# "We need a bigger boat"



## Michael (Sep 12, 2010)

When I upgraded from the Ole 15' Carp Killer to my new 20' Carpinator, I thought I was riding in style. After last night, I now think I "need a bigger boat"


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## Nicodemus (Sep 12, 2010)

Big gator. How long and from where?


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## arrow2 (Sep 12, 2010)

very nice gator, I'm with Nick we need a little more info


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## Gumbo1 (Sep 12, 2010)

LOL, that's a nice one


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## wack em (Sep 12, 2010)

Im sure he will be back soon with the full story it was an awesome hunt!


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## Michael (Sep 12, 2010)

As Paul Harvey once said, "Here's the rest of the story"

It was right at midnight when we first spotted this gator. We'd just done battle with a 12'r, but the SureShot point unwound and he got away. This gator was way back in the back of a log jam, complete with several other submerged treetops making it a trick just to get close to him. I really didn't think we'd even get close enough to size him up, much less get a shot. Well, apparently this OLE boy had a death wish... just not sure if it was his or mine 

Trey masterfully drove my boat through the maze of submerged trees and when we were 15-20' away we were finally able to see he was in fact a shooter. He was facing away from us way back in a jungle of dead limbs and vines, but you could easily see how broad he was with those huge jaws flaring out. I came to full draw as he was starting to drop and released the arrow just in time to drill him square in the back of the head. Apparently that didn't bother him because he only went about 10 yards and simply dropped off into about 30' of water. As I prepared another float on my Gator-aider, Trey and Blake got the generator fired up and grabbed the float. About the time I was ready for a second shot, the gator decided he wanted to go a little deeper and he pulled the float out of Blakes hand and it disappeared underwater. Trey maneuvered the boat out of that log jam and out to the SC side of the river where we had a better view of where the float would pop up. Knowing how gators usually stay down at least an hour that first time, I popped the top on a cold one and was about to get comfortable when Trey shined the light right where we'd just been and said "There's a gator". Surely that wasn't the gator I'd just shot, but I really didn't think there would be 2 gators in that log jam. We untied from the SC bank and motored back across the river. From about 40 yards away we could see my arrow sticking up out of his head, but we still couldn't see my float. Just before we got within range to fling another arrow, he slipped back underwater. This time we tied up to a log about 15 yards from where he'd just disappeared. We shut down the motors and the generator and Trey set a flashlight on the bow of the boat so it barely illuminated the shoreline where the gator had been. I really didn't expect him to come back up, but sure enough, after a 10 minute wait first I saw my arrow coming up like a periscope, then I could make out his head as he eased back up on the bank. I came to full draw, then Trey raised the flashlight and put it on him, then thwap, I shot him again. At least I thought I did. When we grabbed the line and pulled it back, instead of being in the gator it was hooked on my first line. This time instead of diving to deeper water, the gator seemed to disappear back into that log jam where we'd first seen him. Once again my float disappeared. So once again we motored out of the maze and back to the SC side to wait and see. After about 20 minutes nothing had happened, well except another boat of gator hunters floated by us. Once the other boat was out of sight, we untied and motored back to the GA side for a better view. We'd already almost completely circled that log jam and seen nothing when Blake said "I think I see him". Neither Trey nor I had seen anything, but just to be sure Trey maneuvered the boat back through the maze right up to the log jam. From about 10' away Blake said "There's your arrow". I truly believed he was joking, then out of nowhere that big OLE gator materialized deep inside that growth of dead limbs and vines. I was caught completely off guard as I didn't even have a bow in my hand. Trey took the kicker motor out of gear and the current of the river stopped us just short of the log jam, but just as I stepped back on the deck with my bow the gator slipped underwater. I immediately jumped out of the boat onto that little 3' shelf of land that was between the river and a 30' cliff that went straight up. I told Trey and Blake to float down river and shut down. About the time things got quite again, I started to think... was this really a good idea? Here I was within 3' of the water a huge gator was in, a gator probably mad at me already, and I had no where to run if he decided he wanted to hunt me. I'm guessing this little shelf of land was where he regularly snagged coons, possums, maybe even deer as they slipped along the side of the river. I started thinking, would I have time to draw my pistol and get off a shot if he suddenly charged from out of the deep. Then something started dripping off the embankment above me onto the back of my neck. I flashed back to that National Geographic video where the lion was chasing the wildobee and then the crocs tried to take it from him. As I wondered if there was a mountain lion on that cliff behind me drooling down on me, I clearly heard the gator come up out of the water. I was already in a shaky state of mind and now I was sure there was a gator within 10' of me, but for some reason, MY FLASHLIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON!!! I hollered out to Trey and Blake "Hey Guys! I need some help!!!" About the time they turned a light on me, I was able to tighten the base on my flashlight and it finally came on. That's when I realized instead of being the hunter, now I might be the hunted. This time instead of the gator facing up the bank back in that log jam, he was now facing me a mere 7-8' away! I'd already practiced holding the bow and the flashlight in my left hand and aiming into that hole where he'd been before, but now that he was closer... facing me... there was no way I could thread an arrow through all those dead limbs and vines. I might could have stepped out into the water and gotten a shot, but I truly didn't want to become the hunted. As I tried to lean further up the embankment, it may have just been my imagination, which was running wild, but I thought I saw the gator reposition himself as if to charge, not retreat. I put my bow down and drew my 45, took dead aim and BOOM! 

As the gator thrashed and disappeared, Trey hollered out "Was that a good thing?" I wasn't sure If I'd killed him or not, but I was sure he was no longer in sight. They fired up the generator and came back over. We taped the gaff to the push pole and from the bank I eased it into the log jam and soon was able to gaff the OLE boy. As I did he went to spinning and with a quick tug, knocked me off my feet and down the embankment I went, straight into the log jam where he was! Trey started hollering "GET OUT OF THE WATER". All I could do was laugh. Did he really think I wanted to be in that water with that gator?

After getting back on dry ground and regaining my composer, we once again used the gaff to locate the gator in that log jam. But, this time instead of trying to hook him, I simply "found" him and told Trey to use my spare bow to sling another arrow blindly into the water. His shot hit the gator in between his hind legs, but now we had 2 arrows in him. Then I used the gaff to raise his tale to where we were able to tie a rope around it. Then we used the boat to pull him on out of the log jam. While I'm now pretty sure that first pistol shot killed the gator, once we got him drug over to a sandbar, I still shot him 4 more times. Why? Because that is all the ammo my new 45 Judge had in it


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## BigKelly (Sep 12, 2010)

Nice One!


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## HOGDOG76 (Sep 13, 2010)

VERY NICE GATOR.POST SOME STATS SOON


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## Michael (Sep 13, 2010)

The "stats" turned out to be less exciting as the hunt was, but I'm still going to break down and get the head mounted... as if I'll ever forget that stare down we had on that narrow bank of the Savannah River 

This gator came from zone 9 and was 10' long. Not sure what he weighed, but we did need the front-end loader to get him out of the boat and into the truck. 

It wasn't until we were taking him out of the truck at the processer that I noticed he had a scare back in the center of his tail right where a buddy put a 3rd arrow into a 10' gator last year. That gator ended up breaking all 3 lines and getting away. We were in the same general area


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## arrow2 (Sep 13, 2010)

Now that's what I'm talking about.
GREAT story.


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## JpEater (Sep 13, 2010)

arrow2 said:


> Now that's what I'm talking about.
> GREAT story.




You know how it goes...... The story never does it justice! I had a blast on this hunt. I was glad to have the opportunity to help out michael. Also thanks for the help with everthing Blake. This was definatly a team effort! Couldn't have been done without all three of us working so well together.

Side note: What I wouldn't give to have a video of Michael sliding feet first down the muddy bank into the water where the jaws of death were! 

Trey


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## JpEater (Sep 13, 2010)

Oh yeah, I think this gator cheated us a little on the lenth!      
 He measured a little over 11''  from his eyes to the nostrils yet he was only a hair over 10'.


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## HOGDOG76 (Sep 13, 2010)

ANYWAY YOU LOOK AT IT YOU SCORED A NICE TROPHY AND THE STORY JUST MAKES IT ALL THE SWEETER. CONGRATS


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## Nicodemus (Sep 13, 2010)

I`m not doubtin` you, but that gator looks a lot longer than 10 feet. Congrats again, enjoyed the story.


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## Michael (Sep 13, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> I`m not doubtin` you, but that gator looks a lot longer than 10 feet. Congrats again, enjoyed the story.



You can't imagine just how big he look from just 7-8'


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## Dep6 (Sep 15, 2010)

Nice gator, great story!!


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## O-Country (Sep 15, 2010)

Nice gator.


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## TurkeyBird (Sep 15, 2010)

That's awesome guys!  We tried em last weekend down in zone 8 on the Savannah.  Didn't fill our tag, but we had a blast chasing them....that was also our first ever gator hunt.  Needless so say we are heading down again in the next week or so to try em again!


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## Michael (Sep 15, 2010)

I'm guiding some guys in zone 8 this weekend. Which ramp are you putting in at?


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## jcinpc (Sep 15, 2010)

dude, thats a nice gator, as a river diver I want to say THANK YOU. makes me feel better already. y`all dont know scary till you hear and see a big gator bite down on a slider underwater


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## 27metalman (Sep 16, 2010)

Good Deal Michael!


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## James Vincent (Sep 18, 2010)

Fantastic gator hunting adventure


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## Michael (Sep 20, 2010)

Zone 8 was eat up with 6-8' gator Sat night. We looked at 76 gators during the first half of the night before turning around and heading back towards the ramp. That's when we finally spotted this 11' 7" gator. Russ made 2 great shots with his Gator-aider and within 45 minute, the fight was over. Russ' gator was almost twice as fat as my 10'r, but considering this time everyone stayed in the boat...


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