Gearing up for gator season

Corey Hunt spotted an alligator surfacing for air and quickly made a cast just past it and set the hook as he made contact with the alligator.

“Ka-Whoosh!” The alligator exploded on the surface, wallowed wildly and then dove for the security of the depths. Hunt held on with all the strength he could muster as the large treble hook sank deep into the massive beast. The gator stripped line off the reel, but Hunt didn’t weaken and finally wore the alligator down enough to turn him back towards the boat.

The 13-foot-7 behemoth fought wildly but Hunt held on and started to wear him down. It was nip and tuck for a while as the gator stripped line out and Hunt reeled it back in each time the gator tired.

“It took quite a while to get him beside the boat, but we finally got a snare on him and got him worn down enough to subdue him and take a shot,” Hunt said. “We dispatched the gator with a cervical shot that killed him instantly.”

Equipment

There’s a few basic items you need to hunt alligators and quality equipment is necessary if you’re going to tangle with a monster gator.

“Gator hunters need a quality rod and reel set up,” Hunt said. “The rod needs to be a one-piece rod with a medium heavy to heavy action. I’ve seen many rods break and a two-piece rod just won’t hold up like a single rod.

“There’s a number of rod manufacturers who make good rods, but having multiple rods on board your boat is a must. I’ve used a Garcia Ambassador 7000 reel, a Calcutta 700 and a Daiwa Saltist, but no matter which rod and reel you use you must be comfortable with it and be able to cast to the alligator. If you can’t make an accurate cast you may never get hooked up with one of the massive beasts!

“Some people may use a throw line with a hook on it, but hunters should be aware that a 600- or 700-pound gator may take off and you might get some rope burns. Slack is your best friend and if you don’t watch it they might just jerk you into the water too.”

Hunt has been hunting alligators for 19 years and he was a part of the first 50 hunters drawn for the inaugural hunt on the Pearl River. He was also on the Pascagoula River for the second hunt that Mississippi held.

Of course, don’t forget that there must be a licensed tag holder on board the boat and everyone should have their appropriate licenses.

“We like to use a 36-inch snare on at least a 25-foot rope to subdue the alligator and control him beside the boat so we can dispatch them,” Hunt said. “Sometimes you may want to have multiple snares so that you can get one up near their heads to wear them down and get in position to make the shot.”

Take precautions

Hunt prefers shooting the gators with a Youth Model .410 single shot. It’s the best gator gun out there according to him.

“If you can get the gator secured and settled by the side of the boat, then simply aim about one quarter inch off the back of the skull and shoot,” Hunt said. “If you do it right then you have performed a cervical dislocation, and it can also be done with a pocketknife and is instant death.”

You can’t be too careful handling a gator, so Hunt advises that people bring electrical tape to tape their mouth shut to avoid an unfortunate incident. If the gator is just stunned and then wakes up they might lash out and bite the nearest person. Hunt makes sure the gator’s mouth is taped shut before taking the snares off of the gator too.

Best time to hunt

A lot of people like to hunt at night, but I’ve had more success in the afternoon or in the early morning,” Hunt said. “If I’m hunting at night, then we only use a single light to keep the gators from seeing us. If you have one light then they’ll be blinded by the light and not able to see you. If you are backlit by another light then they’ll disappear and sometimes it’s hard to find them again.”

Season outlook

“The alligators are out there for the taking if you do your work and find some,” Hunt said. “Patience and tenacity are key elements to harvesting a gator. The hours may be long and grueling so you have to be patient and ready to spring into action at a second’s notice when they pop up for air or you just might miss your only opportunity.

“If the water levels are stable and the weather is good, then this should be another good season.”

The private lands season opens 12:00 p.m. on Aug. 30 until 6:00 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2024. Public water alligator season begins Aug. 30, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. and ends Sept. 9, 2024, at 12:00 p.m.