A brief hiatus from the mountains to enjoy the beauty and bounty of Southeast Georgia

[whitetailfreak]

6 years after first putting in for Georgia's Quota Alligator hunt my name was finally drawn and preparations began. Fortunately for me I have a close friend who I have taken bear hunting many times with great success and he insisted on taking me gator hunting. He's been going for many years and has the know how and equipment needed so I quickly obliged and plans were set. We left out in the wee hours Saturday morning to make the 6 hour trip and arrived at the boat ramp right at dawn.


This first morning the tide was high and was more of a sight seeing trip with small gators being spotted up and down the river and canals.


We went down the river and tied the boat up at a local seafood joint and what ensued was a seafood feast of epic proportions.


Finally, it's time to go huntin'...or is it fishin?



To be continued a few posts down.......

 

[Silver Britches]

Great pics and some fine eats. We have plenty of gators down here. And I see them where I’d rather they not be.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

I gave up trying to get drawn ! Good luck. Look forward to seeing your success !

 

[whitetailfreak]

Fellers, to say that I was out of my element was an understatement. The mountains are where I'm most at home, where I'm comfortable, and where I know every creek, gap and holler. No clear trout streams were within sight, just chocolate milk colored rivers and canals and I had no idea what layed beneath. I was like a trout out of water here. My friend went over all the safety precautions, and showed me gear that I didn't have the foggiest how to operate but I acted as if I did (snares, handlines, harpoons, fancy lights etc etc). It was a simple thing to spot a gator but my fly rod was nowhere in sight. Instead, I had heavy spinning tackle in hand and there was a learning curve casting such a large hook to just the right spot so the gator didn't duck down. I was not good at first and it took a while to get in a rhythm. Wisely my friend thought it a good idea to catch a small gator so that I could become familiar with how to safely handle and the steps to safely getting it in the boat. He showed me anatomy and when the time came where I was to place the 40 grain bullet.


I have never claimed to be a trophy hunter and don't want to be and that was certainly going to carry over to my first gator hunt. I wanted a legal gator that would be good eating and around midnight my opportunity came. I snagged a gator and the fight was on. After a lengthy battle he came up and I knew this was going to be my first. My friend quickly got the snare around his head and I dispatched him with my .22 Ruger pistol. After securing the jaws with tape I took a moment to admire this magnificent critter and we reflected on the hunt and how it had played out.


This was my first gator hunt, my first time touching a gator or even seeing one up close and what an incredible experience it was. A tip of the cap to you South Georgia folks and those of you who live and hunt from the swamps to the coast and I hope to visit again soon

 

[Toliver]

Congratulations. How long was he?

 

[whitetailfreak]

Congratulations. How long was he?

8 ft

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Congrats!

 

[Silver Britches]

Congrats, man! That’s a good one. I’ve never hunted them, but there seems to be a good population of them.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Man, yeah! What an adventure!

I want to do that one time before I go to the mountain trout stream in the sky, but like you said, I know absolutely nothing about ditch lizards or how to go about catching one without it catching me, too.

 

[whitetailfreak]

Now it's time to start looking up some good gator recipes. Any suggestions?

 

[Nicodemus]

Nice gator. Congratulations.

 

[slow motion]

Congratulations. Cool story too.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Very nice story sir! Thanks for sharing and glad you got a gator!

 

[Railroader]

Now it's time to start looking up some good gator recipes. Any suggestions?

Nice gator! As for eating, I sure hope you saved the jowls and the legs, because that's far and away the best parts!

Slice em up, dust them with salt and pepper, flour, and lightly fry at about 300°.

Keep it real simple, and enjoy!

 

[Core Lokt]

Man, yeah! What an adventure!

I want to do that one time before I go to the mountain trout stream in the sky, but like you said, I know absolutely nothing about ditch lizards or how to go about catching one without it catching me, too.

I have a friend that is a guide here in N FL. I MAY be able to get you a lil break in price. He mainly hunts freshwater lakes. Make a vacation out of it. Go to the coast and enjoy some salt and sand and good eats.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Now it's time to start looking up some good gator recipes. Any suggestions?

Bring about ten pounds of it to your old mountain buddy?

 

[basstrkr]

6 years after first putting in for Georgia's Quota Alligator hunt my name was finally drawn and preparations began. Fortunately for me I have a close friend who I have taken bear hunting many times with great success and he insisted on taking me gator hunting. He's been going for many years and has the know how and equipment needed so I quickly obliged and plans were set. We left out in the wee hours Saturday morning to make the 6 hour trip and arrived at the boat ramp right at dawn.
View attachment 1249181View attachment 1249182

This first morning the tide was high and was more of a sight seeing trip with small gators being spotted up and down the river and canals.
View attachment 1249183View attachment 1249184View attachment 1249186

We went down the river and tied the boat up at a local seafood joint and what ensued was a seafood feast of epic proportions.
View attachment 1249189View attachment 1249190View attachment 1249191

Finally, it's time to go huntin'...or is it fishin?
View attachment 1249193


To be continued a few posts down.......

Choot'em!

 

[antharper]

Heck of a hunt and story ! You must of got your writing skills from your Hillbilly brother !
Y’all sure got a way with words

 

[Big7]

Fellers, to say that I was out of my element was an understatement. The mountains are where I'm at home, where I'm comfortable, and where I know every creek, gap and holler. No clear trout streams were within sight, just chocolate milk colored rivers and canals and I had no idea what layed beneath. I was like a trout out of water here. My friend went over all the safety precautions, and showed me gear that I didn't have the foggiest how to operate but I acted as if I did (snares, handlines, harpoons, fancy lights etc etc). It was a simple thing to spot a gator but my fly rod was nowhere in sight. Instead, I had heavy spinning tackle in hand and there was a learning curve casting such a large hook to just the right spot so the gator didn't duck down. I was not good at first and it took a while to get in a rhythm. Wisely my friend thought it a good idea to catch a small gator so that I could become familiar with how to safely handle and the steps to safely getting it in the boat. He showed me anatomy and when the time came where I was to place the 40 grain bullet.
View attachment 1249198View attachment 1249199View attachment 1249200

I have never claimed to be a trophy hunter and don't want to be and that was certainly going to carry over to my first gator hunt. I wanted a legal gator that would be good eating and around midnight my opportunity came. I snagged a gator and the fight was on. After a lengthy battle he came up and I knew this was going to be my first. My friend quickly got the snare around his head and I dispatched him with my .22 Ruger pistol. After securing the jaws with tape I took a moment to admire this magnificent critter and we reflected on the hunt and how it had played out.
View attachment 1249204View attachment 1249205

This was my first gator hunt, my first time touching a gator or even seeing one up close and what an incredible experience it was. A tip of the cap to you South Georgia folks and those of you who live and hunt from the swamps to the coast and I hope to visit again soon

Awesome story and congratulations on a good Gator. That's a big- un by any standard, much less your first kill.

Georgia, especially south of Macon is a different and unique world. I've been all over the eastern seaboard and west to Chicago and Jackson but NOWHERE compares to South Georgia. Doesn't even matter if you go due south, southeast or southwest- all three are different in and of themselves.

South of the Fall Line is like being on a different planet. Things can go real bad, real quick if you don't have a little experience running around down there.

Again, Congratulations on a massive beast. And just a friendly PSA.... If you are tanning the hide at home, they stink to high Heaven. Might want to let a taxidermist do it for you.

 

[Big7]

Man, yeah! What an adventure!

I want to do that one time before I go to the mountain trout stream in the sky, but like you said, I know absolutely nothing about ditch lizards or how to go about catching one without it catching me, too.

You got about as many in the South Carolina Low Country as anywhere except maybe Florida and Louisiana.

You get a tag and I'll take you. I don't need a tag to be in the boat if I'm not "fishing" We will have to check SC regs on that to be sure.

Getting legal Gators for meat and hide really ain't that hard. When they start getting over 8 foot, that's when its actually WORK.