Georgia Alligator Hunting Results

Alligator pictures continued to pour into the GON office last month as hunters with coveted gator tags continued to try and fill their one-tag limit during the Sept. 9 to Oct. 1, 2006 alligator hunting season.

Lake Seminole continues its reputation of being one of the very best places in this state to kill a gator — and it’s about tops for killing one in the 11- to 12-foot range.

“We had a great time again this year and look forward to keeping our tags on Lake Seminole at 100 per- cent,” said Dave Lesniak, of Sharpsburg. “Yes, our group (The Coweta County Gator Gitters) have over the past four years drawn 11 tags and have harvested 11 gators.”

This year the Coweta County Gator Gitters killed one eight-footer, a 9 1/2-footer and a pair of 10-foot gators. All four gators were taken with bows and arrows tipped with Muzzy Gator Getters.

Two Seminole gators over 11 feet long were taken last month.

On Sept. 16, Daniel Streetman, from Loganville, arrowed the biggest gator GON heard about since the October, 2006 issue was printed — a 12-foot, 3-inch reptile that was killed in the Flint River portion of Seminole.

“He was so heavy we had to wrap the rope around a board and use it as leverage to pull him up,” said Daniel.

Stuart Geriner, of Albany, is no stranger to giant Seminole gators. On Sept. 9, Stuart was in the boat with Peter Martin when Peter harpooned a 13-foot, 4-inch gator, the largest of the season that has been reported to WRD. On Sept. 23, Stuart was back on Seminole to fill his gator tag. He was in an airboat.

“Myself, Kevin Winchester and Haze Sadler killed an 11-foot, 7-inch gator within a couple of hundred yards from where we got Peter’s gator,” said Stuart. “We stuck him shortly after 2 a.m. with a harpoon. It was a 40-minute battle before we were able to dispatch him. The airboat enabled us to get to areas of the lake that can’t be accessed by conventional boats, and it enabled us to cover larger areas in shorter periods of time. We actually jumped an island in the airboat to get to this gator. It’s a 300 hp gator-killing machine.”

A pair of “up-the-river” giants were taken on Lake Eufaula in late September. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Mark Mast took a Eufaula alligator that was 11-feet, 7-inches long.

“We fought him for an hour and finally got him tied up and pulled to the dock,” said Mark.

On Sept. 26, Mark Farrar, from Franklin, killed a 12-footer in Stewart County in the upper reaches of Lake Eufaula. Mark said it took four hours of fighting before the gator was finally back at the boat ramp.

Look for more gator photos next summer as GON prepares you for Georgia’s 2007 gator season. If you took a gator, email photos to [email protected].