Killing the Cownose Ray

[jsquare]

Dirty secret time: I was raised by a man who hunted and fished. My dad was born in 1933 and grew up dirt poor in Cumberland. His dad died when he was a young kid. He raised me to hunt and fish and we lived by one rule. If you kill it, you are going to eat it. It started when I got a Buck Daisy BB gun when I was five. I was not allowed to kill birds or other animals . When we hunted we ate what we killed. When we fished we kept what we needed. Long rant....the point is this. We caught a large ray near the Bay Bridge in the early 80's. My brother gaffed the ray in the wing near the head. My dad wrestled that beast into our 18 foot Chincoteage scow and home we went. We skinned the wings and used a piece of metal conduit to punch 3/4" circles of meat from the wings. My mom dredged them in bread crumbs and Old Bay and fried them in a skillet. THEY WERE EXCELLENT. Tasted like scallops. We never targeted them but our incidentals always ended up on the table.

I like the eat what you kill mentality. I have heard that the cow nose rays are very bloody? Have you found this to be the case? I would eat one.

[Backdoc]

I like the eat what you kill mentality. I have heard that the cow nose rays are very bloody? Have you found this to be the case? I would eat one.

From what I can remember my mom soaked the "scallops" in salt water for about 20 minutes. I remember them being very good. I may keep one this coming summer just for nostalgia. I will try to replicate what my mom did with it and see how it turns out. I don't remember the wing meat being bloody but who knows, I was 12 years old.

[YaknBass]

Dirty secret time: I was raised by a man who hunted and fished. My dad was born in 1933 and grew up dirt poor in Cumberland. His dad died when he was a young kid. He raised me to hunt and fish and we lived by one rule. If you kill it, you are going to eat it. It started when I got a Buck Daisy BB gun when I was five. I was not allowed to kill birds or other animals . When we hunted we ate what we killed. When we fished we kept what we needed. Long rant....the point is this. We caught a large ray near the Bay Bridge in the early 80's. My brother gaffed the ray in the wing near the head. My dad wrestled that beast into our 18 foot Chincoteage scow and home we went. We skinned the wings and used a piece of metal conduit to punch 3/4" circles of meat from the wings. My mom dredged them in bread crumbs and Old Bay and fried them in a skillet. THEY WERE EXCELLENT. Tasted like scallops. We never targeted them but our incidentals always ended up on the table.

i have heard exactly that, folks cut the wings similar to scallops and prepare them the same way... i have not caught a ray nor had the pleasure.

[jhoss]

I too grew up with the "if you kill it you gotta eat it" rule. We ate all kinds of stuff I wouldn't necessarily choose to eat now: squirrels, carp, stringers of undersized bluegill, crayfish. My parents both survived post WWII Germany where food was scarce or non-existent, so the philosophy of utilizing everything was ingrained in me at an early age. Funny thing about the CNR article was the point that until a market is established for them they won't have any reason for establishing quotas. So chow down...I figure they probably taste like shark. We used to eat those too

[Backdoc]

I too grew up with the "if you kill it you gotta eat it" rule. We ate all kinds of stuff I wouldn't necessarily choose to eat now: squirrels, carp, stringers of undersized bluegill, crayfish. My parents both survived post WWII Germany where food was scarce or non-existent, so the philosophy of utilizing everything was ingrained in me at an early age. Funny thing about the CNR article was the point that until a market is established for them they won't have any reason for establishing quotas. So chow down...I figure they probably taste like shark. We used to eat those too

My mom grew up in Ft. Ashby, W.Va. They were poor but according to my mom she didn't "know" she was poor because they ate well from what they farmed and killed/caught. My grandmom always saved tin foil and other things that didn't make sense to me when I was a kid. Now I get it. She used to have a saying that I still use. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". I miss her.

[AbuMasgouf]

She used to have a saying that I still use. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". I miss her.

Lessons like that are ageless and unfortunately becoming rare in our day. God bless her soul.

[Backdoc]

Mustafa,
Thank you for the kind words. I am looking forward to meeting you and fishing with you. Jeremy thinks we will get along great. My grandmom would have liked your AbuMasgouf recipe. She was an adventurous cook and loved open fire cooking. I try to pass her lessons down to my children. Both of my girls know and live by her saying. I pray they become good stewards of this land.

[AbuMasgouf]

Mustafa,
Thank you for the kind words. I am looking forward to meeting you and fishing with you. Jeremy thinks we will get along great. My grandmom would have liked your AbuMasgouf recipe. She was an adventurous cook and loved open fire cooking. I try to pass her lessons down to my children. Both of my girls know and live by her saying. I pray they become good stewards of this land.

Jeremy is a great brother. I am looking forward to meeting you as well bro . I pray your girls, my boys, and our collective children become good stewards of this land and it's inhabitants, both animals and people.

[Salty Dog]

Not to change gears here, but I split my fishing time between yak fishing and surf fishing. You think a CNR is a blast from the yak, try it on the beach with heavy equipment. Beached a few this past fall and what a blast it is fighting one of these bad boys to the beach. 20-40 minute fight, 40-70lb fish, and most importantly the reward of the release. Definitely the strongest of the ray family. As a fisherman, the fight, landing, and safe release of Gods creatures is a natural high not found elsewhere. Even though these creatures are not regulated it is up to each and every one of us fishers to education those who choice to destroy the intricate balance of nature. It is up to each and everyone of us to educate the public, our children and our grandchildren to respect what God has created. Remember, there is a reason for the decline of one species and the overabundance of another. The balance is intricate and delicate, Mankind and government will not succeed to change that balance no matter how much they attempt to do so. Respect, leading by example, and education of Gods creatures are our tools to pass on to others.

[AbuMasgouf]

Not to change gears here, but I split my fishing time between yak fishing and surf fishing. You think a CNR is a blast from the yak, try it on the beach with heavy equipment. Beached a few this past fall and what a blast it is fighting one of these bad boys to the beach. 20-40 minute fight, 40-70lb fish, and most importantly the reward of the release. Definitely the strongest of the ray family. As a fisherman, the fight, landing, and safe release of Gods creatures is a natural high not found elsewhere. Even though these creatures are not regulated it is up to each and every one of us fishers to education those who choice to destroy the intricate balance of nature. It is up to each and everyone of us to educate the public, our children and our grandchildren to respect what God has created. Remember, there is a reason for the decline of one species and the overabundance of another. The balance is intricate and delicate, Mankind and government will not succeed to change that balance no matter how much they attempt to do so. Respect, leading by example, and education of Gods creatures are our tools to pass on to others.

Amen

[surfdog]

I've eaten them pretty good.

[kevinfry]

I've eaten them pretty good.

Surf, I'd like a picture of you typing that with a straight face.....

I am strongly in support of permitting bowfishermen to regulate the population. I don't know any sports fishermen targeting them and that is what it takes to manage a species....targeted fishing.
Also, I don't think anyone should be permitted to badmouth bowfishermen who are within the regs set up by DNR unless they kept their "Just keep one" pledge from last spring. I don't badmouth anyone for keeping their limit, even though I never did......but it sticks in my craw when a guy complains that another fisherman should show restraint, but not he himself.
It's easy to point fingers. There are plenty of trailer sailors that hate kayakers. There is a guy at ST Jeromes that will cast right at you just to try and drive you off (even if the yakker is there first) due to their sense of entitlement. I hate to see us behaving the same way.

[Pc4sun]

A National Geographic naturalist told me there are two entities on earth that kill for sport - man and wolf. I can not speak for the wolf, but I can say that killing for sport is just wrong. Unless you're going to eat it, don't kill it.

[Cowpokey]

A National Geographic naturalist told me there are two entities on earth that kill for sport - man and wolf. I can not speak for the wolf, but I can say that killing for sport is just wrong. Unless you're going to eat it, don't kill it.

Man definitely kills for sport. I've always been of the mindset that it should only be done to put food on the table.

Cats on the other hand:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cats_actually_kill

[DonV]

A National Geographic naturalist told me there are two entities on earth that kill for sport - man and wolf. I can not speak for the wolf, but I can say that killing for sport is just wrong. Unless you're going to eat it, don't kill it.

Add a couple more to the list.

Bottlenose Dolphin: The Only Marine Animal that Kills for Fun
http://scribol.com/environment/bottl...-kills-for-fun

Murder 'comes naturally' to chimpanzees
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29237276

Think you probably can throw cats on there also, I know mine are evil little creatures.