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John's Journal... Entry 165, Day 2
Hunting Alligators

A Typical Hunt for an Alligator

EDITOR'S NOTE: Morgan Perrin of Lafitte, Louisiana, has hunted alligators since 1979. Perrin comes from a family of alligator hunters as far back as 1930 and guides hunters to alligators for the Lodge of Louisiana in Barataria, Louisiana.

Question: Tell me about a typical bow gator hunt.
Perrin: You call and make arrangements at the Lodge of Louisiana. Someone at the lodge can pick you up or you can drive in, and then you'll eat dinner at the lodge. The next morning, after breakfast, the guide will take you out to begin your hunt/stalk for gators. The morning hours are mostly spent scouting for the gators. The gators come out to feed in the afternoon, which is when we like to hunt for them. When we know where a big gator is, we keep checking that general region. We ride slow in the area, easing around the points and staying close to the bank. We try to stay out of the gator's sight. Once we spot a gator, we either stop the engine and flow with the movement of the water or creep really slow to try to get within 20 yards or less for the hunter to get a shot with his bow. Most of the time we're able to get closer than 20 yards, depending on how wild the gator is.

Squared-off right behind an alligator's eyes is a hard bony spot. Right behind this bony spot is a small soft spot containing his brain, which is referred to as the "kill spot." The bow hunter attaches an arrow to a line with a buoy. Once you shoot the gator, you throw the buoy over the side of the boat and let the gator go. If the gator is shot directly in the kill spot, he's already dead. If he isn't hit directly in the kill spot, he'll drag the buoy around with him. We follow the buoy and the gator, letting the gator wear down. We'll continue to check on the alligator. Once he's worn down enough, we'll pull the gator into the boat.

Question: What kind of arrow do you use?
Perrin: We use fiberglass fish arrows because they are heavier than regular arrows. Of course you have to get a closer shot with a fish arrow than you do with a conventional arrow. But you're more likely to have an instant kill when you hit a gator with the heavier arrow. We don't use broadheads on these arrows, because the broadheads are more likely to pull out than the fish arrows are.

Question: What's the biggest alligator you've ever seen a bow hunter take?
Perrin: This year, a hunter took a 10-foot gator weighing 450 pounds.

Question: What happens to the gator after you shoot him with a bow?
Perrin: Well, what happens next depends on the hunter and what he wants. The gator won't go to waste. The hide, the meat, the claws -- every part of the gator gets used for something. And prices vary, depending on the size of the gator, based on fair-market value.

Question: Do you have to have a license to hunt alligators?
Perrin: Alligator season starts the last couple of days in August and runs through the end of September. You have to be a landowner to get licensed. You're allowed one tag for every 75 acres of freshwater marsh that you own. I'm allowed to take 47 gators a year.

For more information about hunting alligators, fishing and/or duck hunting at the Lodge of Louisiana, you can visit the Web site at www.lodgeoflouisiana.com or e-mail the lodge info@lodgeoflouisiana.com.

TOMORROW: WHAT YOU NEED TO HUNT ALLIGATORS

 

 

Check back each day this week for more THE LODGE OF LOUISIANA ...

Day 1 - What's the Latest Information on Alligators
Day 2 - A Typical Hunt for an Alligator
Day 3 - What You Need to Hunt Alligators
Day 4 - Catching Live Alligators
Day 5 - Find Out What Else the Lodge of Louisiana Has to Offer


John's Journal