A Typical Gator Hunt
Most hunts launch about an hour before dark. We run the boat to the area we’ve been scouting, kill the motor and start working the shoreline with lights. When we find the right gator we close in, get a snatch hook or harpoon line in him, and the fight is on. A big gator can take 30 minutes to an hour to bring boat-side. Once he’s secured, the bang stick finishes it, we tape the jaws, tag him and move on to the second tag or head home.
How We Take Them
Florida law keeps it hands-on, and that is what makes it worth doing. Everything starts with a line in the animal before anything else happens.
- Harpoon — the primary tool on a big gator. Heavy dart, heavy line, no guessing.
- Snatch hook — weighted treble on a heavy rod, cast past him and worked back. The way most gators get stuck.
- Heavy rod and reel — a 9 to 12 footer will take drag like a tarpon. Expect a 30 minute to an hour fight.
- Crossbow — line-attached bolt, for hunters who want to do it the hard way.
- Bang stick — finishes the animal boat-side once he is secured. Not a hunting method, a dispatch method.
What to Bring
- Your FWC alligator permit, CITES tags and license
- Headlamp and a dark, non-reflective shirt
- Rain gear, bug spray, sunscreen for day trips
- Cooler and ice for meat (large — a 10-footer is a lot of gator)
- Drinks and snacks
- A camera. You’ll want it.
Trip Details
- Hunts run up to 2 hunters per boat plus the captain.
- Typical trip: 6–8 hours, night or day.
- Launch sites vary by harvest unit — Ochlockonee Bay, St. Marks, Carrabelle, Apalachicola or Wewahitchka.
- Weather calls are made the day of. Thunderstorms and high wind will reschedule, not cancel.
Processing and Taxidermy
We’ll help you get the gator skinned or point you to a licensed processor and tannery for the hide, meat and skull mount. Full-body mounts and head mounts are available through local taxidermists we trust.
Combine It With a Fishing Trip
SoReel Outdoors also runs inshore and nearshore charters out of Alligator Point, St. Marks and St. George Island. Hunt gators at night and chase redfish and trout the next morning.