Bowhunting Alligator at Night

BOwhunting Alligator at night, crazy, huh ?!

September 2005

from the desk of Steve Deibler

With a limited entry Georgia alligator tag in one hand, and a new Bladerunner Isoforce bow in the other, we slowly drift down the Savannah River in search of a big bull gator. I’ve just finished a cell phone conversation with my wife, as she informs me that she had hand delivered a check renewing my life insurance policy earlier in the day. Before hanging up, she says " Have fun!", wonder why she didn’t say "Be careful!" ? Oh, well !

At this location, close to the ocean, the Savannah River is driven by tides. The slow moving river is lined by Spanish moss laden cypress trees on one side and sawgrass flats on the other. The September night is surprisingly cool and bug free. The moon is only a sliver, ideal for gator hunting.

This adventure begins with some prior planning. Alligators are plentiful in Georgia, estimated in excess of 200,000, however, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources closely regulates the harvest via a limited entry quota system. With only 500 tags available this year, and a 33% harvest last year, this translates into lots of big old prehistoric reptiles. The legal harvest length is 4 feet, a 10 footer is a real trophy, and a 13 footer is possible. Tonight’s goal is set on at least a 10 footer, high standards for a gator hunting pilgrim like myself. You might think this is a difficult tag to draw, as many western big game tags are, quite the contrary, I drew this tag on only my second try, and there are virtually no restrictions on nonresidents. The gators don’t care who they eat. The tag fee of $50.00 is the same for both residents and nonresidents. You’re crazy not to apply, though my wife and several friends think I was crazy to apply.

Back to the hunt, as my guide Russ shines the next gator, he explains how to field judge a trophy. Often the only part of the gator seen is a small part of his head, and to an inexperienced first-time gator hunter (that’s me!), a 6 footer doesn’t look much different than a 10 footer. Russ explains, " Look for the diameter of the eye" ,"distance between the eyes", "height of the skull above the water line" ,"distance from eye to nostril."

" O.K.?"

Russ again, "The distance in inches from eye to nostril corresponds to the alligators length in feet" "Twelve inches equals 12 feet."

"Sure thing!"

It’s now just past midnight, the daily boat traffic is gone, and the night belongs to the gators. The gators have been resting back in the sawgrass and tangled brush and sloughs along the river all day to get away from man’s high dollar bass boats and jet ski’s. Now they’re on the move as the tide comes in, searching for an easy meal. Maybe a raccoon or a hog will venture too close to the waters edge, or a gator pilgrim will fall overboard in the darkness.

We are quickly passing up gator after gator. I would have arrowed the 9 footer as we drifted by at 5 yards, however, Russ had scouted bigger gators in this area the previous weekend and said, "Don’t shoot." Once again, we spot eyes the size of road reflectors. We cut the motor and lights and slowly drift downstream for an inevitable head-on collision with the big gator. At 15 yards, as I stand precariously perched on the bow of the boat with bow and arrow in hand, the old bull gator slips below the surface. Forty years of human intrusion has made this old gator weary of people. Russ sighs. "He didn’t want to play, let’s find another."

Fifteen yards sounds close, but with the huge heavy Muzzy predator arrows used to deliver a Muzzy gator point, an accurate shot needs to be 12 yards or less. The arrows length and weight is like shooting a tree limb, as my 50 yard pin for light carbon arrows is now my 10 yard pin for my gator arrow. The detachable Muzzy point is attached via a loop knot to 600 lb. braided line which ends at a buoy ball on my stabilizer. An unusual but necessary and effective set-up for bowhunting gators. This was the gator getter kit compliments of Muzzy.

Russ hisses, " This gator wants to play." A huge red eye gleams in the spotlight. He’s laying in the middle of the river, as many big gators do. We motor upstream of the huge floating reptile, cut all lights and motor, starting another drift. The gator doesn’t budge, sizing us up as much as we size him up. He probably is wondering, "Who dares intrude on my ancestral hunting grounds. At 15 yards Russ whispers, "We want this gator." At 12 yards he whispers, "Shoot when ready." At 10 yards, I draw the 70 lb. Bladerunner bow with ease, as adrenaline pumps through my veins. As I strain for sight acquisition in the blackness, hours of practicing at night by only the glow of a 60 watt bug light and a cardboard gator head target is about to pay off. At the shot, the water erupts with a huge prehistoric swirl. A hit is confirmed as line and then buoy ball speed into the darkness. Bernie, the boatman, cranks up as the spotlight and all eyes peer after the buoy ball. It goes under, disappearing for a long moment, then pops back up further upriver.

It’s important to avoid shooting an alligator in the hard bone structure of the skull or the armor-like scutes of his back. If you do, your broadhead will surely not hold, or will break during the fight. This gator is shot just behind the smile, in the soft flesh of the jowl. The harpoon is holding well, as we catch up to the buoy. Peter Benchley’s movie, "Jaws" comes to mind as to how insignificant we are in this tiny aluminum boat (Note: The boat seems to be getting smaller). Alligators haven’t been around for 100 million years being weak, and this behemoth has plenty of fight. As we fight for every inch of line on one end, the mad gator does the same on the other, the outcome is uncertain.

After a 30 minute fight of give-and-take, the gator has tired slightly and surfaced. A second harpoon, line, and buoy ball is launched into the reptilian tail. With 2 lines attached, the tide appears to be turning in our favor. With confidence, Russ shouts, " Now he’s ours !". I look at him a little strangely watching 2 buoy balls speed away into the blackness.

After another significant 20 minute fight, the gator surfaces again, slamming the boat with it’s huge tail, jarring us all off balance. Then a huge pre-historic foot breaks the waters surface. Russ’s excitement and sheer size of the huge reptilian foot and tail indicates that this is no ordinary gator. This one will go 11 feet and has probably been prowling these south Georgia swamps since hatching some 30 or 40 years ago. His girth is as big as a steer, but this is no steer, as jaws agape show lots of formidable conical teeth the size of my thumb. After tense moments wrestling the gator alongside the now tiny, tiny aluminum boat, four deafening shots erupt from my .357, rendering him safe enough to tape his jaws shut. This job was left up to my buddy, David, of course, with Russ’s help.

Exceeding 400 lbs., too large and dangerous to bring aboard, the gator is lashed to the side of our boat. As in Ernest Hemingway’s "The Old Man and The Sea", the boat turns upriver and the slow triumphant ride home begins. On the return ride, an even bigger 12 foot gator is spotted laying on a sawgrass flat. Guess what, we still have 2 more alligator tags to fill. A discussion ensues on whether to attempt arrowing this gator with an 11 footer already lashed to the side of the boat. The hunters, hungry for more, like a pack of wild dogs, want to go for it, however Russ decides against it. He’s afraid the 12 footer will tangle lines with the 11 footer. A hard decision, but one best left up to a gator guide with over 200 gators under his belt, and one that made his belt. He says we will return for the 12 footer, and we did but that’s another story for another day.

For an incredible nighttime big-game adventure of thrills and spills, a fine alligator trophy, and nearly 100 lbs. of great table fare, consider a Georgia alligator hunting adventure with bow and arrow. If you’re interested in learning more about applying for a Georgia alligator tag, finding a competent guide like we had (a must), or just talking alligator hunting, contact Steve Deibler at WWW.DEIBLEROUTDOORS.COM . For a great new bow contact Bladerunner archery, and for the gator getter kit, contact Muzzy. Maybe next September I’ll see you floating down a south Georgia river in the middle of the night. If I do, remind me to show you my new pair of alligator boots. Crazy, huh ?!