Gator gun & how to hunt them

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UT_Air_Assault

New member
I've recently decided to take a gator from the Nueces River on my ranch in South Texas, and am unsure of the best technique to hunt them. The river is about 20-25 feet across usually and has a verying rate of flow as it meanders through my property. I have seen quite a few medium sized gators, and one HUGE 14-16 footer (I have no interest in taking him).
Also what is the best weapon to use against this type of critter. I'm trying to chose between my .30-06 Bolt gun, or my AK-47 in 7.62x39 loaded with 123gr. FMJs. I use the AK as a "Ranch gun" and have taken innumerable hogs and coyotes with it out to 150 meters, and have total trust in it's accuracy out to about 200 meters with quick follow up shots. Or using a shotgun perhaps?
Also since years of pig hunting is Texas has taught me (the hard way :eek: ) to always carry a hangun while hunting, what should I be looking for when it comes to a handgun for gators? I have a choice of a Ruger .44 Magnum (yet, it's single-action, negating a quick follow-up shot), a Sig 220 .45ACP (I'm worried about it's low velocity), a Glock .357 Sig (Probably my top pick. Loaded with Gold-Dot 125 gr. JHP, or FMJs for penetration?), or finnaly a Beretta 92FS 9mm (offers lots of penetration loaded with 115 gr. FMJs, yet not much stopping power).
Any advise anyone could offer in reponse to this laundry list of stuff will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
First, you might want to acquire a Gator License, you can only kill a gator in the state of TX with a permit. The season this year was Sept. 10-30.

The way we have hunted them in Anahuac, is to get a flexible metal rod about 10' feet long. Place it in the ground at an angle and hang pieces of rotten chicken off a big hook about 6 - 10" off the water. You are going to have to have a hook of something so that when the gator bits the chicken and pulls on the rope it releases the rope and the gator swims off.

Then you check your rods when you see one with the line in the water you pull on the line gently until you get the gator close to the shore. Then you put a round from the .357 or .44 right between his eyes.
 
No idea as to Gator, but I did do a 22' Croc once upon a time.
Guide's suggestion: End of the "smile", 1/2 the way up from there to the eye.
He died.
Rich
BTW....he'd eaten half a Cape Buff, set out for bait, the night before!
 

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Damn. That is a monster. That's more of a problem for a Mk-19 40mm or M2 .50 to solve, than what I may happen to have in my gun safe at this period in time. Damn.
 
In FL we use a airboat, bait up a floating hook with a rabbit, chase down gator thin harpon the beast. pull up him to the boat then bangstick him (bang stick cal.) 44mag or 3 1/2 mag.12 ga. buckshot.lot's of fun aways at night.
 
Cwalk wrote;
thats crazy, a 22 on gator be for real
Click to expand...

Not crazy at all. Gators are easy to kill with any firearm. 22s are quiet relatively speaking, and poachers hate noise. I'd be willing to bet that up until legalized hunting here in fla 22 rimfires killed more gators than all others. Also one had better have a line attached as they sink like rock when dead and by the time they float they hide will have slipped and be useless.
 
:eek: There ain't no way in hell I would be manhandling the business end of a croc that size - or any croc or gator for that matter - unless I personally put a couple of 30-06 rounds through it's head leaving gaping holes!!! :D

Geezzz...
 
it mainly comes down to where you shoot. they float with their head a little out of the water and at night a flashlight will make those eyes standout. aim right between the eyes when you shoot.
 
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