Alligator hunting trip
08-29-2008, 01:36 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Maryland\'s Eastern Shore
Posts: 157
Alligator hunting trip
Well we made it back with all our limbs attached!!!! Must say its about as much fun as you can have with your clothes ON!!! We ended up with 4 gators between us all. Jeff got one with his bow and nothing else but the bow. It measured 7'11" and it wanted to do alot of snapping at the boat when we brought it up. I haven't reviewed the tape yet but I'm pretty sure i got most of it on film. Its not easy filming in the dark so ill be waiting to see what i did get. We also got 3 more that went over 10' and those aren't easy to find. Our guide Mike did a great job of finding them and his system works really well.
First night Jeff got his and then 10 minutes later Dale got his a 10'1" male that has been in a fight and his leg was ripped open by another gator. We had to be off that lake by 11pm and pulled up to the doc at 10:55pm with 2 gators. Then it was back to the house for dinner and unload the gators. At about 1:30-2:00 am Jeff, Mike and myself loaded back up and went to another lake. In an hour and a half we had the biggest one we got on the boat a 12'3" male. One spear gun and 2 harpoons later we had him right next to the boat with the flying gaff ready to put the bang stick in him and make him lifeless. Then we had to get that damn 400 lb plus gator in the boat!!!! Now for those that don't know we are only in a 13' air boat. Then it was back to the dock and on home before the sun come up.
Second night we went back out to get Jeff a big one with a spear gun. Went to the lake where we had till 11pm again. Saw one big one but that damn joker was quick and smart and we couldn't even get a shot off. At 11 we where at the doc and headed home to eat and refuel. We left about midnight to fuel up on the way to the other lake and on the way heard some bad noises. Wheel bearing went out on trailer so we limped back home and had to call it a night. Next day we fixed it and cleaned, skinned and cutup 2 gators.
Night 3 we leave about 11pm to head for same lake we got the 12' on and were only looking for a 10' plus gator for Jeff. There were 3 other boats there when we got there and the lake isn't very big and gators are really hard to get then. Being that they had the tropical storm down there the week before there was so much water that we could go in places you normally couldn't. We took out time just cruising around in the grass and trees looking for a big one where other boats couldn't get. We weren't seeing much at all and then finally we run up on what we thought was a good one. Jeff stuck it with the spear gun and then the harpoons. When we brought it up to put the flying gaff on it we noticed the bottom jaw was broke in about 4 places back about 6" from the end. UGLY gator is what we called it!!!! Guess it had been in a fight with a big gator and lost that battle. Don't know how well it would eat and I'm sure it would of died at some point. After finally managing to get its mouth taped shut we got it in the boat. It measured 10'2" and was a FEMALE!!!! Normally females don't have battle scars like the males do. So we were shocked it was a female for that reason and also cause it was so damn big. Mike has been gator hunting for over 24 years and has never seen a female over 9'4" as they just done get that big. Need less to say he was tickled. After we had her in boat we were done. Headed back to the house to unload her and pack up as we have to catch a morning flight and still had to go to walmart to get some things. No sleep that night either.
It was a total blast and i have video of most of it. Only gator there is no video is of mine as i had no camera man. I will post pics here a little bit later. A great way to start the season off i must say.
First night Jeff got his and then 10 minutes later Dale got his a 10'1" male that has been in a fight and his leg was ripped open by another gator. We had to be off that lake by 11pm and pulled up to the doc at 10:55pm with 2 gators. Then it was back to the house for dinner and unload the gators. At about 1:30-2:00 am Jeff, Mike and myself loaded back up and went to another lake. In an hour and a half we had the biggest one we got on the boat a 12'3" male. One spear gun and 2 harpoons later we had him right next to the boat with the flying gaff ready to put the bang stick in him and make him lifeless. Then we had to get that damn 400 lb plus gator in the boat!!!! Now for those that don't know we are only in a 13' air boat. Then it was back to the dock and on home before the sun come up.
Second night we went back out to get Jeff a big one with a spear gun. Went to the lake where we had till 11pm again. Saw one big one but that damn joker was quick and smart and we couldn't even get a shot off. At 11 we where at the doc and headed home to eat and refuel. We left about midnight to fuel up on the way to the other lake and on the way heard some bad noises. Wheel bearing went out on trailer so we limped back home and had to call it a night. Next day we fixed it and cleaned, skinned and cutup 2 gators.
Night 3 we leave about 11pm to head for same lake we got the 12' on and were only looking for a 10' plus gator for Jeff. There were 3 other boats there when we got there and the lake isn't very big and gators are really hard to get then. Being that they had the tropical storm down there the week before there was so much water that we could go in places you normally couldn't. We took out time just cruising around in the grass and trees looking for a big one where other boats couldn't get. We weren't seeing much at all and then finally we run up on what we thought was a good one. Jeff stuck it with the spear gun and then the harpoons. When we brought it up to put the flying gaff on it we noticed the bottom jaw was broke in about 4 places back about 6" from the end. UGLY gator is what we called it!!!! Guess it had been in a fight with a big gator and lost that battle. Don't know how well it would eat and I'm sure it would of died at some point. After finally managing to get its mouth taped shut we got it in the boat. It measured 10'2" and was a FEMALE!!!! Normally females don't have battle scars like the males do. So we were shocked it was a female for that reason and also cause it was so damn big. Mike has been gator hunting for over 24 years and has never seen a female over 9'4" as they just done get that big. Need less to say he was tickled. After we had her in boat we were done. Headed back to the house to unload her and pack up as we have to catch a morning flight and still had to go to walmart to get some things. No sleep that night either.
It was a total blast and i have video of most of it. Only gator there is no video is of mine as i had no camera man. I will post pics here a little bit later. A great way to start the season off i must say.
