Bow Hunters Cited For Poison Arrow Use
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries issued citations to 10 Louisiana hunters for possessing illegal poison arrow tips known as “pods.”
{Affiliate links included below.}
The incident occurred on December 28, 2022. The 10 Louisiana residents ranged in age from 19 to 54 and included both men and women.
“Pods” contain poisonous or muscle-relaxing substances such as succinylcholine chloride that are attached to arrow tips.
The concept behind pods is that even if a bow hunter doesn’t make a direct kill hit, the chemicals released through the pod will kill or at least cause the animal to be paralyzed so it can be caught and harvested.
Louisiana Wildlife agents found that an antlerless deer had been harvested with the use of a pod.
The pods were found in the hunters’ quivers during the investigation. Those cited faced up to 90 days jail time and a $500 fine.
The hunter who illegally harvested the deer also faces civil penalties of $1,624, which is the amount determined as replacement value of the deer.
History of Poison Arrow Pods
Bow hunting with pods appears to have gotten its biggest notoriety starting in the 1980s with the publication of The Bowhunting Alternative by Texas bowhunter Adrian Benke.
In his book, Benke made the case that bowhunters lose more than 50% of the game they shoot due to non-lethal shots.
Although this figure is disputed, Benke argued that using pods that result in the paralysis or death of the animal is more humane than what happens when the injured animal runs off and dies due to infection.
The use of poison-tipped arrows also gained a lot of notice with a famous case back in 2013 when four South Carolina archers were hunting deer, elk and bears in Colorado using pods.
The hunters were charged under Colorado law and had to pays thousands in fines. One of the hunters admitted to using pods containing muscle relaxants since the 1980s.
The use of poison-tipped arrows appears to be illegal in all or nearly all states, primarily based on the illegal possession and use of potent prescription medications.
Additional Sources: The Vicksburg Post
