Alligator hunt/hide processing cost?
03-26-2022, 11:39 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 6
Alligator hunt/hide processing cost?
Hi all, I'm new here and new to hunting, so if I get a term wrong or sound like I dont know what I'm talking about - it's probably because i don't, because all this is new to me - hence me being here trying to learn 
Anyway, my bf and I want to go alligator hunting & right now I'm doing research. We want to go somewhere in Texas as it'll be easier for us travel-wise.
The prices I'm seeing right now are about 1000-1250 for a 7-10 foot gator (with price going up a lot once they get past 10 feet), about 120-200 per night for food and lodging - both of which sounded reasonable. But then when i looked into processing i was a bit shocked at the prices. One place quoted me 900 for the hide tanned, the skull defleshed & cleaned, and 10 lbs of meat. Another place wanted even more.
That would make the total 2500 minimum.
Do those prices sound right? I need a place that does food & lodging as we'll be driving a ways to get there. Oh - my bf will be using a gun, but if i take a gator I'd be using a bow - and one place said if i wanted to use a bow it was an extra 1k
which just makes no sense to me.
My question - does all of that sound legit? The prices, paying way more to use a bow, it being super expensive to tan the hide...
If you know of a place a bit cheaper could you let me know? I wasnt blinking at the 1k for a gator or the lodging price, but once you add almost another grand to tan the hide and ANOTHER grand just to use a bow, it starts to seem like its more money than its worth
thanks in advance for any info.
Anyway, my bf and I want to go alligator hunting & right now I'm doing research. We want to go somewhere in Texas as it'll be easier for us travel-wise.
The prices I'm seeing right now are about 1000-1250 for a 7-10 foot gator (with price going up a lot once they get past 10 feet), about 120-200 per night for food and lodging - both of which sounded reasonable. But then when i looked into processing i was a bit shocked at the prices. One place quoted me 900 for the hide tanned, the skull defleshed & cleaned, and 10 lbs of meat. Another place wanted even more.
That would make the total 2500 minimum.
Do those prices sound right? I need a place that does food & lodging as we'll be driving a ways to get there. Oh - my bf will be using a gun, but if i take a gator I'd be using a bow - and one place said if i wanted to use a bow it was an extra 1k
which just makes no sense to me.My question - does all of that sound legit? The prices, paying way more to use a bow, it being super expensive to tan the hide...
If you know of a place a bit cheaper could you let me know? I wasnt blinking at the 1k for a gator or the lodging price, but once you add almost another grand to tan the hide and ANOTHER grand just to use a bow, it starts to seem like its more money than its worth
thanks in advance for any info.
03-27-2022, 03:59 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
It is more expensive to take take a gator with a bow because it is more work for the guide. Taxidermy work is expensive and it does not pay to look for the cheapest place to get it done because once your trophy is screwed up it is that way forever, you cannot unrig the bell.
03-27-2022, 04:51 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 6
It is more expensive to take take a gator with a bow because it is more work for the guide. Taxidermy work is expensive and it does not pay to look for the cheapest place to get it done because once your trophy is screwed up it is that way forever, you cannot unrig the bell.
As for the more work for the guide thing, if they catch the gator with a line and then once he's caught, you just walk up and shoot him, i don't understand why that would be more work? Is there something I'm missing? I'm still debating if i want to pay that.
03-28-2022, 03:25 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
I did some gator hunting in FL. The one in the pic below was a right at 9 ft long.
All I kept was the skull bleached out. Sold the actual skin for $18 a foot which paid for getting the skull done. I kept about 15 lbs of the meat and let the guy I went with keep the rest. Couldn't tell you what the going rate is now.
All I kept was the skull bleached out. Sold the actual skin for $18 a foot which paid for getting the skull done. I kept about 15 lbs of the meat and let the guy I went with keep the rest. Couldn't tell you what the going rate is now.
03-28-2022, 04:27 PM
#5
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 4
Hi all, I'm new here and new to hunting, so if I get a term wrong or sound like I dont know what I'm talking about - it's probably because i don't, because all this is new to me - hence me being here trying to learn
Anyway, my bf and I want to go alligator hunting & right now I'm doing research. We want to go somewhere in Texas as it'll be easier for us travel-wise.
The prices I'm seeing right now are about 1000-1250 for a 7-10 foot gator (with price going up a lot once they get past 10 feet), about 120-200 per night for food and lodging - both of which sounded reasonable. But then when i looked into processing i was a bit shocked at the prices. One place quoted me 900 for the hide tanned, the skull defleshed & cleaned, and 10 lbs of meat. Another place wanted even more.
That would make the total 2500 minimum.
Do those prices sound right? I need a place that does food & lodging as we'll be driving a ways to get there. Oh - my bf will be using a gun, but if i take a gator I'd be using a bow - and one place said if i wanted to use a bow it was an extra 1k which just makes no sense to me.
My question - does all of that sound legit? The prices, paying way more to use a bow, it being super expensive to tan the hide...
If you know of a place a bit cheaper could you let me know? I wasnt blinking at the 1k for a gator or the lodging price, but once you add almost another grand to tan the hide and ANOTHER grand just to use a bow, it starts to seem like its more money than its worth
thanks in advance for any info.
Anyway, my bf and I want to go alligator hunting & right now I'm doing research. We want to go somewhere in Texas as it'll be easier for us travel-wise.
The prices I'm seeing right now are about 1000-1250 for a 7-10 foot gator (with price going up a lot once they get past 10 feet), about 120-200 per night for food and lodging - both of which sounded reasonable. But then when i looked into processing i was a bit shocked at the prices. One place quoted me 900 for the hide tanned, the skull defleshed & cleaned, and 10 lbs of meat. Another place wanted even more.
That would make the total 2500 minimum.
Do those prices sound right? I need a place that does food & lodging as we'll be driving a ways to get there. Oh - my bf will be using a gun, but if i take a gator I'd be using a bow - and one place said if i wanted to use a bow it was an extra 1k
which just makes no sense to me.My question - does all of that sound legit? The prices, paying way more to use a bow, it being super expensive to tan the hide...
If you know of a place a bit cheaper could you let me know? I wasnt blinking at the 1k for a gator or the lodging price, but once you add almost another grand to tan the hide and ANOTHER grand just to use a bow, it starts to seem like its more money than its worth
thanks in advance for any info.
03-29-2022, 04:24 AM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 6
I did some gator hunting in FL. The one in the pic below was a right at 9 ft long.
All I kept was the skull bleached out. Sold the actual skin for $18 a foot which paid for getting the skull done. I kept about 15 lbs of the meat and let the guy I went with keep the rest. Couldn't tell you what the going rate is now.
All I kept was the skull bleached out. Sold the actual skin for $18 a foot which paid for getting the skull done. I kept about 15 lbs of the meat and let the guy I went with keep the rest. Couldn't tell you what the going rate is now.
somehow i pictured a 9 footer as smaller but thats a big boy, lol. 
04-11-2022, 09:03 AM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 6
boyfriend can't go anymore It's still a few months away so who knows, maybe things will change and we'll still get to go. I was already picturing the matte black alligator purse i was going to make, lol. Plus I was just looking forward to getting away and being in nature. I grew up in the country and live in the city now, and I miss being in the outdoors.
It's still a few months away so who knows, maybe things will change and we'll still get to go. I was already picturing the matte black alligator purse i was going to make, lol. Plus I was just looking forward to getting away and being in nature. I grew up in the country and live in the city now, and I miss being in the outdoors.