Fat 11'-8.5" southern coastal gator...
WELL ON THE SECOND TRIP OF THE YEAR WE FINALLY GOT A NICE SOUTHERN COASTAL GATOR.... LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE HUNTED THERE, AND EVERY TRIP I HAVE SEEN NICE 11-12 FOOTERS, AND EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE DONT GET THEM.....WELL NOT THIS TIME...
WE STARTED EARLY, WAS AT THE SPOT IN TIME TO WATCH THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF SUNDOWN.... WE STAYED ON GATORS ALL NIGHT, BUT NOTHING I WOULD EVEN CONSIDER SHOOTING.... AND MOST WERE VERY SKITTISH.... WE GOT UP ON SEVERAL SMALLER GATORS IN THE 6-8 FOOT RANGE BUT HELD OFF FOR A BIGGER ONE....ABOUT 12:00 I WAS ABOUT READY TO CALL THIS TRIP A DUD AND HEAD FOR THE HOUSE, BUT DECIDED TO STICK IT OUT FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES SINCE THE WIND HAD CALMED DOWN AND THE MOON WASNT AS BRIGHT AS EARLIER IN THE NIGHT. IM GLAD I DID, WE GOT ON 6 OR 8 GATORS WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES IN THE 7-8 FOOT RANGE... STILL NOT THE BIG BOY....
SEEN TWO SETS OF EYES IN THE MOUTH OF A SMALL CREEK AND FIGURED THEY WOULD BE SMALL ONES LIKE WE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT ALL NIGHT.... WE GOT A LITTLE CLOSER AND WE KNEW THIS WAS THE ONE. WE GOT SET UP FOR THE STALK, MY DAD DREW THE BOW BACK, HE STARTS TO GO DOWN AND THE ARROW FLEW. STRING CAME TIGHT ABOUT A FOOT FROM THE GATORS NECK, AND HE BUSTS OUT TOWARD DEEP WATER. DAMN DAMN DAMN.... WE I GRAB THE BOW AND START TO RE RIG THE LINE AND THEY SPOT HIM, HE IS HEADED FOR DEEPER WATER.... FINALLY I GET THE THING RIGGED UP, HAND IT BACK TO HIM, AND LOOK UP AND THERE IS THE OTHER GATOR, JUST 20 YARDS AWAY, AND HE IS A STUD TOO!!! WE EASE UP TO HIM, HE DRAWS BACK, GATOR IS SWIMMIN AWAY FROM US JUST AS FAST AS WE ARE TROLLING.... WE GET AS CLOSE AS WE ARE GONNA GET AND HE SHOOTS. ARROW HITS THE BACK OF THE GATOR, RICOCHETS OFF AND FLYS UP IN THE AIR.... OMG, WE HAVENT SEEN A GATOR WORTH SHOOTING ALL NIGHT, AND NOW, WITHIN 10 MINUTES, WE HAVE MISSED TWO BRUTES!!! I GRAB THE BOW AND START RE RIGGING AGAIN, THEY ARE SHINING THE LIGHT AND HOLY SHIT, THERE HE IS AGAIN, JUST 30 YARDS UP THE BANK AGAIN. WE ARE GONNA GET ONE MORE TRY!!! THIS TIME THE ARROW CONNECTED SOLID! RIGHT WHERE IS NEEDS TO BE.... GATOR ERUPTS, AND THE FIGHT IS ON.... AFTER A WHILE OF BACK AND FORTH, WE GET THE GATOR UP AND GET A HARPOON IN HIM, THEN THE FIRST SHOT FROM THE 44. HE ROLLS OVER, SECOND SHOT FROM THE 44 (THAT HIT MY ARROW POINT, CUTTIN MY LINE AND RUINING A BRAND NEW GATOR HEAD) NOW WE ARE DOWN TO ONE LINE AGAIN.... WE GRAB A ROPE, GET IT OVER HIS JAW AND CLEAT IT OFF TO THE STERN. WE GOT HIM, BUT WE STILL GOTTA MAKE THAT KILL SHOT... WE STRUGGLED FOR A FEW MINUTES TRYIN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HIM TURNED AROUND FOR A SHOT AT THE SWEET SPOT, AND INSTEAD WE JUST PULLED HIS MOUTH OPEN, AND AIMED RIGHT DOWN HIS MOUTH, BULLET CAME OUT RIGHT BETWEEN HIS EYES..... HE WAS DEADER THAN A HAMMER THEN.....
WE DRUG HIM TO SHALLOWER WATER NEAR THE BANK, GOT THE BOAT SITUATED, AND SOME HOW MANAGED TO GET HIM IN THE BOAT. WE THEN PUTTED BACK THE 8 MILES TO THE LANDING, AND FINALLY GOT HOME ABOUT 3:30......AT 6:15 I FINALLY GOT IN THE BED, ONLY TO BE AT WORK THIS MORNING AROUND 8:30...... O WELL, YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU ARE OLD......
GATOR ENDED UP MEASURING 11' 8.5" LONG..... AND I DIDNT WEIGH HIM SO IM NOT GONNA THROW OUT A NUMBER, BUT HE WAS VERY FAT FOR HIS LENGTH, ESPECIALLY FOR A SOUTHERN COASTAL GATOR.... AND JUST LIKE MOST COASTAL GATORS, DAMN IF HE DIDNT HAVE A ROUGH LOOKIN SET OF CHOMPERS.... HE WAS MISSING HALF HIS TEETH, AND THE ONES HE HAD WERE ALOT SMALLER THAN NORMAL, LIKE THEY WERE JUST GROWING BACK.... ALSO HAD A PRETTY GOOD SCAR ON THE FRONT OF HIS SNOUT....
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Originally Posted by dixiedeerslaya
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