Killing the Cownose Ray

[Backdoc]

Talked to my mom on Christmas day. It was in fact a skate, not a cow nose ray.

I think some folks are confusing cownose ray meat with the skate on this thread. They actually sell skate around here at Wegmans and some other places. Skate meat is what you are thinking of when you say it tastes like scallops. In fact, some people used to get in trouble for punching skate wings and selling it as scallops in the past. The meat from cownose rays actually looks like a steak and from what I hear it does actually taste more like red meat than fish. I saw some guys catch one and cut the wings off it right in front of me at cbbt a few months back. I have tried skate a long time ago, but never eaten ray meat.

I am not the type for killing anything just to kill it, but I am definitely not a fan of the cownose ray. I hooked up a few this year and I just had to cut the line once I saw what it was.

[JohnE]

I would not be surprised if they serve skate at restaurants. Maybe pass it off in fish and chips or something like that. Skate meat is actually not bad. I know they actually serve shark meat some places when you order fish and chips, and people pretty much never even realize they are eating shark. Up north, where my family is from, people have tried for many years to pass off cod cheeks as scallops also.

Cownose rays are really pretty bad and I wish more people would actually eat them and keep the population in check. They destroy oyster beds and grass beds...they can literally eat tons and tons of oysters and clams. We really need the oysters to continue recovering in the bay because they help keep it clean and healthier for the fish we like to target and eat. They don't really have many natural predators either from what I understand. I really don't like them...but like I said before I'm not going out to try and destroy them.

[kevinfry]

. Up north, where my family is from, people have tried for many years to pass off cod cheeks as scallops also.

C.

These days cod cheeks are probably more rare and more expensive than scallops......if you order cod cheeks you may be getting.......

[JohnE]

These days cod cheeks are probably more rare and more expensive than scallops......if you order cod cheeks you may be getting.......

Very true, but in the past cod was extremely cheap. My grandmother would always try to accuse people of passing cod cheeks as scallops, which were much more expensive when she was alive...it was very funny. I did hear recently that cod prices are about to skyrocket with more new catch limits they are imposing up north.

[DonV]

Just because it is legal, it doesn't mean that it is right.

I'd imagine people that are anti fishing including C&R fishing could use the same argument. There are many who think any recreational fishing is cruel and inhumane. There are many that think even eating any sort of fish, fowl or meat is immoral.

It seems by what I am reading the DNR is implementing the policy. They also implement policies that make what I enjoy doing legal. Bowhunting and leaving big pile of dead rays really ain't my thing but sometimes looking at the survival rates of C&R fishing gives me pause and I could see where someone may come to the conclusions most here on the thread are coming to concerning bowhunting the rays.

As I said, it is not my thing but can see where someone may enjoy the thrill of the chase with a bow and moving target to shoot at. As far as the moral aspect I don't see much difference to when I go fishing just for my enjoyment and have to play god a little knowing full well I am taking a good risk of injuring or killing the fish I target. May even be a tad bit more immoral especially when catching a fish that is out of season. At least the bowhunters are targeting something the biologists want dead. I do go many times with the intent of keeping what I kill. Yet even then the way the regs are I sure am not going keep something illegal and face a fine because I killed it and it is the right thing to do. That strongly held principal of mine is going out the door when facing a monetary penalty.

Anytime I start condemning humanity I always find myself in the mix. We all got to play god it's in our nature. I do like the discussion but do feel it went to far in condemning of humanity and would hope to hear more on the impact of the rays and maybe other options of control if the are needed.

[Cowpokey]

save the bay eat a ray. Virginia has been trying hard for years to get folks to eat these little oyster smashing, SAV destroying things for years. No, I would't and have not killed them for sport. However, just like whitetail deer in maryland the popluation is causing problems to the environment so say marine biologist.

That picture was from Alaska. Do those kind of skate inhabit the waters around here too?

[justacanoe]

on the Musky boards they call it Winternet but it usually is over Wisconsin trolling or Native American esox spearing.

(trolls and angels in the mosh pit, <my money is on the trolls>)

**
we now take you back to the Cownose skate debate!

[JohnE]

Kill all they want but they shouldn't dump them but find a place that uses the meat.

CNRs tear up the grass beds and eat a lot of crabs not good for the bay.

I know the lobstermen up north use skate extensively as lobster bait. Maybe they could use the cownose rays up there?

[Frogsauce]

A quick peek into the trash near a marina will tell you people are assholes. Me and longtrav saw a lot of filleted rockfish that still had a ton of meat and all the heads and bones just thrown away. I know where to get crab bait now at least. Haven't people heard of soup?! Why throw all that away?!

As for Rays, I knifed one once. The wings wern't that good, but I may have let then sit in the cooler too long.

[YakCapn]

I hooked on to a skate while pier fishing down in Solomon's last year. That thing ran me all over the pier and gave me a crick in my neck for next two weeks. Cut the line once I reeled him in to the pier. There were more than a few on the pier that definitely didn't want that thing brought up.