2006 Bowhunt For Florida Alligator
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Fighting Gator, Continued...

The big gator jerked and pulled with all its sugnificant might on the 640 pound test AMS bowfishing line. (Realisticly, it was the only thing that stopped the furious gator's charge from reaching our boat.) Try as he would the gator could not break the super strong bowfishing line. And the line was so entangled in the jungle of floating plants that the gator could not pull them towards us any further.

The way I saw it, that was good news.

When the gator started to turn a little more broadside I drew ...

and aimed carefully at what our gator guides call "the sweet spot." This was my last made up gator arrow and it had to count.

At the the impact of the heavy Innerloc fiberglass bowfishing arrow the gator growled and made a violent thrash that moved him a couple yards further from us.

Once more the gator snapped his jaws with brutal force, a dull thud sounded each time the jaws connected.

But then, from the arrow on back, his body quit moving. My arrow had hit the gator solidly in its spine. He was paralized.

Maybe.

Kevin Sullivan had brought along more bowfishing arrows and Gator Grappler heads and I wanted to rig some more up. 

Meanwhile the gator started getting a little movement to him and he slowly turned toward us.

"We're gonna have to bang stick him," David said.

Brad spoke to me in a sobering tone, "We have to pull the gator into the airboat to take him to the dock. We can't risk putting a gator this big in my boat without bang sticking it first."

He was right. 

We shoved the boat toward the gator with a pole and an oar. 

Mike or David poked the gator with the butt end of the harpoon to get Brad a better angle for the bang stick. The gator grabbed the harpoon in its powerful jaws and fought it. 

Brad put the business end of his bang stick againt the gator's body, right on the sweet spot. When he pulled the trigger the gator rolled violently ... and promptly stopped moving.

Kevin had my camera and he said, "Turn around."

We did and he took our picture.

Continued...

We are bowhunting alligators with David Mills of Zolfo Springs, Florida in south Central Florida's big alligator country and the Osceola wild turkey. To contact David Mills about Alligator hunts, phone 1-863-990-9087.

 
 

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