here’s nothing quite like the hunting, a friend and I volunteered to To our surprise, this “runt” turned satisfaction and adrenaline take a tag holder (whom neither of us out to be an 8’1” male. My hopes of Tof pulling that giant beast knew) in my boat on opening night of a giant for the tag holder was out of the water and into your boat the 2011 season. None of us had ever over. Since a legal runt tag is for a gator after a thrilling fight! It’s what keeps hunted alligators before, but we had between 4 and 7 feet in length - and alligator hunters coming back night done our homework and thought we is unethical and illegal after night, year after year - the hope were up for the task. We were eager when bow hunting alligators - this one and anticipation of landing that to try out all our new equipment. We had to fill his trophy tag instead of the once in a lifetime monster! I’ve been were armed with my Hydro Strike runt tag. It was a rookie mistake on our hunting alligators for years and have bow fitted with the AMS Big part, but the tag holder wasn’t totally witnessed a substantial increase in Game reel and loaded with Fast Flight disappointed. His only goal was to fill interest in the sport over recent years. 400 pound test line. This was a his two tags, and he was thrilled to When I first started alligator hunting, designed with a buoy attached that complete that goal later in the night. you only had one day to fill your tag. completely detaches from the bow For me, this was a lesson learned. There weren’t as many people that when deployed (much more suitable There is no catch and release with a ADRENALINE & the Driving Force of Alligator Hunting

BY SCOTT BERRY

did it, and the information about it for alligator hunting than a regular gator that has been shot with archery was sparse. Now, the time you are bow fishing rig). The arrow was a solid tackle, so make sure you know the given to fill your tag is 10 days, and fiberglass shaft equipped with a red size of your target before you shoot! there is more information about glowing Luminock, and tipped with Since that first night, I have learned products, equipment and hunting an Interlock 3 blade grappler fishing a lot about hunting alligators, mostly techniques. The sport is growing point. through trial and error. I now have had and the interest is skyrocketing. I’ve It didn’t take us long that night to the experience of putting forty tagged definitely learned a lot since I first find a gator that we all agreed would be gators in my boat. And still, estimating started. I’ve made adjustments to my a good runt to harvest. The tag holder the size of a gator in the water is tough. equipment and techniques based on my decided he wanted to try shooting the For this reason, I hardly ever use a bow successes and failures, but one thing gator with my bow, so I got the boat to harvest a runt because of that tough that has remained consistent from the close to the gator. He made a great four lesson I learned on night one. beginning is having a bow and arrow yard shot in the back. After a short Maybe surprising to some, using in my boat. fight, we dispatched the gator, got him a bow and arrow to harvest large The very first time I went alligator in the boat and measured his length. alligators can be very effective,

îì Ó ×ÍÍ×ÍÍ×ÐÐ× ÞÑÉ Ø ËÒÌÛÎ Í « ³ ³ »® îðïè especially in certain habitats. Although grass or lily pads where throwing buoy was our saving grace. Each time a rod and reel is the most common fishing rods can be difficult or even the buoy would re-surface, we could method of hunting alligators, when impossible. I have lost gators that grab the line and continue the fight. hunting in high grass, sunken timber broke 150-pound braided Eventually, he got tired and we were or heavy debris, it can become tricky using a rod, but never had a gator able to dispatch her 11-foot trophy. I’m to keep from breaking lines. This is break my archery tackle. I’ve had hooks confident this hunt would have turned the prime reason I like to have a bow bend, break, or just come out, but with out much differently had we been when alligator hunting. Losing your a well-placed arrow I have never lost a hunting only with a rod and reel. trophy because of a broken line is heart gator. Hunting alligators with a bow breaking. I can remember taking a friend The extra strength of the 400 to 600 and his wife (who was the tag holder) pound bow fishing line compared to hunting on a small river with lots of the smaller line on a rod and reel can debris and logs. The gator we were be the difference between harvesting a after dove under the logs and would gator or never seeing him again after then come back up for air on the other ANTICIPATION

Photo: Jessica Leggette the Driving Force of Alligator Hunting

alligator that weighed 792 lbs and was 13’5” being removed from trailer to be weighed. long. Also pictured are Scott Berry and Jesse Photo: Scott Berry Phillips. Photo: Ricky Flynt side. He continued swimming down has its advantages and disadvantages. river, weaving below logs and other For some hunts, a bow is absolutely Ricky Flynt measuring the length of Robert debris. I have lost many gators with essential – and for others its not measured 13’ 1 1/2” long and 756 lbs. this type of behavior when using rod needed at all. But as for me, I will never and reels, but on this occasion we be on an alligator hunt without having that gator swims through debris or had a well-placed arrow fitted with my bow handy, and I encourage all under logs and breaks your line. Bows a floating buoy attached to the end alligator hunters to add a bow to their also work great when hunting around of the line. That heavy duty line and arsenal if they aren’t using one already.

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