The only firearm you are allowed to use in Florida to take an alligator is a bang stick, and it can only be used when an alligator is attached to a restraining line. If you want to use raw meat as bait, you must wrap it around a wooden peg that is less than 2 inches long.
In this post
What is the best bait for alligators?
The most commonly used baits are chicken quarters or beef melt. Approximately 30′ of line is tied off to the bottom of the structure while the baited hook end is suspended about 1-2′ above the water surface. Most hunters hang the bait higher at the beginning of the season to prevent smaller gators from taking the bait.
What time of day are alligators most active?
between dusk and dawn
Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, so plan accordingly to reduce the chances of running into them. Although many Floridians have learned to coexist with alligators, the potential for conflict always exists.
How do you bait alligators?
Legal Harvesting Methods: Alligator Hook and Line
In some cases, hunters will use poles, branches, or trees to suspend bait as well as provide for a stationary object for securing the end of the line. The most common used baits are chicken quarters and beef melt.
Do alligators swallow hooks?
To increase success, baited hooks should be set in the evening and left overnight during the primary feeding time of alligators. Once swallowed, the hook lodges in the alligator’s stomach and the alligator is retrieved with the attached rope.
What do you hunt alligators with?
The use of a hook and line is the most common method. It involves securing a sturdy hook and line to a tree or pole in the ground. The hook is commonly baited with fish or chicken quarter. After the bait is taken, the hunter returns to draw in and dispatch the gator.
Are alligators attracted to period blood?
It will definitely attract alligators. Especially during mating season (May-August). Be very careful. It is highly recommended that all menstruating women wear a diaper in addition to a full wetsuit too help cover the scent of their menstruations.
Which part of Florida has the most alligators?
You can rest assured that each one is home to gators. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, Lake George near the St. Johns River in northwest Florida has the most, with more than 2,300.
What months are alligators most active in Florida?
From April to June, gators all across Florida will be more active with the start of the mating season. During these months, you are much more likely to see alligators.
How are alligators killed for meat?
A brutal hunt.
Harpoons and crossbows are popular weapons used to attach a restraining line to an alligator. The use of snatch hooks (weighted, treble hooks attached to a line and used to puncture the alligator’s skin) and baited wooden pegs are also commonly used.
Where is the best place to shoot an alligator?
To safely and humanely dispatch the alligator aim for the center of the spine directly behind the skull plate. Do not shoot through the skull plate. The skull of an alligator is very dense bone and fragments may ricochet.
Can I shoot an alligator in Florida?
(1) A person may not intentionally kill, injure, possess, or capture, or attempt to kill, injure, possess, or capture, an alligator or other crocodilian, or the eggs of an alligator or other crocodilian, unless authorized by rules of the commission.
What are alligators afraid of?
Alligators have a natural fear of humans, and usually begin a quick retreat when approached by people. If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly. It is extremely rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land.
How high of a fence can an alligator climb?
You may wonder, “Can alligators climb fences?” Just have a look at this video: Alligators can climb chain link fences. Period. Some of them can climb a 5 feet high chain link fence without any major difficulty (however it’s not typical).
How do you hunt alligators in Florida?
The legal methods of take for alligators include: Fishing rods using a weighted treble hook. Fishing rods using artificial lures.
Legal methods of take for participating in Florida’s statewide alligator harvest program include:
- Bows.
- Crossbows.
- Pre-charged pneumatic airbows.
- Gigs.
- Harpoons.
- Spears.
- Spearguns.
Why do alligator hunters use a 22?
Most use . 22 rimfires because the sound does not carry so far in the dark.
How much is an alligator tag in Florida?
The alligator trapping license/harvest permit and two hide validation CITES tags cost $272 for Florida residents, $22 for those with a Florida Resident Persons with Disabilities Hunting and Fishing License, and $1,022 for nonresidents.
Can you use a rifle to hunt gators in Florida?
Alligators are hunted with either rifles, crossbows, harpoons, or archery. Florida alligator hunters can hunt day or night in Florida.
How do you tell if an alligator is in the water?
Scour the Shore
Since alligators spend most of their time sunbathing on the shores, there are often telltale signs of their presence. Some of these markings might include large indentations or gouges in the ground and sliding marks where they reentered the water.
What do you do if you see an alligator while swimming?
Hold very still. If you are in the water and you see an alligator passing by, stay as still as possible until it has moved on, then get out of the water immediately. If you can avoid drawing attention to yourself, chances are the gator will leave you alone.
Can an alligator bite you underwater?
Crocodilians have a special valve at the back of their throat (a palatal valve) which stops water from entering the throat. This means that any crocodilian species can open its mouth and bite even when submerged, and the majority of crocodilian attacks occur this way.