# Monster GA Gator



## markland (Sep 4, 2007)

Well don't know where to start, so bear with me!  Awesome is all I can say, could not have worked out better!  Scouted the weekend before on Eufuala and found some good gators, so right at 12:01 we set out and checked out 4 gators, not quite big enough, cruising down the river ran by 1 on the bank and when he turned, he was a good'un!  Turned the boat around and came back and he was in the middle, he let us get right up on 'em and Jason was up 1st.  We got right on top of him and Jason made a great shot on his 1st alligator, another arrow in 'em and 2 hours later we had him in the boat...11' 4" and about 500#, now how to top that!  Well we went on up and checked out a few more, but finally just had to get back to where I saw the biggest one tje week before and he was still there!  5 times trying to get close enough for a shot and finally he let us get within 10yds and he turned broadside and I hammered him in the ribs with my Hoyt recurve and Muzzy Gator arrow, he went berserk and pulled the bouy long under water.  Then he sat on the bottom for 20 mins in 32ft of water and we could not budge him, finally he broke free and came straight up and the chase was on again.  He pulled the boat along as we pulled in more line and I was finally able to get my 2nd arrow in right in his back, now we realized how big he was and he was way bigger then we had imagined.  Finally got him to the boat side and put my 3rd arrow in his neck.  Now granted, it took 3 of us all we could do to get the 1st one in the boat, there was nothing we could do with this one, we just taped his jaws and towed him about 1/2mile downriver to a ramp and fortunately there were 4 guys pulling out after they had gotten one about 9ft.  We conned them into helping us and with 7 guy's we were just barely able to get this thing in the boat.  He was huge and we thought we might have a record.  So off to the ramp and truck and down to Glass Enterprises in Camilla to the processor.  They could not believe how big this thing was and everyone said it was the heaviest gator they had ever seen.  We measured him out at 12' 6" and took circumference measurements and used a formula they had to come up with a weight between 720-739#.  6ft around the belly, over 50in around the base of tail, 53in neck and 13in between the eyes and nostrils.  A giant!  Found out this morning that GA does not register weight only length and the longest so far was 13' 6", but he is a trophy of a lifetime for me and one that I will never forget.  
Now Sat night we are in Seminole to fill Jason's wife tag and within 1 hour we have a 9' 8 1/2" in the boat and we are done!
I cannot thank my buddy Tate Morrell enough, he is a guide and nuisance trapper from FL that came up to help and he has taught me alot about hunting and handling alligators and we have taken alot of them together.  Awesome experience with some great friends and cannot wait to do it again.  I will have to post pics in this and a seperate thread.  Mark


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## markland (Sep 4, 2007)

More pics!


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## BKA (Sep 4, 2007)

Holy crap what an animal!


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## jason308 (Sep 4, 2007)

That is awesome!!!!!  Congrats and thanks for sharing!!!!


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## capt stan (Sep 4, 2007)

WOW!!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!


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## dan229 (Sep 4, 2007)

That is a HOSS gator!  Good job!


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## hookedonbass (Sep 4, 2007)

All I can say is AWESOME!


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## Bowfisher (Sep 4, 2007)

Awesome job Mark!!  Mike got one Sunday nite on Seminole just over 9ft, but nothing like that monster.


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## tmoore912 (Sep 4, 2007)

WoW!  That is awsome.  Never seen one that big.  Great job!


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## frankwright (Sep 4, 2007)

That is a real monster, congratulations.

I am not surprised though. I use to fish Eufaula a good bit and I use to tell people the size of some of the gators I saw but they always laughed. No one would be laughing at the one you got!


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## Nitro (Sep 4, 2007)

WOW!!!!!!!!!!

Those are huge Gators!!

Congrats to you all.  When is the Gator Fry??


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## Jim Thompson (Sep 4, 2007)

congrats on a fine gator hunt! the pic with you and his jaws is serious!


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## muddy_feet (Sep 4, 2007)

Good gator and great story.  Wish you could have hauled out about 300 more.

I've seen quite a few that size and also a few bigger.


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## fredw (Sep 4, 2007)

WOW!!!!

Awesome gator Mark.  Congratulations!


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## XTREME HUNTER (Sep 4, 2007)

That is awsome, I am just hoping on a 10 footer.  Great job


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## pnome (Sep 4, 2007)

What a monster.  Congrats!


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## DRB1313 (Sep 4, 2007)

Man oh Man! That's a Monster for sure. Congrats.


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## HMwolfpup (Sep 4, 2007)

man what a gator!  Congrats


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## GAGE (Sep 4, 2007)

*Congrats!*

That is awesome, what are your plans...full body mount$$$


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## Nicodemus (Sep 4, 2007)

Congrats on some nice gators!!


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## Just BB (Sep 4, 2007)

That's a whole lot of luggage and shoes. Congrats!


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## Browning Slayer (Sep 4, 2007)

Awesome Gators for sure!! Congrats!


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## Redneck Maguiver (Sep 4, 2007)

Wow, thats a big one.  Congrats guy.


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## dognducks (Sep 4, 2007)

how are you mounting him?


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## Deer Fanatic (Sep 4, 2007)

that,my friend,is one big lizard!!!!!!!!!!!


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## markland (Sep 4, 2007)

Can't believe I would ever say this....but he is too big to mount!!!  I am just going to do a euro on the skull, which should take up a whole mantel and get some meat and the feet for claws and sell the hide.  I have a bear, hog, alligator and deer skull done in euro and they look cool on the mantel, but this one will definitely take center place and then just blow up a pic of him and frame it with the 1st Muzzy Gator Point attached to it.  But, I do love that gator meat!  Now if I kill a deer this weekend, bear the next and a moose in Alberta I guess I will have to quit since I used up a lifetime of luck in 1 year!  Thanks for all the replies.  Mark


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## BAMA HUNTER (Sep 4, 2007)

hope this aint a stupid question but did i see u so a show with michael waddell on guntersville...bowfishing??? u look just like the guy im thinking of..


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## markland (Sep 4, 2007)

Yep, that's me!  Have done a few shows on bowfishing, I sold that blue camo boat and got a bigger one, looks like I needed it for this trip!  Mark


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## turtlebug (Sep 4, 2007)

WOW!!!  Awesome!!!


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## Son (Sep 4, 2007)

*Monster*

That's a biggun, hope they get some of em out of Lake Seminole.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Sep 4, 2007)

Holy Crap!!!!!

Only thing I can say !!!!!!


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## James Vincent (Sep 4, 2007)

Great Gator. Great Pics. Do you eat any meat on one that large other than the tail


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## sbrown (Sep 4, 2007)

You think that gator head was big? You should see Mark's now!!


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## Public Land Prowler (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm speechless....I'd like to see the one-uppers try to out do that!!Awesome!

I am pumped up to try and fill my tag this weekend now !


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Sep 4, 2007)

Congrats, looks exactly like the one I shot at in the Savannah River this weekend except maybe yours is TWICE as big


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Sep 4, 2007)

congrat on the giant gator man thats a biggun there.


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## wildlands (Sep 4, 2007)

Great post thanks for sharing. Awesome gator.


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## Nutty (Sep 4, 2007)

Congratulations!!!  Monster of a lifetime for sure.  Thank you for posting the story and the pics.  I've been watching the boards since Sun. morning wanting to read one just like this.


Nutty


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## doenightmare (Sep 4, 2007)

I did not know Ga had a dinosaur season - WOAH! Remind me never to ski in Lake Jurassic!


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## JasonF (Sep 4, 2007)

WOW!!! Great Job!!


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## Researcher31726 (Sep 5, 2007)

Mark,
Great job!
Sue


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## wild_linesides (Sep 5, 2007)

Awesome kill and pics!!! That thing is a grown un!!!


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## MudDucker (Sep 5, 2007)

Man, thats a monster, congratulations.  

Now, could you take your skills to Jacksonville...I hear there will be one Saturday when the football field will be a target rich environment.


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## THREEJAYS (Sep 5, 2007)

Got a friend going next week, maybe he'll be thatt lucky


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## FERAL ONE (Sep 5, 2007)

awesome lizard mark!!!! great story and pics ta boot!!!! i sure was proud of the way my gator getter performed!!!


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## Jasper (Sep 5, 2007)

markland said:


> But, I do love that gator meat!  Now if I kill a deer this weekend, bear the next and a moose in Alberta I guess I will have to quit since I used up a lifetime of luck in 1 year!  Thanks for all the replies.  Mark



Man, what a life you're living Mark! Congratulations! What a trophy! Best of luck on your upcoming hunts. Be safe..............and let us know how they go.


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## HOGDOG76 (Sep 5, 2007)

VERY NICE GATOR!!!!


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## James Vincent (Sep 5, 2007)

Mark, What did you do with that thing once it was on the truck


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## huntfish (Sep 5, 2007)

Congrats on a fine hunt and harvest.  What an animal...


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## Dep6 (Sep 5, 2007)

Congratulations sir, very well done!!


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## Apex Predator (Sep 5, 2007)

Awesome job!

I wonder how many dogs that thing has eaten?


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## Al33 (Sep 5, 2007)

You are the MAN Mark!!!!  Congratulations sir, that one will be hard to top. I hope this good fortune follows you all the way to Alberta.


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## OconeeDan (Sep 5, 2007)

Way to go Mark, that is an awesome gator and a great story to go with it!
Dan


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## pnome (Sep 5, 2007)

think it could be the same gator as this guy?

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2004/r04-073.html


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## jcbama (Sep 5, 2007)

*Where about in Eufaula!!!*

I was just wondering where about in Eufaula you killed that giant.  There is one at the Witches Ditch(just south of Rood Creek) that I 've got several nice pictures over the years.  Attached is one I took in the late spring and there about the same size.

That's one great gator!!!!


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## JeffC3030 (Sep 5, 2007)

Congrats!! Huge Gator!! Thanks for posting the pics and story for us!!


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## LLove (Sep 5, 2007)

Thats incredible!!!! Congrats!!!!


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## 11P&YBOWHUNTER (Sep 6, 2007)

Who was the Guide??  Can you post his info?


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## markland (Sep 6, 2007)

Tate is a good friend and nuisance trapper for the state of FL and does guided hunts in FL as well and could help with GA hunters also.  I have hunted several times with him and he wanted to come up and help me out with my hunt.  You can access his information by looking it up on backwaterbowfishing.com or just give me a call or e-mail and I can get you in touch with him.  
Most of the middle portion of the lake is in the refure from just below Lake Point to just above Florence and is off limits to alligator hunting.  There are some huge gators in the refuge, but we cannot hunt them.  Thanks, Mark


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## elfiii (Sep 6, 2007)

That is a monster alligator no doubt! Congratulations.


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## The AmBASSaDEER (Sep 6, 2007)

Huge! What are you gonna do with it. I bet it will cost big to have the whole thing mounted. I would have to take out a loan. but it would be worth it! Nice job.


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## rip18 (Sep 10, 2007)

Congratulations to all three of you!  Great gator with great story & pix too!  Thanks for sharing!!!


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## Stan in SC (Sep 10, 2007)

NOTE TO SELF: You will do no more water skiing in Eufaula or Seminole.

Stan


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## Spooner (Sep 10, 2007)

Congrats Mark. That's a trophy and an experience of a lifetime. And thanks for all the tips and advice you gave me. Good Luck in all your adventures this year and in the years to come.


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## SGaither (Sep 10, 2007)

I will reiterate, nice gator.
I got my second gator on the Flint at 7'7" and three other tags have been filled.  First weekend a 9'7" first gator of this weekend friday night 8' mine saturday night and another saturday night 10'4"
I don't plan on swimming in Seminole, EVER!

Mark and his crew at Glass Enterprises are very nice folks to deal with.


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## Public Land Prowler (Sep 10, 2007)

How long was the little one laying on his back in the shop?


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## rapid fire (Sep 10, 2007)

Did you check the contents of it's stomach?


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## SouthernAngler (Sep 10, 2007)

BKA said:


> Holy crap what an animal!



my sentiment exactly....good Lord


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## BirdDawg (Sep 14, 2007)

I've looked at this thread everyday for a week and I'm still in awe.............what a great read and awesome trophy.


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## markland (Sep 14, 2007)

Sorry PLP, have not responded in awhile.  The one on the floor was 6ft and looked like bait for my gator, it was unreal!  I tried to get them to let me open the stomach, just had to know what this thing had been feeding on, but the processor was very adament about not doing that, no telling what might have come out!  The girth and mass on this gator was just unreal, it could easily swallow just about anything!  Thanks for all the great comments and truly a trophy of a lifetime for me!  Mark


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## Danny Estep (Sep 16, 2007)

Awesome lizard man!  Congrats! I'm headed back to AR this fall and believe it or not we got us a gator season now! Their headed north boys! We always had a few in south AR but never enough to hunt. I'm jacked about the idea of stickin ole swamp lizard! Congrats again on your trophy.


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## DaddyPaul (Oct 12, 2007)

Don't know how I missed this Mark?  Congrats brother on a huge dinosaur of a gator!


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## gpcan1 (Oct 12, 2007)

That's a nice un.  If memory serves correctly, the state record was taken a few years back at Sandy Branch/Creek area on Eufaula.  Seems like JK Jones got that one--only a foot or two longer than yours.


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## georgiabuckbuster (Oct 14, 2007)

wow thats a good un biggest ive killed was 10'2 i know where one is that was bigger than my dads 14 ft boat but my dad wont let me kill him says he is a old timer and stuff but anyway awesome gator man.


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