No gator season

[JABIII]

In North Carolina...

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission voted on different proposed changes to rules regarding the state’s game land, inland fishing regulations, and wildlife management.

The commission voted Thursday to disapprove the proposed alligator hunting season because of, “an abundance of caution and desire for additional biological information,” according to the commission.

Landon Zimmer, a N.C. Wildlife Commissioner, said the goal was to preserve the state’s resources. He said once the biologists return with more information on the alligators and their birthrates and nesting habits, then they will be able to make a decision on the proposed hunting season.

One man in wildlife removal services is worried allowing people to hunt for alligators would wipe out the population.

He feared people don’t know enough about how to properly capture and kill an alligator.

“It’s a problem, and I don’t know just how they would do it, unless they get supervised hunts. In other words, a man gets a permit, and a wildlife official goes with him,” James English said.

The commission did state in a release that they would, “examine options that would utilize the skills and expertise of North Carolina sportsmen and women to provide assistance in removal of alligators under nuisance or depredation circumstances.”

English said he only sees a reason to kill if it is posing a threat to a human being.

“A ten foot gator could be terribly dangerous, so could a nine foot one. I mean he could grab a man and just swim off with him easy. So, if he’s hanging out in a park or a public area. Why wait until he grabs somebody before you do anything?,” English asked.

Although English agreed there are some benefits to killing the larger gators, he worries people will accidentally shoot the smaller ones.

English added that he thinks people will just throw the smaller alligators out and try again, meaning more lose their lives.

He said killing the smaller gators will eventually wipe out the population.

[Stumpknocker]

I know where some MONSTERS are that you can ride right up next to it would be to easy.

[Downeast]

Most of the big one's will be taken out in the first year or two. In NC, a gator has to be 6 foot before it reaches maturity and can reproduce. And a 6 footer is nearly 20 years old. Who knows how old the 10 footers are? I know I wouldn't eat one. Can you imagine what that beast has eaten in 50 plus years? Most likely there is so much mercury in him you could paint numbers on his hide and hang him up as a thermometer. Many of the s.e. NC lakes have really high concentrations of mercury. If you can't eat a bass that is just a few years old no way am I eating anything that has been soaking for decades.

[PharmHunter]

Dow east,
I'm not being a smart ass at all, but I'm curious as to how you know how old a gator is...?
I've read up on the topic as I've been curious about it since we started killing them here. Do you have articles or any data to support your statements? Id like to see it for real.

[Strick9]

https://www.google.com/search?q=alli...m1jW26uLRCM%3A

[BOGSTER]

Once they reach about 6ft their growth rate slows down pretty good.

Pharm you can bet that most any alligator 11ft or better was around before the lakes were built.

It's harder every year to find 11ft+ gators out there.

Soon the only place to be able to see big 12fters in the wild will be Bull Island.

Y'all think I'm a overreacting hippie? Remember you heard it here first.

[Griffin]

Once they reach about 6ft their growth rate slows down pretty good.

Pharm you can bet that most any alligator 11ft or better was around before the lakes were built.

It's harder every year to find 11ft+ gators out there.

Soon the only place to be able to see big 12fters in the wild will be Bull Island.

Y'all think I'm a overreacting hippie? Remember you heard it here first.

Oh snap bog and I agree on something! Someone write this shit down!

[BOGSTER]

Prior to the SC alligator season, it wasn't uncommon to see 7-8 big alligators on a 2-3 hour fishing trip in stumphole woods or down around Rocks Pond.

Good luck with that now.

The largest alligators killed since the inception of the season, have been taken on Marion or Moultrie.... In about 5 years, folks wiped out the majority of big ones.

Y'all make sure you pack a lunch and take plenty of bug spray when you make that 2.5hr trip to Bull Island....

[TheVisorGuy]

I've seen several that I would guess to be right at 9-10 ft over the last few years on moultrie

[BOGSTER]

I've seen roseate spoonbills in the marsh and JABIII had one on his place this year.

Doesn't mean they're common.

[TheVisorGuy]

I could get a better look at a t-bone by sticking my head up a bulls ass but I'd rather take the butchers word for it

[billbuster84]

I could get a better look at a t-bone by sticking my head up a bulls ass but I'd rather take the butchers word for it

Nice Tommy Boy quote


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Griffin]

I've seen several that I would guess to be right at 9-10 ft over the last few years on moultrie

You would a handful a day before they started hunting them

[TheVisorGuy]

You would a handful a day before they started hunting them

I'm sure

[BOGSTER]

I could get a better look at a t-bone by sticking my head up a bulls ass but I'd rather take the butchers word for it

It's gotta be your bull...


I was against the alligator season from the beginning.
My reasoning was there was no need for it, it was simply a knee-jerk to folks saying there were alligators swarming everywhere.

Overpopulation was the potential alligator hunter's biggest arguement.

Mine was that they weren't overpopulated, they had just finally rebounded to historic numbers after being nearly wiped out decades ago.
They were back. We were seeing them again.
I thought it was cool to be able to drive my boat out there and see them. I'm not afraid of them and they really are pretty skittish in the true wild -ie: a swamp alligator and a human conditioned golf course gator are not the same animal.
Seeing those big 12ft dinosaurs is a thing of wonder, regardless of how those ridiculous swamp rats on A&E portray them.
And I give my respect to an animal that is likely 100 years old.
In my mind he deserves better than to be harpooned by a bunch of careless rednecks only to be hoisted up by a front end loader for a hero shot, possibly a bleached skull hung on a shop wall, and then forgotten.

A season is fine. It's done and is what it is, but a size limit would be better for the resource IMO. 8FT max.
You still get to look cool, you get some questionably edible meat, and you get the hero shot with a decent gator.

Unfortunately, the big boys are becoming more rare every year.
I saw the 13fter killed on Moultrie - that thing was incredible.

[TheVisorGuy]

It's gotta be your bull...


I was against the alligator season from the beginning.
My reasoning was there was no need for it, it was simply a knee-jerk to folks saying there were alligators swarming everywhere.

Overpopulation was the potential alligator hunter's biggest arguement.

Mine was that they weren't overpopulated, they had just finally rebounded to historic numbers after being nearly wiped out decades ago.
They were back. We were seeing them again.
I thought it was cool to be able to drive my boat out there and see them. I'm not afraid of them and they really are pretty skittish in the true wild -ie: a swamp alligator and a human conditioned golf course gator are not the same animal.
Seeing those big 12ft dinosaurs is a thing of wonder, regardless of how those ridiculous swamp rats on A&E portray them.
And I give my respect to an animal that is likely 100 years old.
In my mind he deserves better than to be harpooned by a bunch of careless rednecks only to be hoisted up by a front end loader for a hero shot, possibly a bleached skull hung on a shop wall, and then forgotten.

A season is fine. It's done and is what it is, but a size limit would be better for the resource IMO. 8FT max.
You still get to look cool, you get some questionably edible meat, and you get the hero shot with a decent gator.

Unfortunately, the big boys are becoming more rare every year.
I saw the 13fter killed on Moultrie - that thing was incredible.

I'm with you. I enjoy seeing them. The one at canal lakes looks to be around 13 ft

[BOGSTER]

Is it not amazing that he's probably been around since the 1920s?

That old boy's seen a lot of changes in his day and somehow survived his species' near extinction.

[TheVisorGuy]

Is it not amazing that he's probably been around since the 1920s?

That old boy's seen a lot of changes in his day and somehow survived his species' near extinction.

Yeah. The stories them old boys could tell

[SCmudder7071]

For the past 4 gator seasons, we have had no problem killing 11'+ gators. Hell last season, we killed two that were 12' and one 13'. They're still out there. Just got to look for them.

[Arrowman]

I mean it's just a dang gator...