dogs around Iamonia are safer

[SHOWBOAT]

Ya'll may have seen my earlier post about the big gator that was regularly in my yard. I petitioned all my friends to apply for tags and help protect Boo. Luckily two of them got drawn. The past two weekends my buddy who owns and operates Heller High Water Charters in Pensacola came over to fill his tags.

http://www.hellerhighwatercharters.com/ Those of you who know me may recognize me in a couple of Chaz's pics; we've had a lot of fun times chasing various critters together.

We had tried multiple techniques to kill a gator, but we were determined that we wanted a 10'er, and they were harder to get within our range. Saturday night we had pursued 5-6 different gators before deciding that they weren't what we wanted. About 2:30 am we saw one that we thought would qualify as 10+ and Chaz was able to stick him with my new cross bow. Upon until this point, I was skeptical of the $8 Muzzy beacon I bought. I thought it was a gimmick until all 100' of 600# braid and my float were gone. Had we just lost our first gator? After turning off the lights we could see the little beacon below some pads. I hand-lined the beast back to the boat twice, and our other buddy Zach felt around with harpoon and was able to sink a second head. Zach is a seasoned veteran and we learned a lot hunting with him.

Having two lines attached we felt like it was just a matter of time until we brought in our first gator. The gator finally presented an opportunity, and we put a .357 from a bangstick in his head. His fate was sealed. His head was so large that one person couldn't close his jaws to tape them. Zach and I each held a jaw while Chaz started tapping. The crossbow shot had hit in the left jaw, and the harpoon was just as effective in the snout. Nice shots guys! It was everything three guys could do to roll the beast over the gunnel. 3 guys and a gaff finally succeeded.

Back at the boat house we put a tape to him; 11'6" was more than we could have hoped for. I don't think he was the one from my yard, but he was a good one and just what we had been seeking.

Thanks to Zach and Chaz for a couple great nights of gator hunting. Also thanks to the guys who saw my initial posts on BBF and reached out to me offering guidance.

I can't wait to fill the second tag. Between more gator hunting and trying to chase ducks I fear there are some tired days in my future.

[DEMON]

Awsome gator. Congrats. I have tags for Iamonia as well & spent 3 nights looking for anything over 8' without any luck. Lots of shy ones that I couldn't even get a look at. Glad you guys found a big one.

[red_yakker]

Get em Brian & Chaz!

[Harmsway]

Wow! What an adventure.

[bman]

That is a monster!

[Salty Gator]

Big gator, you could kill 100 and the dogs wouldnt be much safer. But you have to start somewhere. No fun watching a lab get eaten by a gator ( ask Kieth McNeal)

[Danibeth]

Nice gator there....good for y'all.

[MarkM]

Way To Go!!!

[rocket]

That's a big lizzard! Nice work.

[fishinfool]

[MudDucker]

Nize lizard men!

[SHOWBOAT]

Thanks for all the comments. We really didn't know what we were in for, but our excitement continues to grow. If snatch hooking, it is the ultimate sight fishing experience with some huge explosions. There is also a significant hunting component that requires you to change strategies with conditions. Overall, a much more exciting hunt than I could have imagined.

Looking at the FWC harvest reports, it appears this is the largest gator recorded in Iamonia from 2000-2012. Crazy