You seen these giant lizards on Animal Planet‘s Gator Boys, but what you are really interested is bagging one of these giants for dinner. Captain Tim Land is your “Gator Expert” right here in Pensacola, Florida. Gators provide a tough fight and are extremely dangerous to hunt. Make sure you have a quality guide that is familiar with this animal, otherwise, the hunter might become dinner to the silent beast lurking beneath the waters. To date, Captain Tim has helped hunters bring in more than 30 combined footage of Alligator in the 2013 season.
Recognized internationally as the model program for sustainable use of natural resources, The Florida alligator harvest provides recreational opportunities for both Floridians, and non-residents who are at least 18years old to pull up to 2 alligators per permit. If awarded a permit, applicants must submit payment for two CITES tags, and an Alligator Trapping License, or provide valid Alligator Trapping license to the state of Florida. A Florida Hunting license is not required for the statewide alligator hunting season.
Over 18,000 alligator hides were produced in 2012. These dangerous giants are opportunistic feeders, and they eat whatever is accessible. Juveniles tend to eat insects, amphibians, small fish and other invertebrates, while adults eat larger fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and even birds. It typically takes about 7-8 years for an alligator to reach maturity. The Florida state record for length is a 14′ 3.5″ male from Lake Washington. The weight record belongs to a male found in Orange Lake in Alachua County.
There are a number of alligator recipes available on the internet. The most common method to Fried Alligator Bites. To cook up some of these tasty morsels, cut the meat into 1-2 inch cubes, lightly seasoning them with salt and pepper and coating in flour. Mix up 1 cup of buttermilk, with 1 cup of hot sauce. Dip the seasoned/floured cubes in it, then again in flour. transfer these to hot oil at 350 degrees, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Times will vary based on meat size. You may need to test a few of these to get it just right before cooking a large number of them. Serve them with your favorite dressing.