# ? For Alligator experts



## EDL (May 23, 2009)

I was talking to a friend the other day, who lives in another state, and he told me about an alligator he'd shot in a swamp pond last year. He  said he was pretty sure it killed him  -  with a 308 rifle. 
The gator sunk, then he waited a couple of hours for it to float to the top, but it never did. He went back the next day, and it still hadn't floated to the top. He didn't go back after that. I asked him what the water temp. was, and he said it was between 70 & 75 degrees. I know beaver will sink when shot, and it takes 2 or 3 days for them to surface in warmer water temperature.
I told him he probably didn't give it enough time.

What do ya'll think?


----------



## Dog Hunter (May 24, 2009)

Not enough time


----------



## GAX (May 24, 2009)

EDL said:


> I was talking to a friend the other day, who lives in another state, and he told me about an alligator he'd shot in a swamp pond last year. He  said he was pretty sure it killed him  -  with a 308 rifle.
> The gator sunk, then he waited a couple of hours for it to float to the top, but it never did. He went back the next day, and it still hadn't floated to the top. He didn't go back after that. I asked him what the water temp. was, and he said it was between 70 & 75 degrees. I know beaver will sink when shot, and it takes 2 or 3 days for them to surface in warmer water temperature.
> I told him he probably didn't give it enough time.
> 
> What do ya'll think?



He should've went back the third day... although, the gator could have lodged itself under some cover on the bottom..or, he didn't kill it. How big is the pond? Could the gator have floated up out of sight? Even a "I think it's dead" gator has a tendency to swim off....

BTW, next time, tell him to use a harpoon or something similar with, at least, a float attached...


----------



## EDL (May 24, 2009)

I did question him if he thought it was a fatal shot. IIRC, he said after the shot to the head, the gator turned half way over and appeared to sink tail first. 

I don't know how big the pond was, but yes, from what i understand about gator hunting, a line & float rigged to an arrow or harpoon would be best.

Thanks


----------



## Nicodemus (May 24, 2009)

An arrow or harpoon with a line and float attached, is important. A shot dead gator sinks. A wounded gator sinks. So does one that is missed.


----------



## chuckb7718 (May 24, 2009)

What Nic said!


----------



## florida boy (May 31, 2009)

you can take a pole with a snatch hook taped to the end of it with a rope tied to snatch hook . When you find what you think is the dead gator turn the pole over and sink the hook in it and the hook will seperate leaving you with a gator on a rope . I retrieve alot of nuisance gators a year like this after I have shot them . The only sure way to stone the gator right there is a shot to the back of the head . Low velocity hard ammo is the best .


----------



## injun joe (Jun 1, 2009)

I did a skull mount of the gator in the other thread on this page . After the meat came off I found a wound channel with what appeared to be a mushroomed .45 slug just inside the skull plate. I think they can take a pretty good poke and survive.


----------

