Jim_IV

Nice gator!

StoredEnergy

WOW! Good job on that. Any chance we could get a blow by blow to learn about the hunt!

How much did it weigh? Did you need to use a bang stick to finish it off?

Congratulations. There is a lot of muscle and a tiny little brain... very dangerous game indeed

SE

Capt. Billy

I get asked the question alot about what goes on before, during, and after one of my guided gators hunts. How you typically get close to the animal and what equipment is used during the hunt. Being a full service outfitting service for alligator hunting in Florida and catering to some 40 hunters each season I've decided to put together this detailed layout to send out to my schedule new hunters as well as folks interested in booking a hunt to give them a better idea as to what goes on and what can be expected of them during this very exciting adventure.
With that, lets start at the very beginning. I require a hunter have there deposit in place and be on the schedule before June 1st of the season he or she plans to hunt. We apply for and pull our tags the first week of June and the season is scheduled to begin around mid August. Once my tags are issued, I call all my clients and give them there hunting date options. They get to pick there dates in order that there deposits are recieved. Although this may help some folks in getting prefered dates, there is no best time to come. My hunters harvest as big of gator the last day of the season as the hunters do who have the first days. Once the schedule is set, the guides hit the lakes and rivers at night to start scouting for the biggest and baddest gators we can find. We put in more the 30 night of scouting before the season opener to insure we have located trophy sized animals in all our hunting areas. We generally look for 10+ foot alligators but really like to find those old dinosaurs that will measure over 12 feet and can weigh in at more than 500 pound.
August 15th this year I'll have the first group of hunters showing up at camp. We begin the afternoon with an hour long hands on senario of whats going to go down for the next several nights. The training starts with an introduction of all the gear that we will use for the harvest of the gators and what the hunter will need to know to stay safe while handling a dangerous animal with more than 3000 pound per square inch of crushing power in its jaws. We will go over the crossbow and how the 600lb test spectra fiber line is stored in the canister that is attached to the bottom of the bow. Each hunter gets to fire the crossbow as many times as needed from the bow of the boat into a target on the ground. The bow is aimed with an Eotech halo style sighting system that is very easy to use and deadly accurate in the 5 to 15 yards range we will be shooting from. Once comfortable with the crossbow, we move on to the harpoon and the proper way to use it to assure the release tip ends up in the gator were it belongs. After that, a .357 caliber power head it used to finish the deal and kill the alligator. Before putting the animal fully onboard, a chisel is driven in behind the head to cut the spine to insure that the gator is completely dead.
Just before dark we head to the hunting area and get started. The night begins with a quick reminder of the location in the boat I prefer the hunter to stand and how I want the bow handled. After making a run to the place we had scouted out for our opening night hunt, we power down the outboard and start our hunt. An electric bow mounted trolling motor is used to get close to the gators. I have a headlight on and once I see a gator of interest, I begin to call to the animal with a grunting sound. When he hears it he quickly turns in our direction. It's then that I can see the distance between the gators eyes and determine if he is worthy of a closer look. I like to see 6 to 8 inches between the eyes but can really tell his size on closer inspection by the distance between his snout hump and hump at the eyes. That measurement in inches usually equates to his body lenght in feet, more or less. I also want to see the mass of the gators head and jaws to determine if it is really a huge animal with alot of ago on it.
After the animal is determined to be a shooter, its game on. Watching the gators body language, I use my calling to draw him closer and closer as I quietly troll in to shooting distance. Arrow placement has already to disscuss during training so once I feel that he is as close as his will get the hunter is cleared to take the shot. Now, with an animal that has had his territory intruded on by what we feels is a threat now being struck by a 1200 grain fiberglass filled aluminum arrow, he gets pretty upset in a hurry. It's hard to say if the gator will explode and leave the area or continue to charge the boat and eat what has bother him. The arrow impact really sets the scene for what to come in the next half hour. The great thing about this hunt is unlike a deer hunt where you pull the trigger and the deer is dead, the excitement has only just began for the hunters onboard who just shoot this animal.

After the shoot has struck home, the hunter puts on a pair of tight fitting glove and get his hands on the harpoon. The harpoon is equipt with a realease tip and a heavy line with a float attached. This tip, similar to the tip on the arrow simply has a stronger line attached as a secondary line incase the arrow was to pull free. Once the hunter is ready with the harpoon, we chase down the float attached to the arrow and fight the gator back to boatside. With pressure, the gator will usually make several hard runs and 30 minutes or so later will begin to tire down. The hunter is instructed to hit the gator with the harpoon as if he was trying to drive it threw the planet. Point being, bury it deep to insure a strong connection.
Typically after all this a big alligator is getting pretty worn down and not alot of fight left in him. But don't think its over yet, they can still be very dangerous and the work isn't quit over yet. The next step is fighting the gator once again back to boatside. This time a catch pole is used to secure his head for a shot from the .357 power head. The hunter is given the loaded devise and a shot behind the head is placed. Although not always enough, one pop usually works and the hunter can reach into the water and pull the gator by the head up onto the side of the boat. Thats when the hunter is given the hammer and chisel and can go to work in the spine just behind the skull. Once completed, the gator can then be pulled up lenght wise ontp the gunnel of the boat and secured with black tape around the mouth and legs. A tag is then put in place in the tip of the tail and measurements can be taken to see what its lenght is. All hope that it will exceed 10 or more and pictures can be taken.
The animal is then roled into the floor if the hull into a canvas body bag and zipped up tight. We make the trip back to the launch site and then head for the processor where arrangments are made as to meat processing and any taxidermy work that the hunter may what to have done. Typically a hunter can trade the hide from his gator for a trophy head mount a full meat processing and packaging withouty cost at all. There are also shoulder mounts available, full rugs or even full body mounts. A hunter can spend anywheres from $250 to $2500 in these options or simple get his mounted head and meat back at no charge.
As mentioned before, this is an amazing hunt at an amazing time of year in Florida. In the swamp land at night you will see and hear things that only folks from Florida ever experiance. For a northern hunter, it is the wildest hunt one can ever encounter with huge alligators charging in from there hiding places to defend there tuff as I intrude in and call to them. Hundreds of references can attest to the rush you will have when the monster get within feet of the boat and sometimes even crash into the side of the hull with there mouth wide open. There's truely nothing like it to be hunted and it's a must do for any big game hunter.
If you are interested in more info on a Florida alligator hunt with Deep South Outfitter you can log on to www.DSOoutdoors.com or contact Capt. Billy Henderson at (352) 257-6999 for more information. The webite has pictures and more details as well as other hunts offered my Deep South Outfitter.

BungalowBizz

That was one toothy critter. Great gator.

Rebel Hog

Hey Cap, we have them that big down here in the Hillsborough River!