Try this for more up to date information.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110811a

We as bowfishermen still believe that TPWD's numbers are substantially low. There are way more alligator gar than they've currently been able to find, but we are helping them to get more accurate data. And all that talk about us killing the ancient creatures is hogwash too.

Oh and Clark, nice fish man.

I am not arguing for or against bow fishing here. The links I posted were directed towards some very bad information posted by another person regarding the life cycle and eating habits of alligator gar.

what a crock of shitt.

Those fish in the post are easily over 30 years old. Gar over 6 feet are decades old.

Looks like a blast! I've been a couple of times and it's a lot of fun, and really hard. I miss 25 before I hit one. I'm gonna start carrying a bow when I'm bass fishing, it seems like I always see the big girls when I'm not looking for them! Haha

Wow. It looks a bit crude to kill the fish for no reason. Not even to eat him. At the same time though, looks like lots of fun, blasting a fish with Arrows hahahahaha.

BS. The numbers of alligator gar are high in spots. I would have to say to high in some.

I don't understand all the fuss. (or I'm confused) It's ok to kill cyotes, raccoons, hogs, etc. and leave them because they are pests, why not gar? Personally I would eat it though.

I fall on my sword for not making a disclaimer on my earlier post such as "I admit that I have not done any FORMAL research and am only going off of what a guide, who has been focused on alligator gar and carp for the better part of 30 years, has told me...but this is what I was told"....I admit that I should have dug a little deeper before I posted and hey....I made a mistake. That being said I'm glad that the misinformation was pointed out and aplaude those that posted links to good information...and "boo" those that react out of emotion instead of simply saying..."You're misinformed, here's some better info you may want to take a look at..." but hey...nobody handles everything right all the time....and that's all I have to say about that.....On another note, I have been to your site and it looks like you are good at what you do and have a passion for the fish and the adventure they provide...guess that's why you reacted the way you did...

I fall on my sword for not making a disclaimer on my earlier post such as "I admit that I have not done any FORMAL research and am only going off of what a guide, who has been focused on alligator gar and carp for the better part of 30 years, has told me...but this is what I was told"....I admit that I should have dug a little deeper before I posted and hey....I made a mistake. That being said I'm glad that the misinformation was pointed out and aplaude those that posted links to good information...and "boo" those that react out of emotion instead of simply saying..."You're misinformed, here's some better info you may want to take a look at..." but hey...nobody handles everything right all the time....and that's all I have to say about that.....

this thread sucks. I'm all for live n let live,
but sticking 40-60 year old fish with arrows
for joy pics & some sub-par fish meat just doesn't appeal to me. Sorry for being a buzz-kill, but that's how I feel.
and yes, I've had gar meat. tastes just like drum.
good luck with your endeavor, maybe post on bowfishing section next time to avoid people like me saying the wrong thing...

You're right, "Sequential hermaphroditism" is what I meant. A guide that I have fished with a few times kept calling the big fish that we saw or that had been taken "girls"....so I asked if the females were inherently larger than males...he told me that when they get around 6 foot or so...they become female and then we saw an example of what he was talking about where several 3-4 foot fish were around a large fish during the spawn. The large (6 foot type fish)was the only one in the area and the other fish kinda surrounded it...haven't looked up any info...just what I was told....

no one made you click

It would be nice to have a bowfishing section. It was proposed once, but didn't have anyone that could moderate it, so it didn't
happen.