St. Jude Alligator Hunt

[Whip]

The Chuck Adams pose.    
 

As was the case with my hog hunt, the actually kill was not the highlight of the trip.  While that is always the ultimate goal anytime we hunt, it is the rest of the experience that really makes it special.

This trip provided another chance to see a part of Florida that most tourists never even know exists.  Some may take an air boat ride in the middle of the day.  But not many sit in the swamps in the middle of a moon lit night drifting on a river listening to a deafening chorus of frogs.  It was hard to imagine the Thompson brothers being out in the vastness of the swamps for weeks at a time.  Without mosquito spray, themacells, or head nets.  

Special thanks go to Chris and his dad Pete for all they did for us on this trip.  The passion and love they have for this and the local knowledge and background really added to the trip and gave us an appreciation for life in the swamps.    

Alligator hunts are not cheap, and this was definitely one of the best bargains on the St. Jude auction this year.  If you were to try to do this on your own a non-resident tag alone would be far more than what we paid for the hunt.  Add the cost of hiring a guide with a boat, and the costs go up quickly.  If Chris decides to offer this again next year you should jump at this unique opportunity to experience a different side of Florida.

[NoCams]

Congrats Whip ! And good on ya Chris & Pete !

[vermonster13]

Cool thread. Congrats guys!

[IndianaBowman]

Congrats Whip!  It is amazing how loud the Florida swamps are. It was nothing to have over 100 frogs in site at one time. Most of them were small, but occasionally a big one. Would make some great eating.

Again, thanks for taking us along.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Great post.

 Congrat guys on some fine gators, ain't much better eatin' than gator tail.

[Jack Denbow]

Way to go Joe.

[tippit]

Joe & Woody, Congrats to you both!

[Chris Surtees]

       

[Ragin Bull]

Very Cool Joe!              

[wbyrd]

That is awesome!

[rastaman]

Way to go Joe!      

[FerretWYO]

     

That is awesome. I am with Don and Skyler a gator hunt is in my short list. I hope I can find a way to do that.

[knife river]

Sorry I'm late, Whip!      

More and more it seems that I enjoy hunts for the comraderie:  the hunt itself is secondary.  Some hunts can be pretty "iffy", but that's fine as long as I'm having a great time with friends.  This time, though, it was time spent with a great friend and two new friends.  The icing on the cake was that the hunt was wonderful and memorable.  Many, many thanks to Chris and Peter Horsman.  I think you'll have a hard time finding two guys that are more sincere, honest, and giving.  It was a treat to spend time with them.  

And what a place...  I've been to Florida many times, but never got back in the boonies as far as we did that night.  Although the river is quite different from what the Thompson brothers experienced, it still retains enormous beauty and mystery.  

Our chariot:

 

That's Chris top left, Peter's top right, and Whip with an ever-present smile.  I probably wore a goofy grin the whole time.  It was hard to believe our luck.

 

Chris took us through Starvation Slough.  It was a river of grass about a mile wide and several miles long.  I'm sure the water level varies, but on our visit it was just a few inches deep.  Spread over such a wide area, it was still a lot of water and full of wildlife.

 

Charlie Lamb wrote something a few years back that stuck with me.  He said something along the lines of, "You can be a photographer and you can be a hunter, but you can't be both at the same time."  I've found (the hard way) that it's true.  I didn't take many photos.  For one thing, we were hunting, and secondly, the heavy mist kicked up by an airboat is not a healthy environment for a camera.  

 

[knife river]

As Whip mentioned, we were fortunate enough to see sunset and sunrise on the river, the two most magical times of day.  Watching the colors come and go was riveting.  It was equally fascinating to see and hear the "shifts" of wildlife.  During the day, it was all birds.  At night, the frogs went to work -- so many they were almost deafening.  And the insects were thick in some stretches of the river.  God bless the man who invented Deet!

 

Chris and Peter put us on lots of alligators.  I was hoping for a "booner" but as a first-timer, I'd be happy with a "fork horn."  I had a heck of time getting an arrow in one.  Actually, I hit the first gator I shot at, but he went into thick bushes that overhang the river then looped back into deep water.  The float at the end of the line hung up in the bushes.  By the way the bushes were whipping around, he was doing some major struggling down there.  Consequently, the barb pulled out (they're just under the skin) and we lost him.

After that, I must have missed eight or ten times.  And these were all slam-dunk shots.  If you want excuses, I've got 'em, but I think it boils down to short-drawing, snap-shooting, and not picking a spot.  That was surprisingly hard -- unlike every other hunting I've done, you can hit a gator almost anywhere except in the armored plates on the back.  There wasn't any one "sweet spot" to aim for.  From the jowls to the tail, it's all good.  Just aim low.  And I did.  And then some.    

Around 3:30 in the morning, I finally got a good arrow in one.  We pulled him close to the airboat and I put a flint-tipped arrow to work.  Every time I use one, I'm impressed all over again by their effectiveness.  This one lost a tiny bit off the tip, but with a little retouch it'll be back to work.  You might notice that it's lightly beveled (resharpened) on the left edge.  It's already been through one hog and I bet Chris can find another hog for it.

 

I didn't get any hero shots of the gator.  This'll do nicely, though.  Alligator, the other other white meat.      

 

[Limey Chris]

It was my absolute pleasure and priviledge to guide Woody and Joe on this hunt. Two men more passionate or dedicated to the craft of archery, you`ll be hard pressed to find.
As Joe mentioned the moon was a pain but we got on `gators and I think the guys had a good time.
Woody`s points are just amazing. The skill and talent to make those boggles the mind. I`d be tickled to slip one through the numerous hogs that call the Kissimee river valley home.
Thanks guys

[rushlush]

Great story and pics. Congrats!

[Froggy]

Enjoyed it.... every cool !!

[Irish]

 Great job, and great story!

[redant 60/65]

:cool:    

[Over&Under]

Way way cool!!!!
Congrats to the both of you!!