Hey 'Buster, we run Dragonslayers of Florida Guide service and guide a number of gator hunters each year. some of these guys got some good advice, some not so good. We were eight for eight with a ten foot average last year with the biggest a 12' 6" dinosaur. (You can see him in the bowfishing photo gallery). The detatchable heads are the only way to go. Don't think that carbon-aluminum Muzzy shaft is indestructible, because it's not. We had a fellow shoot one into a gator last week with a non-detatchable head, the gator dove to the bottom, rolled and broke that $30 shaft like a toothpick. Thankfully, we were able to get another arrow into him later that night and close the deal. On a broadside floater, shoot him from the jowl area to the front leg at or just below waterline. That area is some of the softest hide on a gator. A head shot will result in a bounced off arrow 90 plus percent of the time. A gator swimming straight away is also a pretty common shot. Try to hit him close in behind the base of the skull if possible. An arrow that goes between the plates on the back will definitely hold him if you get the penetration, but that part can be iffy. A big gators back is made of super hard overlaying plates. Once you put a point in him, clear your line and float, let him run and go get the float. You'll probably have to let it go another time or two, depending on the size of your lizard. Don't try to horse him here, because you won't be absolutely sure how deep you point is in. Let someone else pull him to the surface when he's ready and get another arrow or harpoon point in him. Now you can put some serious pressure on him. When he's wore down, we bring him up to within a foot of the surface and bang him right at the base of the skull, grab him by the snout immediately with gloved hands, pull his head over the gunnel and put a knee hard on his snout. I then take a modified chisel and drive it in right behind the skull to sever the spine. The we tape him up and usually put a rope on him and let him bleed overboard for a few minutes. The reason we sever the spine is that reptiles have involuntary movement for quite a while even after they are dead if the spine is left intact. A big one can knock you overboard thirty minutes after he's dead! Now he's ready to load. A gator over twelve feet is quite a handful. One in that range can weigh 6-800 pounds or more. We have a trick for loading the big boys but I won't go into that here. If you're hunting with a guide, he should know how to do it. One piece of advice I'll giveyou is practice, practice, practice and practice some more. Shoot at night into the water with someone else holding thelight. Shoot half full bleach jugs, corks,leaves and make sure to shoot at slightly submerged targets as well. You may get ashot at abig bull just as he is sinking, so you better be able to capitalize. There is nothing that messes up a hunt like poor shooting. It is very frustrating as a guide to scout, hunt and put your hunter point-blank on a big lizard and have him miss at six feet. Anyone interested in a hunt can e-mail me. We have two tags leftfor the '07 season. They are good until the first of November. God Bless and good hunting, dragonslayer1@gtcomnet