BowAmerica April 2012

Swamp Rats

This is an excerpt from my article in BowAmerica e-Magazine.  You can subscribe for free at BowAmerica.com or http://issuu.com/bowamerica/docs/bowamerica_february_2012.

NUTRIA

     I headed out to the duck blind early.  It was about 6am, another 45 minutes before shooting time.  I spotted some a commotion deeper in the swamp.  I adjusted my LED Lenser headlamp from wide angle light to a spotlight.  I saw a bunched up brushy area ahead.  It was likely a beaver hut.  I scanned the water and could see ripples, but I could not find the source.

     Shooting light came and after a 20 minute span of high flying wood ducks and ringnecks I knew the hunt was likely over except for just a few stragglers and maybe some Canadian geese.

     Down near the beaver hut I saw some more ripples.  I figured it could be a grebe, merganser, or maybe a woodie swimming from deeper in the swamp.

     Nope.  Dead wrong.  I caught the furry head.  Trailing was a motion filled ‘S’.  Not a beaver.  But it was huge.

     Nutria usually make their homes in holes they build on the shoreline.  Often, their digging will tear and expose roots.  This particular one had not made a home of the beaver den; rather it seemed curious as to whether it was occupied.

     Nutria are as rat-like as it gets.  Their long tail is round and slender like a rat, rather than the waffle shape of a beaver.  Their head has rat features other than being much larger and having a blunt nose.  Also unlike a beaver, its fur is of different lengths and appears unkempt.

     They were introduced to North America, relocated from South America, due to the fur trade industry.  They were valued for both their meat and their hides.  Once the value of the fur increased to a premium, at one time as valuable as mink, farmers found a way to raise them.  They were easy to keep, had large litters, and females could breed the day after giving birth.  Due to the farming of the nutria, the fur become over abundant and the value plummeted.  A hurricane hit the Southeast and many of the farmed nutria escaped.

     Like many invasive species, they began to take over their habitats.  Nutria feed only on the bottom of saplings and plants, leaving over 80% of the plant useless.  They choked out the muskrat, as they shared habitats and dens.  And with the beaver falling to near extinction, the nutria’s breeding habits, able to give birth nearly 3 times in a calendar year, the nutria overwhelmed many areas.

     If you know where to look, you can find nutria in nearly any southern state, and they range as far north as Ohio.  They can expand further north if there are subsequent mild winters.  The only barrier is they tend to get frostbite on their tails, causing infection and death.

     As mentioned prior, I took note of where I saw the nutria and the time.  The next time I would be in the water, the bow would be in hand rather than the shotgun.

     A couple of days later, the nutria had a head start on me.  As I was headed to where the blind was, I saw him already swimming well ahead as the water and air was clear.  I positioned myself near the blind and could see it still swimming amongst the trees in the swamp.

     It only took 15 minutes for it to become curious enough to see what I was.  Once it was in range, about 20 yards, I released the arrow towards its mark.  No thrashing, no circling, no fighting.  Just a roll over and the arrow was sticking nearly straight up.

     Once there, I had to look to see if it was a beaver and not a nutria.  It was as huge up close as it looked the other day.  I pulled it into the boat and headed to shore.  This was by far the largest I have taken.

 

BowAmerica and Bowfishing

January 5th marked the inaugural issue of BowAmerica, the e-Magazine for Bowhunters.  Each issue features segments on traditional, compound, bowfishing, women bowhunters, target/competition, how-to, gear reviews, habitat management and more.

My feature article for the first issue was in the bowfishing segment titled 'Aim Low'.  Here is an excerpt:

     Aim low.  Not exactly the phrase you want to use when teaching kids how to be successful in something.  It is true, if you set your goals low enough then it is easier to meet your meaning of what success is.  However, aiming low in bowfishing is a must.

     I found joy in shooting at fish as a way to lengthen my bow season.  I also found bowfishing is a great way for youth to experience the flight of an arrow.

     Both my oldest son and my daughter experienced their first take with a string attached to an arrow.  Bowfishing mainly consists of going after ‘trash’ fish such as gar or carp.  It combines that thrill of the fight that have anglers hooked to their sport of choice, as well as the sight of the flight as the arrow seems to soar in slow motion toward its mark. 

     Bowfishing teaches skills such as instinctive shooting, a bit of stealth, and what I call ‘hunter’s vision.’  This is the ability to see all the surroundings, much like the predator see’s the prey so the predator can make its approach.  These skills are necessary for a bowhunter as he graduates to hunting larger game that are wound so tight they will take off with the slightest scent or noise.

Be sure to read the rest on page 32 of BowAmerica.  You can subscribe at either BowAmerica.com or on the issuu.com page and best of all, IT'S FREE!  A copy of the magazine is embedded, feel free to read, download, and share.

BowAmerica

Here is the first issue of BowAmerica, the e-Magazine for Bowhunters. Be sure to subscribe so you can get each month's great stories from bowhunters across the nation!