Lost a Big Seminole Gator

[Gadestroyer74]

That was one Godzilla size gator. It`s possible it was this one. This is one of the three biggest gators I`ve ever seen on Seminole and usually stayed around the area you killed that one. This picture I took a couple of years ago was only a few hundred yards from where your big gator was.


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I’d about bet he got him !

 

[Stickemdeep]

We saw the carcass floating this weekend and that was one of the biggest gators ive ever seen dude, glad to hear it wasnt just killed and the head cut off. Sorry to hear you lost him that was a giant.

 

[jNick]

Man I hate it for y’all. I experienced the struggle of trying to pitch treble hooks on good gators in the hydrilla mats this past weekend. You have to about lay it on their backs and by then they spook. A crossbow would be the ticket. We finally gave up and tried the harpoon. What was the problem with getting the harpoon to stick?

 

[Hunter/Mason]

When I’d pull him up to the boat the hydrilla that came up with him was so big you couldn’t see him. My brother would have to feel around with the harpoon and then when he feel him he would try and stick it. I guess the way he’d come up we were only getting his back and it wouldn’t go in no matter how hard he hit it. He never fought me when I pulled on him just dead weight straight up and down. I guess we should have tried the big hooks at the time I didn’t think we’d get it past the grass. And under him. Wish we would have tried now.

 

[Hunter/Mason]

Didn’t have many teeth left.

 

[Toliver]

That stinks even through the picture...

That really is too bad all the weeds in that lake got in the way and ruined a good catch. It might be pricey, but I wonder if a good taxidermist could make some fake teeth the same way they repair antlers.

If you measure from the middle of the eyes to the nostrils you'll know dang near exactly how long he was.

 

[Hunter/Mason]

Best pic I got from him. I’d say he’s still 2-3” from tip of nose. I bet it’s hard to be around

 

[Nicodemus]

That weren`t no alligator. That was Godzilla Jr.

I`d bet my life that is the gator I saw for a couple of years in the cove west of the Crows Foot.

 

[Toliver]

Nic, correct me if I'm wrong but based on how it would measured with skin, I would say right about the 13 foot mark.

 

[Nicodemus]

Nic, correct me if I'm wrong but based on how it would measured with skin, I would say right about the 13 foot mark.

I`ve never measured one skin off. I only measure with skin on (same with a rattlesnake). Measuring one between the eyes and nostrils is accurate though. Every inch between the two equals a foot. I remember seeing a skull from one back in the mid 1970s that measured 18 inches. He was called the "Okeechobee Cow Killer".

You don`t read about those in the papers, or these days, on the internet....

 

[Toliver]

I mentioned skin because the holes in the skull are a little different than what's showing with the skin on. They're bigger which can throw off the measuring by a couple of inches. If that thing is actually 15 feet, I'd be calling the state because it's likely a record.

 

[Toliver]

I`ve never measured one skin off. I only measure with skin on (same with a rattlesnake). Measuring one between the eyes and nostrils is accurate though. Every inch between the two equals a foot. I remember seeing a skull from one back in the mid 1970s that measured 18 inches. He was called the "Okeechobee Cow Killer".

You don`t read about those in the papers, or these days, on the internet....

Here's my 10 1/2 foot gator that I got in Florida. I estimated the center of where the eyes would be. But this is a skull from one that was measured at the time of kill so it's a known. Something to work with. I'm not taking away from the OP's gator for a second. It's a beast that I would brag about for years to come. Just trying to help him get an accurate measurement.

 

[Hunter/Mason]

Thanks man, hopefully I’ll get the see it before too long.

 

[gma1320]

That is a big ole gator. And stories like this is what makes the campfire so great.

 

[Toliver]

While at the processor, I mentioned this case. The response was, "wanna see it"? Holy cow that's a big skull. I took a picture of it and sent it to Hunter/Mason. Since it's not my alligator, it wasn't my place to post it here. But with his permission, I will now let everyone see the cleaned skull of this monster. Seems it measured out at 13 feet 6 inches.

 

[Triple BB]

What a waste of a tag.

 

[Hunter/Mason]

How do you figure the tag was wasted. We shot it lost it and knew it was gonna die or was dead when it never resurfaced. Hated to waste the animal more than you know no matter how big. Couldn’t have the skull done without tagging.

 

[ryan_beasley]

Fun experiment since my skull was beside the computer. I tried to measure exactly like yours was. This skull was from a 12'10".

 

[ryan_beasley]

This is my wife's 12'2". Just wanted to give you a couple of references to go by.

 

[sleepr71]

Sounds like you did him a favor by taking him out. He barely had any teeth left. I don’t see how he was even eating and maintaining his weight.!