The introducton of a northern boy and a Florida Gator
August 15th 2007
Bonnie and I went to
Well it was opening day for this monster and we were hunting the river called Apalachote. It is beside the Seminole Dam. We got there and we were using 2 boats to carry us. Well going across the bridge to the boat dock we looked down to the dam and what did we see a gator on the beach enjoying the day and waiting for supper.
We all got to the loading dock and started to get ready to go I got my crossbow and got it loaded and wanted to shoot it to make sure that the scope was zero in. We started up the river I picked a goose feather that was floating down river and I just went over top of the feather well with the boat rocking and the feather moving down stream I thought maybe I was off a little so I left it. What is only an inch rite.
Well we got to the dam were they have it roped off so you can not get close to the dam we saw several around in the water. Know this is no cane hunt by no mean. You are only limited to shooting no more than 60’ so you are limited to what you can do. Well we looked around and saw one nice alligator. The told me you can look at the head to see the size one inch equals one foot of gator. Well the amazing thing is how Jason and Jeff could tell how big they were without stopping and getting a tape measure out. It is not like a white tail you see the rack you can judge. They are looking at something that is submerged in water and they were quite accurate in doing it also.
We ran down the river to check and see what we had working. Keep in mind it was opening day and we was on public waters for any one could hunt if they had licenses. We went down five miles down river saw close to 80 different gators but none as big as what we saw at the dam. We went back to the dam to see if we could get a look again and find the one that we saw on the beach.
Well we got there and did we see a dandy. One thing they can disappear fast and they can stay down for up to 45 minutes to a hour and you have no idea were they are coming up to next so it is like a cat and mouse game sneaking around waiting for a gator to pop up in range and give you time enough to size him up and aim and shoot. One other thing you have a big target 4” X 5” spot on the neck. That is it. Not much to aim at and not much to hit.
I was using an Excalibur crossbow Model Exomax. I had Muzzy Gator heads with the gator getter kit to round it off. I used a Pro point 40mm red dot scope which worked wonderful. The cross bow had a 225# pull and it was unreal in speed it was smok'n at 350fps. The Muzzy head is like a fish head and line is 600# test line Tied to the head. From there it is strung thru the back of the arrow and on to the end there is a buoy finishing it up.
Well we got the gator headed off several times they head for the refuge they go under the rope and hide all night between the dam and the rope. Well after several hours of cat and mouse game he finally popped up and gave me a shot. I pulled the crossbow to my arm and the dot came so nice in to focus and I said to my self. 6” pass the eye and concentrate on the spot is it there or down, back, up, I don’t know Jason said “SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT” I squeezed the 3# trigger and as I was squeezing thee gator dropped below the water line and was gone. I was mad and I mean mad. We hunted the rest of the night but finally the gator got tired of the game and went to the refuge of the dam and stayed. We went home for the night empty handed.
August 17, 2007
Another day to redeem myself and to teach that we Fulton County Boy’s can shoot. Jason asked me what I wanted to do. I said I want to find the gator that felt the barb of the Muzzy on Wednesday I wanted to show the gator that it should feel when I know were to aim at. They took me on Thursday to see a full mounted gator. Know I know what I am looking at and the spot to hit. Well we got at the boat dock waiting for Jeff and Robert to come and the next thing we saw was Robert driving and Jeff riding the boat to the dock. Jeff is a real character and guess what? He is going to be the man driving the boat tonight. Lord help us know!
We started at sun down and we headed rite to the dam area to find the gator that I missed the other day. Well we started seeing gators all over and could not debate on which one was the one we wanted. See there was one there they calculated to be 9 ½’ and the way you tell them is for each 1” between the eye and the nose equals 1’ in body length. So this is what you are trying to tell.
It got dark quick but we saw one in the middle of the river. Jeff said there is a gooden, How can you tell? A small gator does not go out to the middle of the river at all. Well the cat and mouse game was on. We started out the same way. The gator kept circling and we were at one place and he was at another. Well there he was 20’ from the boat when I had my first shot. I was using a crossbow from Excalibur model Exomax and I was using Gator Getter Kit from Muzzy. I saw my shot and took it. CR-SMACK it sounded like I hit a brick wall. The gator rolled to his side and lay in the water. Robert said I think he killed it. Well Jeff said to pull out the line and throw the buoy in the water. Jeff said load up again.
He came to and down he went. They turned the depth finder on and found out he was around 18’ to the bottom. Well after 30 minutes he came up again. I got ready and when Mr. Alligator cam up I was ready to reintroduce him to Mr. Muzzy and Mr. Excalibur. He came up and I shot down he went again and we was ready. Well we started pulling him up with the line and when he came up it was something. I hit him in the neck and it went thru the neck and excited the head under the eye. We got the slap stick on him and sent the 44 Remington magnum in to his head and in that was it for the 450 pound 80 year old alligator and we were all happy of course except for the alligator.
Equipment used:
Excalibur Exomax
Muzzy Gator Getter Kit
Bushnell Pro Point Scope.
A special thanks to Southern Gator Trails for the opportunity to do this and check back in next spring for the video for you to see first hand.
Nilgi Hunting with my howitzer in Texas.
Well here we are another day and another penny for us and a dollar for the governor. Well I went Nigli hunting one time back in 1997 on the King Ranch in Texas. I have a uncle that has hunted all over the world has a Super Slam of Sheep and Ibex and lets put it this way His trophy room would make your mouth water. He is 92 this year and his passion is BIG WHITEAIL to this day. I went with him on this hunting trip. I do not know if you all know what Nilgi is another name for them is Blue Bull. They are from India and know we have more in the USA than they do in India. They and I do not know who they are? Rates them as the hardest animal to kill that is non dangerous. Well I have a rifle that I bought that was itching to kill something. I bought a 375 H&H Magnum well that gun has a boss on the end of it and man does it shoot. I had it dilled in to .5” at 100 yards on a 3 shot group. Well we got to Texas on the King Ranch for a 3 day hunt. We all checked our rifles and made sure that the wonderful airline did not jar them off. And went to bed for an early morning wake up call. We had a wonderful breakfast and started out on the hunt of a lifetime. We were riding WWII jeeps and all we needed was the airplanes flying over and artillery going off and we was there. It was something to see. The guide name Mike, Dick my hunting buddy and me and my Howitzer {I call my rifle this since the shell is so big} Well we drove around for a while and we seen several nice bulls but this thing was like an anti hunter setting in a duck blind on opening morning. After a while we was riding around I asked the guide “Mike can we walk a little ways” He said yes we can but he had very few people ask that before. Well we started out. And we poked thru a clearing and saw 2 bulls standing there. They were young ones. If you ever get a chance to hunt them you can tell the age of them by the color the bluer they are the older they are. That walk thru the brush was amazing we saw whitetail, pigs, javenia, turkeys and nilgi. We got to this big open field it was approximately 400 yards by 500 yards big. It was growing up and yes the old saying everything out there will stick, stab or bite you. This is south Texas. We sat down on this corner of the field and I had my Walker Game Ears in and I was wondering why Mike was caring his horns with him and he was behind me I was setting there what a site 20+ turkey gobblers coming across the field it looked like Pickett's last charge all in full strut and wing to wing. This will stay with me the rest of my life that image. Well the next thing I herd behind me was BANG! Mike brought the deer horns together. I almost came out of my skin. Remember I had my Walkers in and it must have been 99 dbi. Because it shuts off at 100 dbi. The neat thing I saw was a Nilgi Cow coming out of the brush and Mike said get ready a Bull should be close due to the rut. I looked at my left hand here he came. Head to tail as straight as a 2X4 He was 300 yard away and walking to the cow. The guide said when he stop go ahead and shoot he is a good one. I turned around easy and said WHAT? He repeated when he stop go ahead and shoot. I said he 300 yards away. I have a 375 H&H Magnum with a 300 grain Barnes X Bullet with a good catcher’s mitt I could catch it and throw it back faster than it got out there. Mike said well shoot when you can I said okedoke. Well the cow started our way and the bull right behind her. I followed him in the scope as he came closer us and was counting down the yardage. 250 then 200 keep on coming and I will introduce you to the Howitzer. Well they were barring to my left and I was swing as they walked angling to me but to the left. Well they broke the comfort zone they got within 100 yards and the General was ready to open the canon up. I was almost swung out of my way because I had a Harris Bipod on my gun. I could not shoot the cow was in front of the bull and was walking all of a sudden the bull stopped and the cow kept moving that’s all I needed BOOM! The general behind the Howitzer which was me gave the gun command to open up by squeezing the trigger and the howitzer open up. The bull turned and ran right in front of us. I slammed another shell in the gun and BOOM he turned and ran away I new I was in Texas but I new a Texas Heart shot was out of the question on this size of animal the only thing I has was a head shot and I took it he turned and I squeezed another one of as he ran into the bush. Mike started patting me on the back and said good shooting good shooting. Did I hit it well I don’t know on the first and third shots but the second and forth shots you did. I said well if I hit it any I hit it on the first one and the third one I know I missed. Mike said how you know that? Well I was trying for a head shot. Mike smiled and shook his head and said that he has guided for over 10 years and never had a person try to shoot a Nilgi in the head. We sat there and Mike said do you here him moaning, yep I do. Load up and start that way well we tracked him for 60 yards in the brush and found him the only thing was missing was the tomb stone at his head. I hit him 3 of the 4 shots and I can honestly say they are on tuff hombre! I had a hole in his shoulder that I could put my fist into and you know he ran like he never was hit. The last thing I want to say about nilgi is yum, yum. Equipment Used: Browning A Bolt SS 375 H&H Magnum Leupold XV III 2.5 X 8 Harris Bipod Realtree Camo PMC Barnes X 300 grain Shells Walker Game Ears
