Rotarian Tim Shuff presented Monday’s program, which was Bill George, co-owner of G&B Gator Gear, manufacturer and retailer of alligator hunting equipment, and alligator hunting guide. Bill is also a co-host of the Big & Wild Outdoors Radio, and when he’s not doing those jobs, Bill is the most non-IT IT person.
Bill explained the three types of legal alligator hunting programs:
- Public Water Hunt - 6,000 applicants are awarded 2 tags
- Nuisance Alligator Program - limited to alligators who wander onto public or private property and limited to nuisance trappers
- Private Wetlands Program - applicants have the ability to obtain tags for alligators on their private party
All permits allow the applicants to sell their alligator in the commercial market. Unfortunately, the market for alligators has declined over the years, so it is not as lucrative as it once was.
“There’s zero market for wild gator hides,” said Bill.
A few years ago, he explained, the hides fetched a higher amount than the meat. Today, the market has been saturated by farmed gator hides. FWC rules are also restrictive. FWC requires a gator hide to remain whole until it is tanned. A hide from a 10-11 foot gator costs more to tan, especially considering some of it will be thrown away. A few folks, Bill said, are working to change this policy to allow the processing of the quality cuts of hide.
There are many regulations and rules about how to legally harvest an alligator, including where you can hunt, when you can hunt, how you can hunt, etc.
While the club members appreciated the details of alligator hunts, there was a desire for more adventurous stories. Bill happily obliged, and shared some stories about alligators that “return to life,” gators so big that they nearly submerged his boat, and his determined pursuit to catch a gator despite running into a submerged tree trunk that resulted in him splitting his head open.
(This reporter noted that Bill had all ten fingers, so all his stories had happy endings. Except for the gator.)
Bill is clearly an expert in this field, as he answered a number of great questions from the membership. A couple members shared some of their true “gator” stories.
If you missed the meeting, be sure to attend the upcoming Fall Couples Cookout on November 7, where those stories and more will be told again!
