[JaxNovice]

I recently purchased an FN Tactical Police Shotgun. My neighborhood has the occasional gator roaming around it (some as large as 12 feet). What would be the most effective round I could use on it should the need arise. I will qualify this by stating I am not going gator hunting; i am just going to buy a box of the ammo and keep it handy in case. I have 2 kids and 2 dogs to protect. Thoughts?

[MCgunner]

First thought, shoot a gator=go to jail if it's out of season.

Second thought, I frequently come across gators in the pot holes I hunt here during early teal season (coming up). I don't often have a problem with even the big ones, just leave 'em alone, but I did pepper one with #4 steel once at about 30 yards when he started after a duck I'd shot. :D He turned around, decided he didn't need that duck after all. LOL I'm guessing #4s sting pretty good even through a gator skin suit. If I actually wanted to KILL one, there is but one thing I'd use in a shotgun, a slug. I know folks who hunt them during the season. Actually, it's more fishing than hunting, they hook a chicken on a huge hook hung over the water where a big gator will have to come out of the water to get to it, like a drop line over the water. .357 magnum handguns or even smaller put them out of their misery pretty quickly, or so I'm told. I've never done this myself, have no real interest in gator hunting.

[GooseGestapo]

The last gator-killer I busted used a standard 00-buck w/9 pellets.
Couldn't find the gator as it sunk. It resurfaced a week later after it bloated. Ran about 11' long.

However, we did nail him for several more waterfowl violations besides the possession of lead shot while waterfowl hunting. Had several 00-buck rounds as well as some lead #4's in his jacket pocket.

We knew he'd shot a gator because that's about the only reason for popping off a round a full hour before waterfowl shooting hours, about the time most hunters were setting decoys.

Be sure you can demonstrate a valid threat to life or property (pets) before blasting a gator. And if you do, report it to authorities, as they are more symphatetic if you tell on yourself, than if you let others. You may find it easier to explain shooting "somebody" than shooting protected wildlife.
My brother as an Airforce Security Police officer was involved in an investigation involving the killing of a Brown bear on Elmendorf AFB back in the mid 70's. He stated that it got more involved than some homicides he'd investigated, and the individual ended up getting kicked out of the airforce, and imprisoned in Alaska for a felony. Main reason for severity of penalties was that the individual was hunting in an area he wasn't permitted/licensed for and had killed a moose illegally, and shot bear(s) that were feeding on the carcasss when he "snuck back" to take out the antlers.

Be very careful !!!

[Al Thompson]

Slugs. And be darn sure you know where they print out of your shotgun. Buck would work for hunting or poaching, but there one has time to take a head shot. If your trying to get one to stop eating Lassie the Wonder Dog, you may have to take any safe shot you can - like busting bones.

[JaxNovice]

HI Goose,

That is really good info and helpful. I have absolutyly no intention of patroling my neighborhood looking for gators; just want to be ready. My neighbor two houses down had one lying on their back porch one morning waiting for them to let the dog out. They saw it in time and called animal control. I never kiled another living being, but will if one gets a hold of one of my two mutts or comes anywhere near my kids. Are you in Florida?

[GooseGestapo]

Nope!
West Georgia, USA

[AJAX22]

I've heard that gators don't like flare rounds, especially up close.

Now remember that I'm a Kalifornian and the closest I get to gators is at the zoo, but it did come up conversationally once with some good ol boys when I was down in florida.

I don't know if they were havin some fun at my expense, so take it for what its worth.

[Seancass]

now i've never seen a wild gator in my life, i'm a lil north of them, but it seems like pepper spray or bear defence would stop them pretty quickly. i thought they had good sence of smell/taste but perhaps i am mistaken? but then again if you are on the defence, any human would rather shoot it dead than spray it and hope its alergy season for the gator.

[ryan56507@msn.com]

Cass, pepper spray on a gator would make you taste better. Not much more.

id use a sabot slug, like one ounce, to git-r-done, hit it anywhere, with any barrel, from within like 25 yards (I assume youll get pretty close).

[bubbygator]

Hee hee hee. Boy, I've been where you're at (60 & 66) - you got a lot of living yet to do. You get close enough to spray something at a gator & he'll take your arm along with the spray-can.

[Nicky Santoro]

Gator Load
JN,
We have few gators here in Nazi Jersey except in state government. The little I know about them tells me slugs are your best bet. Then you STFU. If inquiries are made you "don't know nuffin bout gators nor birfin babies, Miss Scarlet". As far as you know the gator was depressed and committed suicide.