Once that was done we started making plans for the next day�s bowfishing trip. Alex asked us if we brought our own bowfishing rigs and if not he could round up some bows for us to use. He projected a real positive attitude and gave the impression that we would see allot of big fish and have enough shots to wear out our arms. And we would get started at around 10:00 the next morning. After we talked over the next day�s events we got our ATV�s out and did some scouting around the ranch to see what we could find. It was pretty empty, we cruised around for a couple hours and came across some feeders, Armadillo burrows and a distant Coyote. We expected to at least see some Hog tracks (which they claim is so abundant there) or Javelina or something. But we didn�t even see a rattlesnake. The only living things we saw were a couple cows on the other side of the fence and a covey of Montezuma Quail.

The next morning found us up and raring to go at 6:00 but had to sit around for 4 hours. At 10:00 Alex showed up with the boat and led us to the boat launching ramp. After the boat was launched came the interesting part. Bill and Darren with one on each side and with one leg in the boat and the other on shore, would grab a wheel with one hand and the push bar on the back of my wheelchair with the other. Alex would stay on shore and grab the swingaway footrests. Then would lift me and chair up to the gunwale then balance me there until Bill and Darren would get their other leg in the boat and lower me to the deck tilting me back to allow Alex to release his grip. I would then get positioned in front of the wheelhouse, the Ice chests full of bottled water and munchies were next to be loaded. After we all donned our life preserves off to the shooting area we went in a 16 foot Jon Boat powered by a 50HP Evinrude outboard motor. Once there I would backup to the raised shooting platform. The platform was 4FT. above the deck. Alex would get up on the platform grab my chair by the push bars while Bill and Darren would be lifting the main frame. Once up on the platform I would get seat belted to the chair then the wheelchair tied down so it couldn�t move in any direction. After I was secured I was given the bowfishing rig. The rig was a Recurve bow with a 50 pound draw weight shooting a solid fiberglass arrow.

The arrow had a slide on it and it was attached to a AMS reel with 25 yards of 400 pound test line . After going through the reel the line was attached to a float. After a few test shots to get the line wet and work on our aim. We were ready to get under way. We were told to stick the fish behind the head, a second arrow should be put into it to assist in landing it and those Gar will look like a floating log.

Alex put the 12v trolling motor in the water and off we went. A hour later we came on our first Alligator Gar and we let 15 year old Darren take it. It was a small one at only just a little over 3� and weighed 24 pounds and gave Darren a 10 ft. shot. Our guide has a sense of humor and proceeded to chewed Darren out for not shooting the fish behind the head like he was told. Darren shot the Gar in the eye. Bill got the second arrow in the gator gar and soon it was in the boat.

That�s when the odor hit us. As we learned later that everything that came out of that lake stunk like something that has been dead for 3 days and was slimy. Out came a 24� aluminum baseball bat and after a few blows to the head the gar quit thrashing around. It was brought up to me so I could get a better look at the gator gar and its mouth full teeth. Those suckers are needle sharp, but being true to my calling I had to learn the hard way. I stuck my thumb in that dead fish�s mouth gently pushed up and when I pulled my thumb out it was bleeding.

A few hours later Bill got his first shot and he stuck a small Spotted Gar. It was about 18� long and as big around as a Coors can. But like all the other Gar they can not be refered to as a pretty fish.

Then for the rest of the day we didn�t see anything other than a couple of different water snakes and some birds. We were rather disappointed at the number of shots we had. We only saw those 2 Gars but we did see a Catfish and a few different schools of Tilapia. But those Tilapia were like ghost fish a split second after we saw them they vanished. The weather was awful hovering around 108� with humidity of 98%. I had several gallons of lake water dumped on me to keep from getting heat stroke. But we were taught that we needed to tank up on fluids and to be more liberal with the sun screen. We would also need to provide some protection from the ravages of the sun. At about 6:00 we called it quits for the day and we also questioned Alex about going night fishing but all he would say it was to dangerous. After I was unloaded from the boat back to camp we headed making a slight detour on the way. It is a family tradition that who ever gets the first fish of the day must buy ice cream for all of us. Once back in camp we cleaned Darren�s fish. First you need to get a hose and wash the fish off to get rid of all the slime. Then with a sharp 8 inch knife you drive it in, it takes a hammer but we used a rock, just behind the gills. Now you need a couple people to help you one person to stand on the Gar�s head and one to stand on the tail. Then using your knife like a old G.I can opener (P-38) you cut along the back to just in front of the dorsal fin. After you split the hide you are done with your helpers and you need to cut the skin around the body from where your back cut started and where your back cut ended. This was done with a pair of Tin Snips.

To give you an idea on how tough the skin/scales really are the scales are used in jewelry now adays, 200 years ago they were used on plow shears and going farther back the Indians used the scales as arrowheads. The skin could be used as a replacement for leather.

Now the hard part is done. The skin can be separated easily with either a small knife or with your fingernails.Saving just the back straps we feasted that night on Alligator Gar fillets. Most folks call those Gars trash fish and won�t eat them but to me they are delicious even better than Catfish. But don�t go by me I have eaten Dog, Squid, Mountain Lion, Rattlesnake, Snails and Alligator.

The next day our luck did not fare any better in some ways it was even worse. But we all did managed to guzzle down at least a 1/2 gallon of Gatorade and another 1/2 gallon of water before launching the boat at 10:00 again. I was loaded on board using the same technique as the day before. The weather stayed hot and today we sweated alott, but we fared better in the heat than we did the day before thanks to all the liquids we drank. And I did bring a umbrella for shade.

The trees on that lake were Willows or Mesquite and most of them were dead. But even dead those Mesquite retained their thorns and they were still vicious. We covered about 20 square miles of lake each day for 3 days and found maybe 6 shade trees. So finding some relief from the sun proved to be very scarce.

The undersides of the leaves were black and we learned the hard way that under no circumstance did you touch any part of the tree or disturb it in anyway. That black on the undersides of the leaves were mosquitoes. They wouldn�t bite but they would be a major pain by flying in your ears, up your nose, in your eyes and given the chance in your mouth. The only relief from the mosquitoes was going back out in the sun. We cruised around for a couple more hours until we saw our first fish. It was another small Alligator Gar coming in at just over 3 1/2 ft. and hit the scales at about 36 pounds. I nailed him with a mid body shot, about 15 feet away from the boat. Darren stuck a second arrow in it and had it on board without much of a fight. This time it was me that caught flak from Alex for not shooting it behind the head like I was told.

My 1st.Gator Gar

A few hours later a 5 foot or more gar, swam under the boat and I couldn�t get turned to get a shot so I hollered at Bill but by the time he was able to take a shot the fish was gone.

Shortly there after we came across another Spotted Gar and Bill proving to be a dead eye with that Recurve bow nailed the Gar that was a little smaller than the day before.

And that was the last shot of the day but we still cruised around till 6pm. Discussed at the lack of shots we again questioned Alex about going out at night. His boat had a 7000 watt generator and 6 1000 watt halogen lights but like before all he said was it was to dangerous. All annoyed we headed back to camp and along the way we came across at least 75 Texas Rangers, State Troopers, County Sheriffs, DEA, FBI, Border Patrol and city cops. We later learned that 2 illegal aliens were trying to steal a Game Warden�s BBQ and when confronted shot the Game Wardenin the foot. His wife heard the shot called 9-1-1 told the dispatcher at a law enforcement officer was shot and here comes every cop it that part of Texas. It turned out to be a a way for the drug runners to divert attention from the lake. Now we know why we were told it was to dangerous to be out on the lake at night. Once we got back to camp we told him we wanted to go out early in the morning but again he insisted that there would be no fish near the surface. On day 3 at 10am found us back out on the lake. Later that afternoon after seeing no fish boredom took over and I shot me a water snake. The snake�s head was shaped like that of a Rattlesnake but Alex said it was non-poisonous but gave it a extra wide berth. The snake was about 4 foot long and as big around as a tennis ball and stunk like it was also dead for 3 days.

About a half hour later Bill stuck his 3rd Spotted Gar with it�s long nose and mouth full of small but sharp teeth. A hour later with still not getting a shot at anything we stopped to take a break. Alex wanted a cigarette but lost his lighter so he used a road flare.

A couple of minutes after he put down the flare and a big fish appeared. It was at least 7 foot, broke water and rolled straight in front of the boat but it was out of range, about 30 yards. It must have been done it just to tease us. The World Record for a Alligator Gar is a 304 lb. over 7.5 foot long and was taken in the 1950�s and the Texas state record is for a 279 lb. fish taken out of the Rio Grande.

We circled that area for a hour or longer hoping to see that big fish again but she must have sounded and was laying on the bottom watching us. As the last day wound down we all started to feel the tentacles of depression when we came up on the last Gar. It was right on the edge of my range, 20 yards but I took the shot anyway. I aimed a bit low and stuck it just behind the head. The fish tried to run and put up a bit of a fight but Darren stuck another arrow in it. With plenty hooting and hollering we were soon able to man handle it to where we could see color and get it into gaffing range. Soon we had it on board and took a measurements. It was 4� 2� but we couldn�t weigh it until we got back to camp. After it dried out for a few hours it weighed 44 lb.

#2 Alligator Gar

It wasn�t a really big fish but it did manage to get our pulses racing and our adrenaline up. But it did us no good because that was the last Gar that we ever saw. But we did see a couple of schools of them ghost fish & a snake or 2. That ended our bowfishing trip but not the end of my story. The next day we were all on the lake around 9:00 and we all went catfishing. Using shrimp for bait I caught the first cat, it was small but a keeper. We didn�t stay out on the lake for very long because of the heat. Even though it was cooler and the humidity dropped. By 1:00 we were back in camp sitting in the shade cleaning the fish and having something cold to drink.

Besides the Bowfishing trip we also arranged for a Hog & Ram hunt. I saw a couple Corsican Rams as they flashed across the road. We also came across a single hog track one day and that pig had a gimpy leg. Darren was the only one of us that took a shot in the 4 days we hunted. He bagged himself a Coyote and that was the only anything we saw other than a few cows.

We were supposed to stay in a lodge but it was a good thing that both my cousin and me dragged a camp trailer there. The lodge was inaccessable to a wheelchair with a 6 inch high curb to get up on the sidewalk to the front door and I was told that the door to the bathroom was to narrow for me. Which proved to by alright because Alex stayed in there and told us one morning about finding a rattlesnake in the shower and it slithered into a hole in the wall. Totally dejected at the lack of fish, the very few bow shots, the absence of game and the trip in general. Along the way we stopped overnight at another lake, Choke Canyon Lake, on the way into the campground was a road sign that said �WARNING Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard on duty.� Big deal! But maybe 10 feet past it was another sign that said �Watch for Alligators� we now know what happened to the lifeguard.

Even though we only got a little of what we came for we had a blast and now we are trying to make it a yearly family happening, at a differant lake & guide service of course.

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