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ALLIGATOR HUNTING IN FLORIDA!
Alligators are considered dangerous game in Florida! They are the sort of prehistoric reptilian predator that our ancestors have battled for centuries. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! And what could be more exciting? Doing it at NIGHT from an airboat- the best gator hunting in Florida is done with a guide after dark! You can hunt gator by harpoons, gigs, snatch hooks, spears, spear guns, crossbows or archery equipment and bang stick at night or by rifle or handgun during daylight hours. These hunts are up close and personal. They provide a thrilling hands on adventure. These hunts usually involve an exciting airboat ride at night to locate the alligators. Once located, the alligator must be caught by harpoon with a line attached to a float or shot with a bow equipped with a fishing rigged arrow. Once the alligator is secured with the line, he must be harvested with a bang stick.
This is the most exciting method for harvesting a trophy alligator. Alligator hunts can be done year round on private lands and lakes or during the state season on public lands and waters which requires a state issued tag- these tags are available by application at large in a limited set number so it is important to make your reservations and choices early to make sure your outfitter has a tag for you- preplanning is paramount to have a successful stress free adventure!
A few facts about Alligators! Alligators may occur anywhere there is water—lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps, and even man-made canals. According to the Everglades National Park website, the largest alligator ever recorded in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches, although according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Florida state record for length is a 14 feet 5/8 inches male from Lake Monroe in Seminole County. The largest specimen ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured 19 feet 2 inches. A true dinosaur! The general family Alligatoridae first appeared about 35 million years ago.
When the Spanish explorers first began to trek across Florida and into North America about 500 years ago, they discovered “dragons,” dubbing these giant hard-to-kill toothy reptiles, “El Lagarto,” or “the lizard.” Over the centuries, English-speaking people corrupted the Spanish phrase into “alligator,” known to scientists as “Alligator Mississippi” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed alligators from the Endangered Species List in 1987, there are over 1,300,000 alligators in Florida alone- the average lifespan for an alligator is 50 years. In the state of Florida, it is illegal to feed wild alligators at any time. If fed, alligators eventually lose their fear of humans and learn to associate humans with food, thereby becoming a great danger to people. .
DANGEROUS GAME!
Alligators are considered dangerous game in Florida and should be treated as such, with respect at all times- an alligator can outrun a horse over a short distance! Alligators primarily hunt at dusk or during the night and will eat just about anything including fish, frogs, birds, turtles, insects, snakes, small mammals, other alligators, white-tailed deer, wild hogs, and sometimes people’s pets. Alligator Hunting in Florida are agile and can be good climbers! Adults have been known to climb fences to get to water or escape captivity. Fences should be more than 4.5 feet tall if you are attempting to keep alligators out of your yard and away from your pets.
More than 200 unprovoked alligator attacks on humans have been documented since 1948, with 17 resulting in fatalities. There have been 11 people killed by an alligator in the past 53 years in Florida. Five of the deaths have been children under age 12. But don’t worry too much!! Did you know that an average of 150 people per year are killed worldwide by falling coconuts? Or that from 1959 to 2003, lightning killed 425 people in the Sunshine State. With proper care and using common sense alligators can be viewed, enjoyed and hunted safely in Florida’s natural beauty!
Alligator Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound alligator meat, cut into chunks Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flour, for dredging
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot sauce
- 1 bottle store bought ranch dressing for dipping
Directions
Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Lightly season gator meat with salt and pepper prior to dredging them in flour. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce into 1 mixture. Dip the gator meat into the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture and dip, once again, in flour. Then place in deep fryer until golden brown, just a couple minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with ranch dressing.
![Fried Alligator Tail- Yummo!]()
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Fried Alligator Tail- Yummo!
Some people think that alligators are just good for their skin to make leather. They’re wrong. Little do they know that their meat is delicious! Alligator meat is a lump of exotic meat like ostrich meat and venison since they are not available in plenty of countries, and they are not normally found in markets and grocery stores. Such meats can only be acquired after gator hunts or purchased from small commercial alligator farms.
Alligator can be quite exotically tasty. Because it is not among the readily available staple meats though, only a minor few eat it and even fewer know how to cook it. The internet is the richest source of information on recipes using alligator meat. Among these are the usual recipe sharing websites and websites that provide information in preparing game meats.
Most recipes using alligator meat would normally make use of the tail part. In fact, the tail of the alligator, which is the most common part being sold, is considered as its tastiest and most tender portion. To those who do not have yet much experience in preparing alligator meat, you can always choose recipes that are the easiest to prepare like fried alligator tail.
Fried alligator tail is easy to prepare – just like cooking fried chicken. Prepare the alligator tail, cutting them into 2-inch squares. Mix a batter using two eggs and a cup of flour. Also add a teaspoon of lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste, and blend the ingredients together until no lumps appear before adding half a teaspoon of baking powder. In a skillet, pour cooking oil and allow it to heat to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then fry the meat until golden brown.
As soon as you get accustomed to its preparation, you can endeavor to try more tricky recipes like soups, steaks and more. Not only is this exotic meat deliciously good, but it also has low fat and cholesterol content, making it a healthier substitute for beef and pork, and is even considered as a healthier option to chicken. The next time you hunt alligators or visit an alligator farm, try to grab some gator meat and prepare your own homemade exotic alligator dish at home.
![Fried Alligator Tail- Yummo!]()
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Gator Season
Alligator hunting is among the most dangerous and challenging sports enjoyed by humans. It is especially thrilling to hunt an alpha predator but can be very dangerous mainly because, well, these are aggressive predators with powerful jaws, thick scales, and powerful bodies. Still, year after year, thousands of people go alligator hunting.
You can arrange for a hunt with a guide who will process the necessary permits and bring the necessary equipment. You can also go along in the public water hunts encouraged by the Florida conservation commission to check the population of these creatures. These public hunts are held all over Florida, in lakes, wetlands, marshes, rivers, and other locations from August to November. A permit needs to be obtained even for this public hunt.
Most people choose to go hunting during the daytime to reduce the risks of becoming the prey but thrill-seekers arrange for night hunts. Hunting during the night can be doubly challenging, doubly exciting, and doubly dangerous, too. Still, many hunters consider night as the best time to hunt if you are really looking for a challenge.
The best time of year to alligator hunt in Florida is during the peak season – from August to October. However, hunts are actually available anytime from April to November. Still, the state allows some guides to hunt outside this season – nuisance tags – and some private farms to allow hunting year-round.
Aside from Florida, alligator hunting is also legal in Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana. In Texas, the season is set from April to June and September. In Georgia and Louisiana, you can hunt alligators from September to October only.
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Safety in the Field
Safety is extremely imperative during outdoor activities such as hunting. Those who love hunting frequently are known to spend their time with dangerous weapons, but they are nevertheless included when practicing safety measures. Hunters should always be a step ahead with their actions, as a result, those who are well experienced are encouraged to introduce safety trips to new hunters, who are coming along for the hunt. Here are a few basic rules that hunters should follow at all times.
First of all, hunters should treat their disarmed gun or bow with the same respect that they would with those which are loaded. In addition, hunters should assume that their weapon is always armed. Keeping this in mind can help prevent accidental shooting accidents. Next, hunters should never point their crosshairs at anyone when unloading their weapons. This is simply because accidents can happen anytime and anywhere.
Never to Safe
The third rule applies to the actual hunt. It is important to have the presence of mind and keep an eye on the target. That is not the time to be jittery and unsure when handling the weapon. Fourth, hunters should clearly identify their target before taking it down. This is important since there are a large number of individuals and animals that are mistakenly shot by game hunters every year.
The fifth thing you should think about is ear safety. Many hunters will sacrifice their hearing just to hear animals coming. Hunters should put a soft protective earplug in the ear which is closest to the hunter’s weapon.
Lastly, always keep your gun clean and well maintained. When unloading the weapon make sure to leave the chamber open. Then, check for any foreign materials inside the barrel. In the event that the weapon is accidentally dropped, automatically dismantle, clean, and put it back together to prevent mishaps from happening. As with any piece of hunting gear, a clean weapon is a functional weapon.
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Alligator Hunting :
One of the most exciting and dangerous Gator hunting expeditions is alligator hunting, a sport popular in the state of Florida. The state has gained recognition as a model program for the sustainable use of a particular natural resource. This is because of its statewide alligator harvest program.
The first thing you need to do before hunting alligators is to check the requirements, that the state has for the sport. Although you will not need a Florida hunting license. You are required to have an Alligator trapping license and appropriate tags. Each permit allows the holder to hunt for a maximum of two alligators.
If you are not familiar with the layout of the area where you plan to go hunting for alligator, it is best to hire a professional guide. This would not only ensure that you’ll be able to find where the alligators stay. But it will also keep you in a safer position in this dangerous hunt. Check if the gator hunting guide has the necessary safety equipment. Many of the guides also help the hunters process the necessary permits and rent out swamp boats.
Alligators may be hunted using a rifle, gun, bow or trap. However, the most preferred equipment is a rifle that can shoot the alligator from long ranges. A gun or a rifle also allows for more humane killing of the alligators.
Can we hunt alligators in Florida?
Because it spans across millions of acres of land across Florida. There were specific parts of Florida that allow alligators to be hunted. However, gator hunting is not allowed out of many City and State Parks. The State parks aim to be a safe haven for all different animals, including raccoons, birds, alligators, fish and more.
At the end of the trip, you’ll receive the best souvenir: alligator hide to display at home or convert to clothing accessories plus alligator meat to share with friends and family back home.
Gator Season
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The Hunt is on….from an Airboat!
There are two ways approaches to an alligator hunt – either over water or on land. Because alligators spend more time in water than on land, most gator hunters favor to hunt them while they are in water. A common means of hunting alligators over water is from an airboat which takes hunting directly on the water. Hunting alligator from an airboat is a preferred manner of gator hunting since it is more convenient in terms of mobility especially at night.
Alligator Habitat and Hunting Tours
Alligators’ natural habitat is the wetlands. Some of the places where they can be found include canals, water retention areas, ponds, lakes, marshes or swamps. In areas where they thrive, there are usually airboat operators that charter their airboats and offer alligator hunt tours whether during the day or night. These operators usually offer a hunting range that cover acres of swamps, lakes and rivers in both private and public properties. Normally, hunting packages come complete with a tour guide, an airboat and equipments.
Choice of Hunting Weapons
Compared to hunting on land, hunting alligators from an airboat differs the hunting method significantly. While hunters can use shotguns, rifles, pistols, gigs and even hook sets when hunting on land, there are communities where hunters on airboats are not allowed such weapons especially at night and in public waters. In such areas, legal weapons that can be used for alligator hunting include the compound bow, re-curve bow, crossbow, detachable-head harpoon or bang stick. This makes alligator hunting from an airboat even more thrilling as the case is not necessarily a one shot-one kill scenario.
Essential Hunting Gears
Whether hunting for gators on an airboat or on land, much of the gears used are the same. Aside from carrying the legally regulated weapons, gator hunters are also advised to wear sturdy, close-toed shoes with a good grip when it gets wet. Some gator hunters wear waterproof clothing to help protect them from getting wet and from the cold especially when hunting at night. Hunters are also advised to wear camouflage or dark clothing especially when catching gators using a harpoon or arrow so as not to be easily seen. Other gears needed include an alligator tag, water, snacks, rope, a knife, tarp, and coolers with ice especially when planning to skin and process alligators on board.
Remember, alligator hunting is regulated and therefore hunters must abide by the laws. Hunters must also familiarize themselves with the laws because regulations for alligator hunting differ from one state to another.
