Alligators

bullethole1 · June 19, 2011, 01:31 PM

My family leases some property near the San Antonio River in Wilson Co,TX and I seen atleast 2 gators from 8-10 feet, I was wondering what type of rifle caliber would be good on these nuisances?

Roger Ronas · June 19, 2011, 01:49 PM

On the TV show "swamp people" troy and the gang shoot gators with a 22. They claim there is only a quarter size kill zone on their head somewhere.
Other then that I honestly don't know but for me the bigger the caliber the better. LOL

GoOfY-FoOt · June 19, 2011, 02:00 PM

I'm not sure about Texas, but I know in Florida, that "molesting an alligator" carries some stiff penalties. The proper way to deal with a nuisance gator, here, is to call FWC and they will dispatch a licensed trapper to dispose of it.

Glenn E. Meyer · June 19, 2011, 03:20 PM

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publicat...w7000_1011.pdf

There was just an alligator on the fancy folks golf course. They called it in and it was hauled away.

So better check before you take any action.

rodwhaincamo · June 19, 2011, 04:01 PM

Wow! Never heard of them that far west. Thought they were basically east of Houston.

hogdogs · June 19, 2011, 04:23 PM

CHOOT 'EM... CHOOT 'EM ELIZABIT... HEEZ A BICK ONE!!!

Brent

Hawg · June 19, 2011, 05:06 PM

Cut the tail off first that's some good eatin but don't said nuthin to nobody.

bullethole1 · June 19, 2011, 11:03 PM

HAHA , Im going to sit in the truck bed with my 30-30 marlin and set up some raw meat bait.

Sport45 · June 19, 2011, 11:48 PM

The "shut up" part should probably apply to posting your plans on the internet too.

What you're suggesting may be illegal (I don't know for sure).

Added: Texas Hunting Regs for Alligator

Depending on your county, you may be able to harvest one through the end of the month.

BIG P · June 20, 2011, 03:29 AM

The 30-30 will sure do the job. Ever been in a texas jail house,shoot & tell THAT would a good way to get a good look,I'm just sayin.lol.

Art Eatman · June 20, 2011, 06:43 AM

Illegal taking of a gator in Texas is a good way to lose gun, hunting rights and any vehicle which is involved.

Gators of twelve feet or more have been seen in the Nueces River near Cotulla. Not many, of course, but they're there.

Years back, somebody released a gator into the Rio Grande below Presidio. He was seen from time to time for a dozen years or so. Nothing lately; odds are that somebody ate him.

bullethole1 · June 20, 2011, 09:55 AM

jail?? nah!

Yeah 30-30 will work just fine,Thanks folks!!!

C0untZer0 · June 20, 2011, 10:51 AM

I've had gator, and it seems to me that the white meat is really good - I don't know how to describe it except it's good. (no it doesn't taste like chicken), But there is sometimes meat from aligator that tastes fishy - it's not bad but - it's just fishy, kind of tastes like a non-descript fish - maybe like a cross between perch and catfish.

Does anyone know which cuts of meat are the non-fishy tasting cuts?

Oh.. and if I were going to be pretending to go out walking where I just happened to come across a gator that I had to defend myself from cuz she was charging me - I'd use a 12ga with #1 Buck - of course.

I should start a new thread

"Does anyone in Florida sling a carbine when they go golfing?"

and

"Are there any golf bags with holsters?"

Saltydog235 · June 20, 2011, 11:12 AM

We have plenty of gators here in the SC lowcountry. So many in fact that they decided to issue tags and have a season for them. A lot of my buddies got excited and drawn for the dino hunts but I've never had the desire to run the swamps and backwater for a lizard hunt. Heck, I even have a good friend that is a removal specialist, guide and processor but I'd rather take him fishing and listen to his stories. He uses a huge trebble hook set up and a Glock in .40 cal. Other have used 44, 357, 9, 22, AR's and bows. The biggest thing is they have to get the stinking thing boat side and under control before dispatching it. There was a Youtube video of a collasal cluster blank where the boy brought one in that still had some life in it. Short story is 4 holes in the bottom of a War Eagle later they had finally killed it. Another showed 21 shots to kill the lizard, no thanks to that kind of nonsense.

Some of the meat is white and some is dark. It doesn't taste like chicken and to me its not worth eating. Sort of like a big boar hog in the quality you'll get versus the size. All that I have eaten was rubbery and tough.

Be careful how you tread in dealing with T-Rex, not going about it the right way can land you in big trouble and I'm not talking about just with the law. Those things can flat out move and will attack you or your dog in a heartbeat. We had a 3 footer in the yard last summer and it went after my 80lb German Shorthair. Then came after me, we covered it with a towel and took it back to the pond but the 8 footer already in residence made a meal of it.

I think I counted 6 in the two ponds by my house. They freak the golfers down on vacation out. Imagine going over the hill to chase your little white ball and finding a 6-8ft gator sunning himself on the fairways.

hogdogs · June 20, 2011, 11:43 AM

I've never had me a gator license so I have no idea what parts taste better or different than other parts...

But from what I read on the internet... The tail is often cubed for fried nuggets and if the rest is used... that goes in gumbo, sauce piquante, etouffee and the sort.

Brent

C0untZer0 · June 20, 2011, 11:49 AM

My next $1 million idea:

"Survival Golf" A "reality" TV show where golfers have to navigate gator-infested golf courses for 18 holes, and getting from hole to hole involves forging water obstacles (with gators of course).

my next $1 million idea:

Golf bags with a separate compartment for a carbine. With velcro- for easy access. I'll call em "Crocs"

My next $1 million idea:

"The 9 Iron" A specially made-for-golf nine milimeter anti-aligator pistol. Comes in plaid with an Izod logo...

bullethole1 · June 20, 2011, 11:52 AM

I just read on Texas Parks and Wildlife that if the gator is a threat you have the right to kill it.:barf:

Glenn E. Meyer · June 20, 2011, 11:58 AM

That probably means an active threat and not an abstract threat.

BTW, folks - proposing illegal actions gets you the boot.

Eaten fried gator and BBQ gator ribs. Not that special.

But most things fried and/or BBQ taste good in general.

shortwave · June 20, 2011, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Eaten fried gator and BBQ gator ribs. Not that special.

I've eaten some that was good(what guides wife made)...some not so(what I made

).

Young fried gator tail should not be rubbery if cooked right. If its rubbery, its been cooked to long. So I was told by a fishing guides wife at Lake Kissimmee that used to fix it for us. She made some of the best I've eaten. All steaks were cut in chunks,marinated overnight and deep fried.

If I remember correctly, she would soak more mature gator in a saltwater brine prior to marinating.

I bet bswiv can give us a good recipe.

Unless my family were going hungry,I don't know an animal on the planet worth losing my guns,vehicle or hunting privileges over so I think I'd follow the laws of your DNR.

C0untZer0 · June 20, 2011, 04:05 PM

I was thinking about the gator I've eaten, and if I had to compare it to anything (not chicken), I'd say the white meat is similar to calamari. The dark meat is fishy - I don't like catfish and dark aligator meat tastes sort of like catfish to me.

And it was not marinated, it was fired in light batter - like a tempura batter.

I don't care for the dark meat though.

The alligator has proven it's a tough creature - it's a survivor. From the brink of extinction (supposedly), the aligator population is now thriving. If they make good McNuggets and boots... then I'm all for it.

Selling hunting tags sounds like a good idea.

For deer - did you ever notice that when the shooters pay the government to shoot the deer - they're called hunters. When the government pays the shooters to shoot the deer they're called "sharp shooters".

Hog Buster · June 20, 2011, 05:47 PM

Having eaten many alligators I’ll tell you that if you want to fry it cut the tail in small chunks, batter it and fry it. The dark meat is best cooked in a gumbo, sauce piquant, or whatever other than fried. The muscle found in the bottom of the tail can be fried also, just cut it in thin pieces. Thicker pieces can be a bit to chew on.

You can kill them with any caliber. A well placed shot just behind the eye will do them in. In my younger days caught them on a bush line and killed them by hitting in the head with a casse-tete.... for you yankees that’s a hatchet. No Noise.....

Had a big bowl of alligator and turtle gumbo a couple of nights ago. Talk about good. Guess what? It tasted just like alligator and turtle.

FrontSight · June 20, 2011, 05:56 PM

Gator is DELICIOUS, especially breaded in cornmeal & deep-fried!

They should have a smiley for "MMMMMM, THAT TASTES GOOD!"

Old Grump · June 20, 2011, 06:00 PM

38 spcl is more than enough and everybody I know who harvests gators that is all they use. You want to use a rifle fine, anything you feel comfortable with, they are not exactly armor plated but remember the killing spot isn't very big.

Just don't be like this guy:

Quote:

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Police responding to a rare alligator sighting in suburban Kansas City took quick action to dispatch of the beast, shooting it in the head, as instructed, while it lurked menacingly in the weeds leading down to a pond.

It wasn't until a second rifle shot bounced off the reptile's head that the officers realized they had mortally wounded a concrete lawn ornament.

A resident of a subdivision near the pond called police Saturday evening to report that his children spotted the alligator while they were playing in some nearby woods.
http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/06/02/..._n_870428.html

youngunz4life · June 20, 2011, 06:09 PM

gator meat is good. the fat is what you need to steer away from eating while gatoring. the fat can taste so bad that some people won't eat gators anymore. my thing is, if your fined I guess that's the same as paying hunting fees but one is better off calling the local authorities so they can earn their money.

sc928porsche · June 20, 2011, 07:16 PM

The only thing I have ever come across that tastes "like chicken" other than chicken is frog legs.

June 19, 2011, 02:00 PM	#3
GoOfY-FoOt Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2011 Location: West Central Florida Posts: 463	I'm not sure about Texas, but I know in Florida, that "molesting an alligator" carries some stiff penalties. The proper way to deal with a nuisance gator, here, is to call FWC and they will dispatch a licensed trapper to dispose of it. __________________ BILL @ Strongside Arms, Inc. - 1479 W. C-48 Bushnell, FL 33513 352-568-0017 -------------------------------------------------- “Why worry when you can pray? He [God] is the Whole, you are a part. Coordinate your abilities with the Whole.” ~Edgar Cayce~

June 19, 2011, 03:20 PM	#4
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publicat...w7000_1011.pdf There was just an alligator on the fancy folks golf course. They called it in and it was hauled away. So better check before you take any action. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

June 19, 2011, 11:48 PM	#9
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	The "shut up" part should probably apply to posting your plans on the internet too. What you're suggesting may be illegal (I don't know for sure). Added: Texas Hunting Regs for Alligator Depending on your county, you may be able to harvest one through the end of the month. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter. Last edited by Sport45; June 19, 2011 at 11:56 PM.

June 20, 2011, 10:51 AM	#13
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	gator question I've had gator, and it seems to me that the white meat is really good - I don't know how to describe it except it's good. (no it doesn't taste like chicken), But there is sometimes meat from aligator that tastes fishy - it's not bad but - it's just fishy, kind of tastes like a non-descript fish - maybe like a cross between perch and catfish. Does anyone know which cuts of meat are the non-fishy tasting cuts? Oh.. and if I were going to be pretending to go out walking where I just happened to come across a gator that I had to defend myself from cuz she was charging me - I'd use a 12ga with #1 Buck - of course. I should start a new thread "Does anyone in Florida sling a carbine when they go golfing?" and "Are there any golf bags with holsters?"

June 20, 2011, 11:58 AM	#18
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	That probably means an active threat and not an abstract threat. BTW, folks - proposing illegal actions gets you the boot. Eaten fried gator and BBQ gator ribs. Not that special. But most things fried and/or BBQ taste good in general. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

June 19, 2011, 01:31 PM	#1
bullethole1 Junior member Join Date: June 8, 2011 Location: San Antonio , Texas Posts: 253	Alligators My family leases some property near the San Antonio River in Wilson Co,TX and I seen atleast 2 gators from 8-10 feet, I was wondering what type of rifle caliber would be good on these nuisances?

June 19, 2011, 01:49 PM	#2
Roger Ronas Member Join Date: April 29, 2011 Posts: 25	On the TV show "swamp people" troy and the gang shoot gators with a 22. They claim there is only a quarter size kill zone on their head somewhere. Other then that I honestly don't know but for me the bigger the caliber the better. LOL

June 19, 2011, 04:01 PM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	Wow! Never heard of them that far west. Thought they were basically east of Houston.

June 19, 2011, 04:23 PM	#6
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	*CHOOT 'EM... CHOOT 'EM ELIZABIT... HEEZ A BICK ONE!!!* Brent

June 19, 2011, 05:06 PM	#7
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	Cut the tail off first that's some good eatin but don't said nuthin to nobody.

June 19, 2011, 11:03 PM	#8
bullethole1 Junior member Join Date: June 8, 2011 Location: San Antonio , Texas Posts: 253	HAHA , Im going to sit in the truck bed with my 30-30 marlin and set up some raw meat bait.

June 20, 2011, 03:29 AM	#10
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	The 30-30 will sure do the job. Ever been in a texas jail house,shoot & tell THAT would a good way to get a good look,I'm just sayin.lol.

June 20, 2011, 06:43 AM	#11
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Illegal taking of a gator in Texas is a good way to lose gun, hunting rights and any vehicle which is involved. Gators of twelve feet or more have been seen in the Nueces River near Cotulla. Not many, of course, but they're there. Years back, somebody released a gator into the Rio Grande below Presidio. He was seen from time to time for a dozen years or so. Nothing lately; odds are that somebody ate him.

June 20, 2011, 09:55 AM	#12
bullethole1 Junior member Join Date: June 8, 2011 Location: San Antonio , Texas Posts: 253	jail?? nah! Yeah 30-30 will work just fine,Thanks folks!!!

June 20, 2011, 11:12 AM	#14
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	We have plenty of gators here in the SC lowcountry. So many in fact that they decided to issue tags and have a season for them. A lot of my buddies got excited and drawn for the dino hunts but I've never had the desire to run the swamps and backwater for a lizard hunt. Heck, I even have a good friend that is a removal specialist, guide and processor but I'd rather take him fishing and listen to his stories. He uses a huge trebble hook set up and a Glock in .40 cal. Other have used 44, 357, 9, 22, AR's and bows. The biggest thing is they have to get the stinking thing boat side and under control before dispatching it. There was a Youtube video of a collasal cluster blank where the boy brought one in that still had some life in it. Short story is 4 holes in the bottom of a War Eagle later they had finally killed it. Another showed 21 shots to kill the lizard, no thanks to that kind of nonsense. Some of the meat is white and some is dark. It doesn't taste like chicken and to me its not worth eating. Sort of like a big boar hog in the quality you'll get versus the size. All that I have eaten was rubbery and tough. Be careful how you tread in dealing with T-Rex, not going about it the right way can land you in big trouble and I'm not talking about just with the law. Those things can flat out move and will attack you or your dog in a heartbeat. We had a 3 footer in the yard last summer and it went after my 80lb German Shorthair. Then came after me, we covered it with a towel and took it back to the pond but the 8 footer already in residence made a meal of it. I think I counted 6 in the two ponds by my house. They freak the golfers down on vacation out. Imagine going over the hill to chase your little white ball and finding a 6-8ft gator sunning himself on the fairways.

June 20, 2011, 11:43 AM	#15
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I've never had me a gator license so I have no idea what parts taste better or different than other parts... But from what I read on the internet... The tail is often cubed for fried nuggets and if the rest is used... that goes in gumbo, sauce piquante, etouffee and the sort. Brent

June 20, 2011, 11:49 AM	#16
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	My next $1 million idea: "Survival Golf" A "reality" TV show where golfers have to navigate gator-infested golf courses for 18 holes, and getting from hole to hole involves forging water obstacles (with gators of course). my next $1 million idea: Golf bags with a separate compartment for a carbine. With velcro- for easy access. I'll call em "Crocs" My next $1 million idea: "The 9 Iron" A specially made-for-golf nine milimeter anti-aligator pistol. Comes in plaid with an Izod logo...

June 20, 2011, 11:52 AM	#17
bullethole1 Junior member Join Date: June 8, 2011 Location: San Antonio , Texas Posts: 253	I just read on Texas Parks and Wildlife that if the gator is a threat you have the right to kill it.:barf:

June 20, 2011, 04:05 PM	#20
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	I was thinking about the gator I've eaten, and if I had to compare it to anything (not chicken), I'd say the white meat is similar to calamari. The dark meat is fishy - I don't like catfish and dark aligator meat tastes sort of like catfish to me. And it was not marinated, it was fired in light batter - like a tempura batter. I don't care for the dark meat though. The alligator has proven it's a tough creature - it's a survivor. From the brink of extinction (supposedly), the aligator population is now thriving. If they make good McNuggets and boots... then I'm all for it. Selling hunting tags sounds like a good idea. For deer - did you ever notice that when the shooters pay the government to shoot the deer - they're called hunters. When the government pays the shooters to shoot the deer they're called "sharp shooters".

June 20, 2011, 05:47 PM	#21
Hog Buster Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2009 Location: Pointe Coupee, Louisana Posts: 772	Having eaten many alligators I’ll tell you that if you want to fry it cut the tail in small chunks, batter it and fry it. The dark meat is best cooked in a gumbo, sauce piquant, or whatever other than fried. The muscle found in the bottom of the tail can be fried also, just cut it in thin pieces. Thicker pieces can be a bit to chew on. You can kill them with any caliber. A well placed shot just behind the eye will do them in. In my younger days caught them on a bush line and killed them by hitting in the head with a casse-tete.... for you yankees that’s a hatchet. No Noise..... Had a big bowl of alligator and turtle gumbo a couple of nights ago. Talk about good. Guess what? It tasted just like alligator and turtle. __________________ Those who beat their guns into plows, will plow for those who don't.-Thomas Jefferson

June 20, 2011, 05:56 PM	#22
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Gator is DELICIOUS, especially breaded in cornmeal & deep-fried! They should have a smiley for "MMMMMM, THAT TASTES GOOD!" __________________ To kill something as great as a duck just to smell the gunpowder is a crime against nature. - Alan Liere Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw

June 20, 2011, 06:09 PM	#24
youngunz4life Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2010 Location: United States of America Posts: 1,877	gator meat is good. the fat is what you need to steer away from eating while gatoring. the fat can taste so bad that some people won't eat gators anymore. my thing is, if your fined I guess that's the same as paying hunting fees but one is better off calling the local authorities so they can earn their money. __________________ "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" -Admiral Farragut @ Battle of Mobile Bay 05AUG1864

June 20, 2011, 07:16 PM	#25
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	The only thing I have ever come across that tastes "like chicken" other than chicken is frog legs. __________________ No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.