Bowhunting.Net
Bowhunting
For Alligator 2006
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Bowhunting.Net
Bowhunting
For Alligator 2006
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| Alligator
Bowhunts and on the spot pictures -- by Robert Hoague
2006
Bowhunt For Florida Alligator
The Fight Is On ... All to easily, the gator pulled the boat back to the edge of the thick water plants. David Mills started pulling slack out of the fish line and the arrow poked up out of the water. Our gator was right below us.
Woops ... the gator's head popped up out of the water and it tried to grab David's arm in his jaws. This is far from David's first gator rodeo and the gator only bit air. Then the gator yanked against the line and because of the quick release way David holds the line it came loose from his grip.
The gator disappeared in the water and then shot back up, trying to get a hold of somebody.
Jody asked Kevin if his Gator Grapple gator head would come out if he pulled against the gator with the boat, we would be better off taking this fight to a more open area instead of this thick stuff we were in. Without hesitation Kevin assured Jody that the Gator Grapple head would hold the gator. Also without hesitation Jody started the airboat motor and powered the alligator out of the reeds and water plants. Then Jody shut down the boat. The fight was on. Our goal was to pull the gator to the boat and finish him. He was not of the same frame of mind and came up out of the water several times, snapping his jaws, trying to get a hold of any part of anyone he could.
Due to the holding power of the Gator Grappler and the strength of the AMS 640 test line we were able to keep the gator from getting away from us, but we cold not keep him still, along side of the boat so we could get another line on him.
Kevin put a second arrow smack into the gator's "soft spot" behind its head. The arrow penetrated very deep. Immediately the gator yanked the line out of David's hands and disappeared again.
When David pulled it up again the gator was bleeding badly from Kevin's soft spot shot. Considering how much Kevin and I had heard about the lethality of shooting a gator's soft spot, this gator still fought us hard. David and Jody would pull him to the boat, he would pop his head out of the water and try to bite one of us, and then yank the line loose and dive underwater ... again and again. Finally David caught his head in the loop of some nylon rope.
The plan was to cinch the gator's jaws together so he couldn't bite at us. But the gator thrust forward and the cinch would up further back than intended. Nevertheless, it gave us another line to help contain the gator.
It was time for the bang stick again. Afterward, David, Jody and I pulled the gator to the boat. David held the mouth shut, for safety, and Jody taped it shut with electrical tape.
When the gator was in the boat with us everybody sat down for R & R. It was 2:29am. The gator had fought us hard, and visa versa, for 34 jaw snapping minutes. I picked up my camera and told David and Kevin to look at me. Like the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words.
On the way to the dock we worked the plants but didn't get up on any sizable gators. Below are Kevin Sullivan and David Mills with Kevin's 8' 2" fighting gator.
Equipment Used:
I've used them for years … love them … friction free shots and fast retrieves …effective system for detachable buoy shots. May as well be steel cable … strong Worked well, tough and visible. I used the red and white bobber type. Toughest arrow I shoot … heavy … driving penetration Deep penetration … awesome holding power … proved itself well ... and surprised everyone with its extreme holding power. |
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