HBK
member
Does anyone here go alligator hunting? If so, what do you use?
Gator hunting...
- Thread starter HBK
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gunsmith
member
finally,the bait!!
Well now!
I've got city jerks dumping live bait out in the road in front of my house all the time!
Shortage of gators though....hmmm.
There was a about 12 inch gator somebody let loose in a pond on campus, guess I'll take my dundee knife and some bait into town and see how things pan out
One dork with campus security already made a try for the monster (they're afraid its gonna eat the cute widdle ducklings!) but splashing around a waist deep pond with a laundry basket was less than successful.
I've got city jerks dumping live bait out in the road in front of my house all the time!
Shortage of gators though....hmmm.
There was a about 12 inch gator somebody let loose in a pond on campus, guess I'll take my dundee knife and some bait into town and see how things pan out
One dork with campus security already made a try for the monster (they're afraid its gonna eat the cute widdle ducklings!) but splashing around a waist deep pond with a laundry basket was less than successful.
HBK
member
Well, one just ate a 12 year old boy in Florida. I think they legalize gator hunting at some point. If they do I want to go and shoot a new pair of boots, maybe a belt too.
KpEng16
Member
I have lived in Florida most my life and have learned that hunting gators is only legal if one receives a special permit from the Fla Fish and Wildlife agency. I am pretty sure one can get in some trouble if found hunting them. I am not 100% sure of this but I think it is true. If anybody else knows for sure...let us know.
-Bill
-Bill
HBK
member
Yeah, I think that's right. You have to get a certain permit and there is a very specific time period that hunting gator is legal. I just don't know when it is. My cousin doesn't hunt much, but he said he'd take me with a buddy of his.
Bruz
Member
Well, one just ate a 12 year old boy in Florida
Forget about the boy, that will not get anyones attention...one just ate a dog (Doberman) there though so that should get some action!
Forget about the boy, that will not get anyones attention...one just ate a dog (Doberman) there though so that should get some action!
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Some history: For decades, poaching for hides kept the population very low, all across the Gulf Coast. This led to a listing of the gator as an Endangered or Threatened (don't remember which) Species. Then, a federal law mandated that the leathergoods-people could only buy serial-numbered hides, and only from the states' wildlife agencies. That pretty much ended poaching.
The gator populations recovered, and they were removed from the "scarce" species listing. The numbers grew to the point that limited hunting could be allowed. I'm rusty as to "when", but the hunting began some 20 years back, more or less...
Obviously, in some areas there is insufficient hunting, but that's true of other species as well; the whitetail deer is a notable example.
The gator populations recovered, and they were removed from the "scarce" species listing. The numbers grew to the point that limited hunting could be allowed. I'm rusty as to "when", but the hunting began some 20 years back, more or less...
Obviously, in some areas there is insufficient hunting, but that's true of other species as well; the whitetail deer is a notable example.
Mannlicher
Member
Gator tail is mighty tasty. I have taken them for years down by Alachua Sink, or Lake Lochaloosa, with a stout stick, rigged with a stainless steel wire, and T handle. The wire is run down the stock, held by brads, and a loop on the end is set. The wood has a spike embedded in the tip, where the loop is.
What'cha do, is sneak up on a sunning gator, that parts easy. Slip the noose over it's neck, and suddenly lean on the stick, driving the spike into the gator's neck. At the same time, you PULL hard on the t handle. The wire noose strangles the gator, the spike helps hold him in (relatively) one position. Depending on the gator, asphyxiation takes about 10 min. Gators cannot expand their lungs on land, like they can in the water, so their lungs are not as full of O2.
This method worked well back in the days when you could not just shoot them. I tried to find a lil one, less than 4 feet overall. You have to watch out for that tail, even a small gator can really thrash you with it's tail.
Back in the old days though, I would just shoot them swimming with a slug from my Stevens single barrel 20ga.
I think most hunters that know what they are doing, use a bang stick these days.
What'cha do, is sneak up on a sunning gator, that parts easy. Slip the noose over it's neck, and suddenly lean on the stick, driving the spike into the gator's neck. At the same time, you PULL hard on the t handle. The wire noose strangles the gator, the spike helps hold him in (relatively) one position. Depending on the gator, asphyxiation takes about 10 min. Gators cannot expand their lungs on land, like they can in the water, so their lungs are not as full of O2.
This method worked well back in the days when you could not just shoot them. I tried to find a lil one, less than 4 feet overall. You have to watch out for that tail, even a small gator can really thrash you with it's tail.
Back in the old days though, I would just shoot them swimming with a slug from my Stevens single barrel 20ga.
I think most hunters that know what they are doing, use a bang stick these days.
rebbryan
Member
i read a book called Game Wars that was about poachers, one of the stories in there said some guy used a .22, so i gues you just shoot em in the head
rock jock
Member
There is a gator season around here every year. During teal season when I am in the marsh I occasionally see a gator that has been snagged by a "trap". They are not happy and will thrash out as you walk by. That is the only time I have encountered aggressive behaviour on their part. The hunting part is pretty uninspiring - you anchor a metal pole to the ground which is attached to a chain with a big hook onto which is slung a half-chicken. Gator tries to eat chicken and hooks himself. You come by in a boat and shoot gator in the head. Then you bring gator to Wildlife check-in station where you proceed to brag about the big gator you got and how big a fight he put up.
Beaker
Member
Gators were classified as endangered, and de-listed in 1987, declared "fully recovered". Leathergoods are still regulated, however, since several of the gator's relatives whose hides look similar are still threatened or endangered.
As a side note, one of the reasons they appeared to rebound so quickly and completely is that they were probably never really in much trouble in the first place. A common hunting method at the time was to cruise around at night with a gun and a flashlight and shoot at gator eyes- they glow red. This was also the same method used to count local populations. Gators are not as stupid as they look, and it's very likely they simply started avoiding lights.
Licenses to hunt gator are expensive and difficult to obtain, though- the focus is on commercial harvest rather than recreational hunting. Best bet is through a charter hunting company.
As a side note, one of the reasons they appeared to rebound so quickly and completely is that they were probably never really in much trouble in the first place. A common hunting method at the time was to cruise around at night with a gun and a flashlight and shoot at gator eyes- they glow red. This was also the same method used to count local populations. Gators are not as stupid as they look, and it's very likely they simply started avoiding lights.
Licenses to hunt gator are expensive and difficult to obtain, though- the focus is on commercial harvest rather than recreational hunting. Best bet is through a charter hunting company.
HBK
member
If I ever get one, I wonder how much it would cost to turn my gator into a nice pair of waterproof boots? Maybe have enough left for a belt or too?
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