Cool. Good luck man. Biggest gators I ever seen were where the rivers dump into the Mobile bay along the Easter Shore. Fucking dinosaurs. In MS, we are allowed to hunt at night. No baiting hooks. We can use treble hooks. Must dispatch of gator with bangstick or shotgun. Season is 8/31-9/9 Can hunt during day, too. Must have gator tethered (with a noose, etc) before you can dispatch it. Gator done.
Read your regulations. http://www.mdwfp.com/media/172907/4...le_5.3-alligator_hunting_on_public_waters.pdf With a shotgun you're limited to using #6 shot or smaller, so if I were you wouldn't rely on a .410 to do the job. That is not to say a .410 wouldn't get the job done, but if you have to ask you need more. As far as the pistol grip is concerned, the regs say that all shotguns must be long-barreled and shoulder-fired. There are shotgun shoulder stocks with pistol grips, but I can't see any advantage in having one for a sporting gun. Not really, but if one wants kill one in Mississippi they do need to take the course. I can think of a number of reasons why it is mandatory. The main reason is that a large majority of the applicants' knowledge of gator hunting is limited to knowing that they want to do it and what they've seen on Swamp People. In short the hunters are clueless. The state knows they are, so in an attempt to prevent wanton waste and in the name of safety, courses are mandatory. A bangstick is a stick with a pistol cartridge encased in a device called a powerhead. The powerhead has a fixed firing pin that strikes the primer when the stick is jabbed into something solid. Powersticks and powerheads attached to speargun shafts have been used by divers on sharks for a long time.
I didn't realize that I couldn't use the pistol grip. Thanks for the heads up. I wanted to use the pistol grip b/c it seems like it would be less cumbersome and more maneuverable. Maybe I should just get a bangstick.
I've never heard of one of those thing, my bf goes alligator hunting every year I think he uses a rifle. Thanks for the vid CS....are alligators always that calm? I felt like I was watching a cooking show, I was waiting for the gator to try and snap at him. Plot, thanks for info too.....this stuff fascinates me.
The only thing with me getting a bangstick is the probability that I won't be able to use it again. I can use a shotgun for the rest of my life (I don't own 1 currently). The gator permits are done on a lottery so it could be years (if ever) I get chosen again.
No, they are not always that calm. I think the thrashing, etc was edited out of that video. On the other hand, shows like Swamp People are very sensationalized. They do not put up a fight like portrayed on tv from what I understand. Think about it, could those folks (women included) really pull a violently thrasshing 800 lb gator up by a line with no gloves? Not a damn one of them uses gloves.
You should try and borrow one - bangstick or shotgun. That way, when you do get a shotgun, you can get the one you really like for the type hunting you are doing. For example, I love to duck hunt and have a very nice shotgun just for that. I would not take it to shoot a gator. For a one time gator thing, you might want to try a craigslist ad for a cheapie shotgun. Maybe a pawn shop, but they are pricing them pretty high these days.
Ok. Got picked in the Alabama gator lottery and went to the class saturday. I am allowed ONE GATOR he has to hunted at night and hes has to be harpooned or snagged brought to side of boat secured by a noose and then you can shoot the gator with either a bang stick or a shotgun with #4 or higherl load. Alabama is so different if i didn't love my wife i would be soo gone
