Gator Season 2010

[Flatsdaddy]

My Dad and I just finished gator hunting for the year. His was 6'4" and mine was 5'9". We got drawn for a late hunt so the bigger ones were pretty wary.

We hunted Lake Wimico and the Jackson River in NW Florida. We have killed bigger gators in the past, but it was still a blast.

We hunted out of my Alumacraft 1648.

 

[Quackrstackr]

Nice.

Did that one shred your dad's arrow?

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

Nice!

We didn't get tags this year but next year we get double tries so maybe there is hope that we will get out there on the gators one day!

 

[Truckmechanic]

You are braver than me....

 

[Froggy]

cool, what are you doing with it?

 

[Flatsdaddy]

Nice.

Did that one shred your dad's arrow?

Yeah, Dad's arrow pretty much got shredded. They are solid fiberglass and nearly impossible to break too. That was some major torque.

cool, what are you doing with it?

In Florida you have the option to sell your gators (2 per permit) to licensed dealers. We keep and clean ours to eat. We also keep the skulls. You can sell just the hides if you know how to skin them without messing them up, but we don't.

It's some good eating

 

[Jim]

Awesome! Can out of staters get a license?

 

[Flatsdaddy]

Awesome! Can out of staters get a license?

Yes, but it's pricy. It is about $1000 for an out of state permit. In state is about $271. That's for 2 gators.

My dad is out of state, but he can hunt under my permit with a $51 subagent fee (since I have the in state). That means we each get a gator for about $160 each.

After I get my initial permit at $271, I can buy additional permits for about $60 if there are any left after the draw period. There never are though.

There are a lot of guides offering hunts, but I don't know how much they are.

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

nice!

one thing ive always wanted to do..

 

[lswoody]

Very nice!!! Congrats!!!!

 

[switchback]

Congrats on the other white meat! We can put in for them here but I haven't yet. I think me and a buddy will put in next year. I been wanting some gator for a few weeks now, so when we went out last night to eat I had to get some :LOL2:

 

[lucescoflathead]

What make and model of bow did you use? Thanks.

 

[Flatsdaddy]

57 lb Patriot recurve. It's made by Archery Traditions in Athens Ga. I've had this one since about 1993. I don't know if they are still in business.

 

[lucescoflathead]

Thanks for the info. Todd

 

[Outdoorsman]

As I am in Wisconsin I do not know much about gator hunting. My question is if anyone here has seen the new "Swamp People" television show. It follows gator hunters in the swamps....I watch it mainly for the awesome jon boats on the show...

I know that TV somtimes exagerates reality for a good show. How can the guys on the show take so many gators (I am thinking some sorta commercial operation?)...and is baiting them legal for the average hunter..

If I ever had the chance, I would give it a shot....

Outdoorsman.

 

[Flatsdaddy]

As I am in Wisconsin I do not know much about gator hunting. My question is if anyone here has seen the new "Swamp People" television show. It follows gator hunters in the swamps....I watch it mainly for the awesome jon boats on the show...

I know that TV somtimes exagerates reality for a good show. How can the guys on the show take so many gators (I am thinking some sorta commercial operation?)...and is baiting them legal for the average hunter..

If I ever had the chance, I would give it a shot....

Outdoorsman.

Those are definitely commercial operations. Those guys have a ton of tags. In Florida, you can shoot gators if you have private land tags. I don't know about the baited hooks.

In the Florida public land statewide hunts you have to draw a tag that allows 2 gators. Your harvest options are basically: a snatch hook, bow (or crossbow), harpoon, or a 2" baited wooden peg (this is an old time method where the peg is swallowed and acts as a toggle to pull the gator up). These methods allow you to attach a line to the gator so you can pull him in and dispatch him with either a bang stick or by cutting the spinal cord behind the skull. You can't be in possesion of a firearm at all because it violates our gun and light laws.

The swamp people do have some awesome boats.

 

[Panhandler80]

Flatsdaddy... you have a PM.

Thanks

PH80