fmdog44
Well-known Member
- Location
- Houston, Texas
Beside the flooding high water also brings these critters out
One More Reason To Not Live In Louisiana
- Thread starter fmdog44
- Start date
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Wish I could have gotten one that big back in my gator hunting days!
Saw a few in that size range, but they never let me get anywhere near them, not in season anyway.
That is a big gator, thanks for the picture.
Saw a few in that size range, but they never let me get anywhere near them, not in season anyway.
That is a big gator, thanks for the picture.
Tish
SF VIP
- Location
- Rural N.S.W. Australia
Wow! That thing is huge.
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Good grief, what the hell is that thing eating?
Everything that it can.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Right! Whatever he wants...
Alligatorob
SF VIP
I hunted in Florida and we could not use firearms, except for a bangstick for the final kill.
I did it with a crossbow with heavy metal bolts and 600 lb test line attached to a buoy. Shot the bolt into the gator and then let him drag the buoy around for a while. After a bit I'd grab the buoy and let him drag the boat around until he got tired. Usually tried to stick him with a harpoon or something so he had 2 attachments, in case one came off.
When he got tired we'd pull him up and hit him with the bang stick right behind the head where the spinal cord attaches. The bangstick I used had a 357 round, that would not penetrate the skull on a bigger one, you had to get them through the spinal cord. That would usually stun them allowing you to grab the mouth and pull it onto the boat's gunnel.
Then we'd tape the mouth and using a knife make sure the spinal cord was detached from the skull. Then let him bleed for a while in the water and finally pull him into the boat. With a big one none of this was easy... The biggest I ever took was in the 10 ft range, the one in the picture was probably 12 ft or a little more.
Could take a few hours. And all was done at night in the dark, and the best hunting was with no moon, very dark. Even with the crossbow the range was limited, could not shoot with accuracy more than about 25 ft, and not at all beyond 50.
Gators are reptiles so even with the spinal cord cut and blead they are kind of still alive. They can thrash and kick for hours. Bite too, that's why the mouth has to be taped shut. I suspect the heart beats a long time.
And snakes?
Yes, a snake's nervous system doesn't die when the snake dies. People have chopped off a venomous snake's head & been bitten while playing with it. Just as bad as if the snakes bites while alive. There is a compression muscle around each venom gland that automatically squeezes the venom out through the duct & hollow fangs when the jaws bite down.
Sassycakes
SF VIP
- Location
- Pennsylvania
I am even afraid of squirrels,I would drop dead if I saw an alligator or a snake.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Absolutely, same as a gator!
I once killed a rattlesnake and cut his head off. The body continued to try and strike me, even without a head!
I no longer kill rattlesnakes most of the time, they are just a part of nature.
Oh it only seems that way because you haven't. Once seeing them they are not as intimidating as you imagine. I took a number of people alligator hunting who had never seen anything like it before, all did well.
The toughest thing was when a gator went into a death role and the lines wrapped round the bangstick. I managed to hang on, but it was damaged and unusable. Had to subdue the gator beating him on the head with the anchor. The novice who went with me on that trip never came back...
Are you afraid of any disease you think a squirrel might carry, or the actual squirrel?
The park I walk in has squirrels that are so used to people, they gently take food out of my hand. Some of them stand on my shoe while I feed them.
I love ALL rodents. They're so cute!Chippies are my buds
Snakes....no way
Several years ago I went into my basement to check a plumbing pipe. I was eating a Persian Cucumber. A huge rat walked right up to me & stood on his hind legs. I handed him the rest of my cucumber. I expected him to run away with it, but he stood right there & ate it.
Yeah, we had plenty of mice, rats, wood rats, at the cabin.
One night I heard a noise.
Turned on the flashlight
Big mouse, on his hind legs
Walking thru the kitchen
Gave me a look, like 'don't let me bother you, jus' gettin' a snack'