Bowhunting Gator
 

Does anyone know what pound test line I should use with my bowfishing rig for gators?

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

What kind of reel are you using???
If you are using a retriever, I use 400# fast flight..Works great..
If you are using a closed face, one like the new muzzy, I use 200# fast flight in it, works good..

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

i use a closed face and always usee #200 no matter what im going after. and hunterO that is a good lookin gator

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

go to www.backwaterbowfishing.com email him and ask him about this hes an expert!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I'm an alligator outfitter in Florida. www.deepsouthoutfitter.com My clients use my crossbow and I never use anything but muzzy's #600 cord. I have used the #300 before and lost gators in the hydrilla and had it break one time when it wrapped around the gator. Big gators do all kinds of crazy stuff so use the best you can get everytime. I book 30 hunters during the season and everyone loves it, it' s awesome.

Good luck,
Billy

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Just curious what do you do with a gator after you shoot it??

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

YOU EAT IT!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Nice Gator. We harvested 8 last year between two of us.4-7'+, 2-5ft, 1-9ft, 1-4ft.Got lucky and both of us got our 2 quota tags and then got two more tags each that were left over. We ended up gigging all our with poles that had removable muzzy tips attached to a piece of climbing rope. Worked great.

I stood in line again this year and got lucky again and got 2 more tags for my county. I don't want to gig them this year. I want to shoot them with my bow. I'm planning on rigging up my old hoyt and putting one of the old school open face reals with 35yds of 500lb fast flight/dacron attached a aluminum wrapped fiberglass arrow with muzzy tip on one end anda bouy/float on the other. Bouy will be laying below me in the boat. Just from what we experienced last year most of my shots will be 20yds and in...hopefully less.

What do you guys think of this set up? Will it work? I'm looking at your set ups with the fancy reals and all and that is pricey for 7 days.

Can you shoot a 70# bow with one of those old school reals? I definitly don't want to have to dig a muzzy fishing head out of my arm. Does anyone have any experience with one of these using the 500# fast flight.


What are your guys thought? If you have specific brands of stuff let me know what they are.
Thanks!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I run trips in Florida too and we us nothing less than 600# like Capt. Billy said. For smaller gators you can get away with less, but you never know what you're gonna run into. We needed every bit of the 600 pounds on this one.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Thats a nice lizard for sure. Yea capt. Billy is about 30 miles north of me and he knows his business when it comes to gators. I've seen some of his work first hand. If anybody has any pics of how to rig a crossbow gator getter point to the bolt I need a pic , I have a couple of fellows wanting some crossbow stuff and I don't normally handle it but am thinking about stocking some, but I would like to understand alittle more about it before I spend the $$$$. Thanx for any help you may offer. If you have a pic or two my email is [email protected] Thanx again, #1cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

hi my name is tom.b if you can send me some photo's of you hunting and fishing.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I can do better than that. Go to my website and then call me if you like and I'll be more than happy to talk gator hunting with you. Thanx #1cajun
www.huntfishsupply.com

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Wish I could do some gator hunting... its not legal in south carolina YET, though the government is about to change that.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I've sold gator equipment to some folks there in S.C. but they removed these gators under nuisance reasons at a golf coarse.Later,Cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I'm really going to have to try to get a gator. Hopefully next summer.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

pst Christine.... I got my gator permit for FL this year... invited Frank...

we is gonna git a gator... and you aint!!!:D

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Everybody have a safe hunt and successful hunt this year. This is the first year that Arkansas is having a gator hunt. I've been getting calls from so many states now I lose track. The fever is contiagous (sp), but its exciting. Good luck everybody and enjoy it. Later #1 cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

someday...

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Sure, invite Frank and not me. [&o]

You going with an outfitter/guide?

Getting it video taped? Knowing you two wingnuts, it would be most entertaining.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

outfitter/guide?!?! we don't need no stinkin outfitter/guide.... we is wingnuts!!!

video tape?? heck, doubt highly either one of us is smart enuff.... may be able to get my neighbor to video it...


its a consolation prize for Frank since we dinna go to Spain this year.... life got in the way for both of us.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Hey Swamper, use the AMS slotted retriever with 600 lb. spectra. Make sure your head is detatchable, shoot for the soft hide from the jowl to the front leg, if possible. I am a licensed captain and gator guide and have two tags left for the '07 season is anyone's interested in an exciting hunt of a lifetime. They are good until the first of November. You can see some of our gators in the Huntingnetbowfishing photo gallery, the AMS Archery website, the Muzzy bowfishing website among others. We do swaps as well. [email protected]

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

One more thing, if you use a closed face reel, odss are pretty good that your reel, bow and maybe even you will wind up in the drink with an extremely agitated alligator!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I'll

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Here's what you're looking for Swamper

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Heres a couple of pics you can see..

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Nice lizards! If I could figure out how to do it I'd post some more pics but I guess I'll have to get my kids to do it!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Those are some monster gators....We just don't have as many monsters like that up here in the panhandle. I did get a 7'2" last week though. That's a average size gator up here and it's a very good gator with archery equipment. Most of the monsters up here are caught by snatch hooking them. I have no desire to get one that way. Much funner to trolling motor up beside one while he is swimming along and stick it to him! May not be as big but they fight just as good. We worked a 10+ footer a few nights but just couldn't get her to cooperate. 25yds was as close as she was coming.

Glad to see you guys are having some success.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Mine are all from the panhandle " The pics" and are bow kills..I have hunted by Bristol for 10 years on private ground and have hunted by Appalachicola for 2 years..There are some big ones in that area, I have hunted Lake Jackson, Lake Seminole andLake Ockichobee and alot of private ground.. I Love it..Lots of fun..

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

All of them are nice lizards. I have some pics that were sent in to me to put on my website. I've gotten some of them posted but not all of them yet. Congrats on ya'lls lizards. Later #1 cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

I'm up here in Santa Rosa County. You guys have way more gators than us down south of here. We also have a state licensed trapper in our area that had already taken over a 100 gatorsthis year the last time I heard and that was early July. That's a lot of gators for us to lose.

Did you guys see the one that was killed in Eufala Alabama last week. 12' 8" 560lbs.Theres an article on Al.com under the outdoors section today.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Can you post the full website where that story is> I'd like to read it. Thanx, cajun

gator
 

Still trying to get those pics up, HELP!!

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Here you go. If you look around there are a few pics of him out there. They had one on the al.com front page this morning but I can't find it now.
http://www.al.com/outdoors/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1188722772211350.xml&coll=2

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Thanx, I appreciate the help. Cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Here's a couple of gators I killed in Louisiana earlier this month:

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Thats some nice pics and nice lizards. Congrats on your success. Some of the folks that I provide equipment to have taken some really nice ones this year too. The biggest so far was a 12'7" and alittle over 600 lbs. I'll see if I can find the pic of it.Thanx for the posting. #1 cajun

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

Hey Buster, that's a good'un. I see you dont have a reel on your bow or arestraining line in the gator. How do they do it in La.? Do they set hooks or what? I also see a blood spot between big boys eyes. I know my .44 mag bangstick won't penetrate the skull of a big one, I bang 'em right behind the back edge of the skull angling forward.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

H.O.,hope you're not running the buzz boat in Apalach, Franklin County has an ordinance that makes it illegal, thank God.

RE: Bowhunting Gator
 

We caught them both on bait lines...............not exactly how I wanted to do it, but because of how dirty the water is with duck weed , pretty much our only option. I did put a float into both gators,just incase the set line would have broke, with the smaller one there was really no need, we got him on land and i put two through the lungs, then got him taped and he was done.........the big guy had 1 fish arrow and 3 carbon express tipped with hellrazor heads in him,(one passed completely through) never could subdue him enough to get him taped and my guide was worried he might bust the line, so i reluctantly opted to shoot him with his 9mm (better safe than sorry) If you watch the video clip i posted, you will see all of the arrows were right behind the head and should have clipped the spine, but i guess i was off just enough it didn't incapacitate him..............If i ever do it again, I want to go to an area where i can do it without the set lines and only with the bow.

here's the vid clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJm71llRg3g