License Fees: South Carolina hunting license, additional $100 for an alligator permit. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. When hunting alligators, it is generally recommended to use . We are thrilled to have you here and we will do our very best to help you navigate the fascinating world of archery. How Strongly Do You Have to be to Use a Longbow? Here are the following Southern states in the United States where you can hunt alligators: If you plan to hunt alligators in Florida, you need to secure a permit which you can begin to apply mid-May. This more than 8-million-year-old species of reptile is native to southeastern United States, and can be legally hunted in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. Russell prefers to use a knife to sever to spine, but gators also can be taken by dispatching them with a well-placed broadhead. Minimum size limit is at least four feet. If you use a smaller caliber rifle, the bullet will simply bounce off of the alligator's skin. It doesn't matter what caliber of rifle you're using - as long as you hit the right spot, the alligator will go down. This kind of precise kill . You cant just pull a live alligator out of the water and throw them into your boat (unless youre Terral Evans). Bowhunter TV host and magazine editor Curt Wells talks with Tom Rainey about two new Cellular Trail Cam models from Browning: the Defender Pro Scout Max and Defender Vision Pro. Jeff Stabile caught the alligator with a bow and arrow after it weighed 155 pounds and was seven feet long. Do not use a broadhead unless you are going to shoot for the soft spot behind the head. Hunters often have a bucket list. . Most hunters hang the bait higher at the beginning of the season to prevent smaller gators from taking the bait. Copyright 2023 Archery Heaven on the Foodie Pro Theme. The hunter must tag the animal immediately with a harvest tag provided by SCDNR for any of the alligator hunting programs. The best place to hunt alligators depends on your budget and accessibility. For example, a smaller alligator may only require a 20-gauge shotgun. It will run through your rest and attach close to the knock of the arrow. Self Healing Insert for the Rinehart Alligator $ 125.00. . The alligator weighed 900 pounds and was aged at 80-years old. They do this regularly, which has occasionally caught bowfishermen off guard. All alligators must be dispatched immediately after capture . As a bonus, the hide on an alligators head doesnt mean anything to buyers and manufacturers, so hitting the kill spot also means avoiding all the money-making bits. Both Land and Russell noted that gators really begin to pack on the weight once they hit the nine to 10 foot mark. Hunting these pre-historic creatures is a favorite activity for the author and his dad (pictured here). Prior to the hunt, Morrell instructed us on the exact time to draw and when to shoot. Dispatching your gator. Be sure to pick one up and see it for yourself! Although Jesse and I were definitely rattled, Morrell kept it together as he expertly untangled the line. a little counter productive, shall we say. Redding Reloading Equipment has added a New 3-Die Set for the 300 HAMRa bottleneck cartridge based on a modified .223 Remington case necked up to 30-caliber. With just 1,000 tags issued and a handful of guides in the state, this can be a tough hunt to pull off if you are not familiar with gator hunting. Depending on your purpose for shooting a crossbow, you will want to take the weight of the bow into consideration. It is a big game animal hunted today that still resembles characteristics of the pre-historic. Aside from the ones mentioned, consider using a bowfishing rest to decrease the possibility of your line catching on conventional rests. Info:myfwc.com/license/limited-entry/alligator-hunt-permit/, Season: Sept. 10-30, 2020 (Core areas), April 1 June 30, 2020 (Non-core areas), License Fees: Resident annual hunting $25, Non-resident $315. Restrained is defined as an alligator that has a noose or snare secured around the neck or leg in a manner that the alligator is controlled. Its part hunting and part fishing, and by whatever definition you choose, bowfishing is growing in popularity throughout Tennessee and across the nation. Therefore, the bigger the distance between their eyes, the larger they are. Kings Archery Pistol Crossbow - With a full complement of bolts, this pistol crossbow comes ready for your survival kit. Gators also shy away from bright lights. When the gator tires out, you haul it to the boat and bangstick it. Furthermore, make sure that you are in an elevated position as you shoot the alligator to ensure good penetration. If you are using a bang stick, load it with a bullet and get ready. Please note that only a few states in the USA do not prohibit alligator hunting. Pay attention to the gators positioning prior to making the shot with the harpoon. In South Carolina, they select hunters thru a preference-based computer drawing method. Land knows lower draw weights can still . I shoot a crossbow for gators an have harvested more then most. var sc_security="efab815e"; Compounds with no sights or stabilizers may shoot in this class; Max Yardage: 25 yards +/-10%; Same for both men & women . They do not entertain applicants with ages lower than 16. Legendary Teca Gator Location. "You ready, girl?" Often, these alligators are nuisance alligators that have been relocated. In Zone 1A, the minimum isat least 96 inches. Unless you break the spine on the first shot do not expect to kill a alligator with an arrow any other wound will take hours for the animal to die (even direct heart shot) I worked around alligators for years and the quickest way to kill one if you dont own a bangstick and dont want to shoot it with a gun is to pull it alongside the boat or onto the bank an cut the spine with a VERY sharp axe . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 80lb Self Cocking Pistol Grip Alligator Crossbow Adjustable Stock with Bolts at the best online prices at eBay! Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries issues alligator tags only to hunters who own their land or who have permission to hunt someone elses. Then he kills it with a bangstick, essentially a long stick that fires a round when he presses it to the top of the gators skull. John Currier, an expert gator hunter from Louisiana, anchors a 1,000-pound-test line to a tree and hangs a baited hooktypically raw chickenabove the water from a PVC rod (you can use bamboo or fiberglass stakes too) and sticks it into the bank of a canal or swamp. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. . However, hunting alligators is unique and may require more from you to ensure a successful hunt. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Youll face additional expenses if you plan to hire a guide to aid you during your hunt. Not adhering to the laws could result in costly fines and jail time. Also, it is the responsibility of you as the hunter, to understand and implement the legal techniques for harvesting a gator. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Bowhunter team relives successful past elk hunts with Cross Mountain Outfitters. The most common method way to dispatch a tethered gator is by using a bang stick. Bellow is a table showing all animals and which size group they belong to and which weapon to use for perfect kills. You can use archery gear, hook and line or firearms other than shotguns. It just might not have looked that way, since he made it look so easy. But accuracy here is keyyou must hit a spot on the gators head, perfectly between the eyes, thats about the size of a quarter. More popular methods include using spears, spearguns, harpoons, gigs, bows and crossbows. Twenty permits were issued to 1,800 hunters who applied. Although this really didn't surprise me, one thing was certain, no one was more proud of her than me. Because many hunters shoot too soon or take their eyes off their sights (which can easily happen when a trophy gator is within mere feet), Morrell squeezes his hunter's shoulder when it's time to draw, and then squeezes again when it's time to shoot. This gator target was a feat. If they were annoyed before you shot them, then theyll only be more annoyed afterwards. Capture methods are restricted to hand-held snares, snatch hooks (hand-held or rod/reel), harpoons (with attached line), and bowfishing . Securing An Archery Target: 5 Things To Put Behind It, Horton Supermag Crossbow - Price & Models. It is vital to remember that it is your responsibility as a hunter to practice the legal techniques for hunting alligators. Thats a different experience altogether. What none of us expected was that over 10 inches of rain would fall over the weekend! It can all happen in a flash, so keep your eyes peeled. Shooting delicious catfish is also legal in Kentucky. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. An alligator has one vulnerable spot for a shot, at the back of the head where the spinal cord can be hit behind the thick skull. "Texas has the perfect climate for alligator gar and they grow large there," White says. With Jesse's legs and hands still visibly shaking, I asked her which was more exciting, shooting her first deer or gator? In addition, public alligator season permits cannot be used on lands enrolled in the Private Lands Alligator Program. Here are the following things to know if you plan to hunt alligators in Texas: They rarely give out a lot of alligator permits in Mississippi, and you are lucky enough if you get drawn. The Buyer's Guide to Crossbow Nocks: 5 Things to Look for. Applicants must be at least 16 years old in order to apply. Once a reptile is caught, it must be hauled next to a boat or bank before it can be killed. Gators, especially large ones, can hold their breath for periods of more than an hour. The season bag limit in Mississippi is only two and better yet, book a guide as soon as you get drawn since they fill up quickly. Required fields are marked *. "Just like buck fever, some hunters can't handle the pressure and are rendered completely immobile.". Get as close as you can to the animal and when the reticle turns red, throw your lasso at the animal. Another option is to hunt on an alligator farm. After arriving in Panama City, Jesse and I watched it pour down rain all day from our hotel room. Although my 6' 4" gator was a little bit smaller than my daughter's, the experience was huge! We were only on the water for an hour when JD spotted the red eyes of a big gator about 100 yards across the lake. It is important to note that all points used in any of these methods of take must be attached to a restraining line. While others may assist the permitted hunter, all participants (including permittee) must possess a valid South Carolina hunting license. Curt Wells is hunting mountain caribou in the Northwest Territories and is entertained by a young grizzly along the way. Gator hunting is popular in Louisiana and there are plenty of guides. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Some people would hunt the alligators and then come in and skin them and then pull the meat off of them, and do everything you gotta do, and sell them on their own . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In Arkansas, you must be a resident or hold an Arkansas Sportsmans Lifetime Permit to apply and all successful permit applicants must attend a mandatory hunter orientation class. But, in the season finale, when he kills 10 alligators with 10 bullets, we were witness to something really special. If you have an alligator hunt on your mind, youll need to make a game plan as you have only a few options to get it done. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. When Troy Landry, Willie Edwards, and the other stars of Swamp People catch an alligator on a hook baited with rotten chicken, pull the line in, and wrestle the beast to the side of their boats, their work is far from done. Shoot straight down or from the front, and even if you hit the kill spot or the brain location, you still might not get through. The weapons allowed here are only: You can only use bang sticks and shotguns to dispatch alligators. It may take all night before you get the opportunity on a gator you want to harvest. Russells philosophy is if a good sized gator dives and reappears 25 to 30 yards away still swimming, it is scared and probably wont be caught. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. At this point, the gator was totally dispatched. Jesse hit the gator right between the shoulders a perfect 10-ringer! Thus, you can notice that there are some states in the USA that legalize hunting them. Moreover, hunters can hunt alligators over four feet. In the long-run, of course, an alligator may die from a shot to one of those soft spots. Hunting hours for alligators in Florida run from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Buy some good headlamps and be ready for a long, exciting night. You can use rifle, handgun, bang stick or bow to harvest your alligator. Crossbows. If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! "I love gator hunting," said McCulloch, who owns an . An alligators skin is like armorbullet-proof armor. Hunters participating in the Public Alligator Hunting Season may take alligators in public waters and on private land where permission is granted, but alligator hunting is prohibited on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and USFWS wildlife refuges. The reason for this is because alligators have very tough skin, and it takes a lot of power to penetrate it. . Legal methods of take for participating in Florida's statewide alligator harvest program include: Bows. He moves toward the bow, finger pointing to a disturbance 20 yards . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. More on this: Like any hunting game or hobby, follow your states regulations to avoid legal trouble. Roger McCulloch skipped a grizzly bear hunt in Alaska to drive 18 hours to Florida with one mission: shoot an alligator with bow and arrow. Watch as Dudley navigates the long distance, wind, and small target area for the ultimate gator shot!FOR PRODUCTS USED IN THIS VIDEO CHECK OUT THE NOCK ON STORE HERE - https://shop.nockonarchery.com/AND FOR MORE ARCHERY COACHING AND TIPS VISIT THE SCHOOL OF NOCK HERE - https://nockonarchery.com/school-of-nock/ Affordable compared to other states with higher amounts imposed on non-residents, There are separate hunting seasons for core and non-core areas, Those who hunt in the non-core areas have a bag limit of one alligator for every person per license year, Alligators captured on a taking device such as a line set, gig, snare, or lawful archery equipment need immediate kill. If you are going to shoot them in the head, use a field . Morrell hunts out of an 18-foot, aluminum jon boat. After you have narrowed down which state is best for you, contact guides or do further research if you are planning a DIY hunt. . As Morrell tried to calm down Jesse (and her daddy), he said, "Now the real fun begins. Ricky Brule shows Bowhunter Magazine Editor Curt Wells the new Gen Integrate 8 and 8X Series arrow rests from Vapor Trail Archery. Remember that it can cost you jail time and hefty fines if you dont adhere to the law. Give a Gift They optimize the camouflaging effect of their sleek black skin by appearing only at night, preferring to veil themselves further under heavy rainfall. So . Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) showed Lake Seminole was one of the best for success rates and average gator length. Knock another arrow and keep hunting. Meanwhile, the largest bow-fishing record for alligator gar measured even bigger than Bill's rod-and-reel specimen. Required fields are marked *. However, if you cant achieve the ideal angle, you can opt for a broadside, quartering, or quartering-away shot placement. Always pay attention to the alligators position and aim accordingly. But, if a good sized gator dives and doesnt reappear right away, they arent going far and are worth waiting for. Patience also comes in handy as you will most likely have a few blown stalks before you successfully arrow a gator. As our mid-August hunt drew close, the weather around Panama City, Florida, looked bad real bad. Alligators may be found all across Mississippi. It's just like playing tug-of-war." State law allows the transfer of tags as long as the tag owner is present. When they do this, you can do a quick snapshot against the gar to see if you can't bag it. In Louisiana, the fees are pretty cheap, but Louisiana Wildlife Fisheries only issues alligator tags to hunters who own their land or those with permission to hunt someone elses. what do you do? For more info: kenetrek.com. Harvest Methods. Avoid harpooning the gator in the head and focus in on the back or body of the gator to ensure good penetration. Your email address will not be published. um . If you plan to hunt alligators here, you must know that using baited hooks is illegal. The 17-year-old Williams opted for the bow-and-arrow method. Your goal now is simply to put the harpoon in the gator. "A regular bowfishing bow setup for carp shooting is . Curt Wells travels to Mexico to finish his "Deer Slam" by taking a coues deer. Research the different states that allow gator hunting. They are now flourishing and widely hunted throughout the southeastern United States. Arkansas, Alabama and North Carolina have a season. FWC has an annual lottery for 5,000 alligator tags that they sell statewide. Following up on the success of the popular Corrie boot, the Kenetrek faithful asked the company to create an all-leather version of it. Aim for the back of its skull, which is above its spine. But again, just after sunset the torrential rains started to taper off. There are guides within the state. I Personally have probably set up more xbows specifically for alligator hunting then most any bow shop around. Joe Genzel You can use archery gear, bang sticks, or handguns to dispatch the animal. Shot placement. Then you bring the gator to the boat to shoot it or bangstick it. If you are now determined to hunt the alligator you spotted, it would be wise to shoot the animal on its back for an ethical and instant kill.
where to shoot an alligator with a bow