here in VA. I just lifted rocks carefully and grabbed them behind the shoulders (or whatever).

Date: 2003-12-25 10:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] urocyon-c.livejournal.com
Yep, I'd imagine people have tried all of that and more...one reason I enjoy goofy laws; it is surprising what people will decide is a good idea to do. :)

Fun, isn't it? I used to do that all the time. (Though it might take a while to get enough to cook, grabbing them up; I was just messing with them when I was a kid.) Too bad it's December--I'm feeling the worst urge to go and play in a creek now. *g*

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