2014 south florida gator season Pic added 10-28

Ok here is the one we got this past weekend 10'4" :beer:

Here's the worst kind of question from the worst kind of questioner - a city boy from the north. Once you got 'em what do you do with 'em? Seems that there would be a market for the skin (hide?) but do you eat them? Sorry to be such a rube but we don't have things like that where I come from (and you don't learn if you don't ask!).

Gator nuggets!

Send some up this way! :LOL2:

https://www.lacrawfish.com/Alligator-Nuggets-1-lb-P186.aspx

bobberboy said:

Here's the worst kind of question from the worst kind of questioner - a city boy from the north. Once you got 'em what do you do with 'em? Seems that there would be a market for the skin (hide?) but do you eat them? Sorry to be such a rube but we don't have things like that where I come from (and you don't learn if you don't ask!).

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Gators are like pigs nothing goes to waist all the meat, hide, claws, etc. are used in someway.

Meat is very yummy - and gator ribs are to die for. :beer:

So I'm glad I asked...you get to eat them if they don't eat you first. I can't think of a single northern counterpart to this. Even the biggest, ugliest snapping turtle doesn't get close and besides, you have them in the south. Most things hunted in my neck of the woods (excepting bears) aren't potentially lethal. I don't even have enough friends to help drag a thing like that out of the water! Not having grown up around something like this makes me want to say that if I ever saw anyone drag anything out of a northern lake that weighed nearly a half ton I'd never go near the water again. Ever!

There are buyers all along the gulf coast, they will buy whole gators or just hides. Lots of folks sell the gator whole then buy back a little meat and the head for a skull mount. I prefer to skin my own and keep the meat.

Lowe 2070 CC said:

There are buyers all along the gulf coast, they will buy whole gators or just hides. Lots of folks sell the gator whole then buy back a little meat and the head for a skull mount. I prefer to skin my own and keep the meat.

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That brings to mind another question. In AR, they won't allow the selling of any wild game. I'm not 100% sure on the "any" part, but I've never heard of any you could sell. So I'm wondering if your state allows this, do they also allow the sale of things like duck or deer meat? I understand this doesn't apply to people that do it commercially, but they pay a higher price for that commercial license.

bobberboy said:

So I'm glad I asked...you get to eat them if they don't eat you first. I can't think of a single northern counterpart to this. Even the biggest, ugliest snapping turtle doesn't get close and besides, you have them in the south. Most things hunted in my neck of the woods (excepting bears) aren't potentially lethal. I don't even have enough friends to help drag a thing like that out of the water! Not having grown up around something like this makes me want to say that if I ever saw anyone drag anything out of a northern lake that weighed nearly a half ton I'd never go near the water again. Ever!

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LOL! I suppose you're right about the difference in growing up in the south verses the north. Gosh, there are gators in every lake & river east of Fort Worth! Living 1/2 way in between Dallas & Shreveport, LA, yes, we have a few gators in our lake too. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. Against the law to kill them in Texas though, except on private waters that are being a nuisance. They are scared, unless you hem them up, or a momma sitting on her nest. It is good white meat. Especially Cajun style....blackened alligator tail. Not far to LA to get some to eat!

Keith
Tyler, Texas

Selling of Animals Native to Mississippi

It is unlawful to buy, sell, offer for sale, or exchange for merchandise or other consideration, any game animal, game bird, or game fish (regardless of whether it was taken in or out of Mississippi), except as follows: the skins and sinew of legally taken deer may be bought or sold at any time, products crafted or made from deer bone or antlers not in velvet may be sold, any part of a wild turkey, except the meat may be bought or sold, and any parts of nuisance animals may be bought or sold. The carcasses of raccoons, opossums, and muskrats may be sold for food during the open trapping season, and for 10 days after the close of trapping season. It also is illegal to buy or sell any non-game wildlife native to Mississippi, or any mounted game animals, game birds, or game fish.

In regard to Alligators specifically: Obtaining CITES Tags after the harvest

Obtaining CITES Tags:A federal CITES tag is required to be attached to the hide near the end of the tail if being sold to a licensed alligator parts dealer/processor or prior to transportation across state lines. A CITES tag(s) will be mailed to you upon receipt of your harvest report. CITES tags may also be obtained from Regional Offices in person, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

•The wildlife agencies of Arkansas and Louisiana have specifically approved that properly licensed hunters with legally harvested alligators with properly attached
temporary possession tags are legal to transport through their respective
states for the purpose of processing.

The person who possesses an "alligator possession permit" may sell the alligator or any parts thereof to:

1. anyone licensed to buy alligator hides or parts within their state of residence
2. any licensed agent alligator trapper, or alligator farmer/rancher
3. any person in MS who possesses a MS Fur Dealers License.

Only commercially processed meat from a licensed facility can be sold, all hides parts skulls etc must be marked with the tag# and hunters information.

TexasLoneStar56 said:

bobberboy said:

So I'm glad I asked...you get to eat them if they don't eat you first. I can't think of a single northern counterpart to this. Even the biggest, ugliest snapping turtle doesn't get close and besides, you have them in the south. Most things hunted in my neck of the woods (excepting bears) aren't potentially lethal. I don't even have enough friends to help drag a thing like that out of the water! Not having grown up around something like this makes me want to say that if I ever saw anyone drag anything out of a northern lake that weighed nearly a half ton I'd never go near the water again. Ever!

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LOL! I suppose you're right about the difference in growing up in the south verses the north. Gosh, there are gators in every lake & river east of Fort Worth! Living 1/2 way in between Dallas & Shreveport, LA, yes, we have a few gators in our lake too. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. Against the law to kill them in Texas though, except on private waters that are being a nuisance. They are scared, unless you hem them up, or a momma sitting on her nest. It is good white meat. Especially Cajun style....blackened alligator tail. Not far to LA to get some to eat!

Keith
Tyler, Texas

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Texas has an alligator season just like Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas etc.. Not just nuisance gators.

RECREATIONAL REGULATIONS
OPEN SEASONS
• In Angelina, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Victoria counties (referred to as ‘core’ counties), the open season is from September 10 through September 30. This season also applies on any property, regardless of county, for which the department has issued hide tags directly to the
landowner (referred to in this publication as special properties).
• In all other counties (‘non-core’), the open season is from April 1 through June 30.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
• NO person may possess an untagged alligator hide or undocumented alligator part except as provided by the Parks and Wildlife Code or regulations of the department.
• NO person may hunt an alligator in this state unless that person is in possession of a valid hunting license.
• NO person may hunt an alligator in a core county or on a special property unless the person is in physical
possession of at least one valid, unused alligator hide tag per taking device employed by the person.
• In non-core counties (except on special properties) alligators may be taken ONLY on private property and ONLY with the consent of the owner of the property.
• On all properties that are not special properties or in core counties, no person may employ more than one taking device at any time to hunt alligators.
BAG LIMITS
• Core counties*: One alligator per unused hide tag in possession; or
• Non-core counties*: One alligator per person per season.
*NOTE: The core county bag limit applies to any property, regardless of county, for which the department has issued hide tags directly to the landowner. On special properties, the core county bag limit applies.

Thank you for that information. I was aware there was a some sort of season in the Southeastern counties (Chambers, Galveston, ect...). Down by Orange, Beaumont, Port Aurthur, Galveston. Plenty of gators down there....right by the LA border. We are only 4 miles from the Sabine River, which dumps into Sabine Lake at Port Aurthur, then to the Gulf. Plenty of Big gaters in the Sabine River (along with other creatures that go bump in the night!) :shock:

I was unaware of any tags available for public waters, as our game wardens have told us it is a fine of $175 per foot. I'll sure check into it though! Would be nice to have some meat in the freezer. Maybe I better read my new TPWD handbook for this year. #-o (before I comment again). :?

Thank you again for your info, and thanks for sharing your pics.

Here are a few pics of the 10'4" while it was being processed.

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing. 8)
I've never seen a gator cleaned before. What are the feet used for?

TexasLoneStar56 said:

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing. 8)
I've never seen a gator cleaned before. What are the feet used for?

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I save the claws for making jewelry - This year I am going to try and save the entire skeleton of the foot and make a display out of it.

Lowe 2070 CC said:

Selling of Animals Native to Mississippi

It is unlawful to buy, sell, ~~~~~~~~~ SNIP ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ must be marked with the tag# and hunters information.

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Very helpful to understand some of that process, thanks for putting it out there.

fool4fish1226 said:

TexasLoneStar56 said:

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing. 8)
I've never seen a gator cleaned before. What are the feet used for?

Click to expand...

I save the claws for making jewelry - This year I am going to try and save the entire skeleton of the foot and make a display out of it.

Click to expand...

Nice, got any pics of some of the things you or others have made from gator parts?

JMichael said:

fool4fish1226 said:

TexasLoneStar56 said:

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing. 8)
I've never seen a gator cleaned before. What are the feet used for?

Click to expand...

I save the claws for making jewelry - This year I am going to try and save the entire skeleton of the foot and make a display out of it.

Click to expand...

Nice, got any pics of some of the things you or others have made from gator parts?

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JM here is a skull I did I will see if I can find anything else

Well Friday night will be my last outing for this gator season - wish me luck gotta fill just one more tag. I will then be moving on the general gun season in search of pigs and dear and of coarse some snipe hunting.

yes snipe do exist! They are little birds that fly like bats - fun as all heck to hunt - see the attached photo and google away.

Here's the last gator of the season 10'6" but skinny, skinny, skinny, may have been sick or something. This one got sold to the processor at the gate 25 a foot.

that one looks a little poor, maybe a Vegan Gator! :LOL2: