Alligator Hunting in Georgia
Lake Seminole seems to be a hot spot for most of us swamp people when were in for a little bit of a different gator hunting adventure, we will end up fishing for gators most of the night. Lake Seminole is a shallow lake on the Georgia, Florida, and Alabama line. It’s a home for numerous gators with many in the “trophy category”. In a single hunt we probably see anywhere from 25 to 75 adult size gators and at least another 50 yearling size gators in the grass flats. The biggest gators were the ones out from the shore. I guess they think they just don’t have any enemies out there and can go wherever they like.
Our last trip up to Georgia we were close to about 7 gators that were over 10 feet and a couple hundred lbs. They had been hunted hard since the season started
two weeks before we arrived, and let me tell ya you could tell! When we came close to the gators they would go under and then 100 yards away you would see them come back up. That stupid cat and mouse game was played for hours on a huge monster gator we estimated at over 13 feet! Finally after a couple of long hours we got a cast at him. The cast was a little toward the back of the gator snagging his tail. The giant gator rolled and caused a huge explosion ripping the hook free but he showed us just how huge he really was, seeing his entire body shooting out of the water really got my blood going! We had our chances on a bigger gator but it didn’t that night!
We did manage to snag a smaller gator as time was running out. The snag hook is cast with heavy 55 lb braided line. The treble hook goes into their scales. The key is keeping pressure on the line so the hook doesn’t fall out. It crazy to me how easy the hook falls out. After some intense fighting we got a second hook in him and pulled him into the boat after tapping his mouth.
If you have never experienced this adrenaline rush give it a try. You can
also go after them with archery gear or a harpoon but for the big gators the
snatch seems like an obvious choice. The fight will be harder than any fish
you will ever have on the line. Pulling an all nighter was really tiring but
a huge reward.
The Application Process!
2010-2011 Quota hunt application period begins June 1st. Alligator quota hunts applications must be submitted through your online customer account at www.gohuntgeorgia.com. Hunters may use their personal computers or as a last resort, you may contact your Regional Game Management Office to apply. Make sure you have all your personal information available, and that of all party members (names, address, phone numbers, birthdates, social security numbers, etc.) before you apply.
Alligator hunting season in Georgia always starts in September. For example in the year 2010, hunting started on September 4 and it went through October 3 for hunters that applied and received quota permits. You must be a permit holder to hunt alligators. The alligator bag limit is one alligator per hunter and legal alligators must be greater than or equal to 48 inches (4 foot) in length as measured from end of the snout to tip of the tail. A resident Alligator License is about $50 and a Non-Resident License is about $200.
The legal alligator hunting methods in Georgia allow hunters to use legal alligator hunting equipment which includes hand-held ropes or snares, snatch hooks, harpoons, gigs or arrows with a restraining line attached. Legally harvested alligators must be dispatched immediately upon capture by using a handgun or bangstick, or by severing the spinal cord with a sharp knife/tool.
