Florida Gator Hunting This Year?
Bowfishing
Contributors to this thread:
Whose going?
Me and 8 buddies were all unsuccessful in the Phase 1 draw.
If I lived closer, I would go every year. I am on the wrong coast to like this so much.
Neither me or any of my buddies drew round 1 either. Kinda makes you wonder who got those tags. Will probably put in during second draw if anything near me left.
No gator but shark fishing in Sept
I drew lake lamonia. The sole reason I applied there was because it is one of the closest places to a cousin that lives in the panhandle. With new information I actually had planned to restructure my application but when I thought about it, it was late on the 30th and I had no internet connection.
A bit of research suggests that it isn't one of the better locations for gators in Florida. I did however, find a few that said it had some really big ones, who knows, but I wouldn't think that state stats lie.
If anyone has any information, good or bad, about lake lamonia, I would greatly appreciate a PM.
To make matters worse, it was my second choice, so I must have been pretty high in the ranks of the drawing process. I don't know exactly how the drawings work in Florida, but I say this because my cousin, who is a resident, also applied and used the exact same choices I did, and he didn't draw anything. From what I understand, only 10 percent of tags go to nonresidents. Actually some clarification of this, as well as their drawing process would be appreciated and interesting.
There is no resident or non-resident distribution. It is all random draw.
Thanks NY Bowman. I was told that the special permit opportunities hunts were allocated 10 percent to the nonresident, so I assumed that alligator would be the same.
That better explains why my cousin as a resident wouldn't drawn when I did.
I'd like to see them go to a preference point system like some of the Western states. I personally haven't drawn a tag in 5 years. Fortunately, people I hunt with have.
Looking at one now, trying to get dates right!
BPM,
Are you looking at a tag....or a gator?!!
BPM
Was last gator you took not big enough :), or do I see a gator pizza in the works
My son drew a very good tag so maybe this year we will get Godzilla! Mike
Mine was just over 12' looks like some 13 footers are around this year! Upgrade???? Just about out of meat!'
Good luck Mike I hope you get a giant.
If anyone gets Okeechobee south I know where there's a 13 footer. But if you get him I want my treble hook from last year back. Here's our 2014 11 footer from Okeechobee south.
BPM,
Plus an excuse to go hunting again too.
Bigpizzaman's Link
Alligators-1 Humans-1
Time to hunt more of them!~
Now that is an odd one to say the least
Been trying to draw some of our STAs(storm water treatment area) for two years now. I've lived here since I popped out of the womb 35 years ago and still can't get drawn.
Everglades off Aligator Alley.
Haha John,I'm a native too and I cant even draw an STA duck permit in Florida!
STAs are full of 12'+ gators. Drives me nuts