2006 Florida Gator Egg Harvest

[rick]

Any of ya'll ever participate in the Florida Gator Egg Harvest? The pics link to their page in the gallery.


Chopper locates the nest....the airboat has to get to it.



Sometimes you have to deal with Momma-Gator and she ain't never in a good mood.



If she's there, it takes a few pokes here & there to get the nest ready to dig. Check out that sticker under the back seat.



Of course after the first poke or two, she's really pissed.


Time to dig!


And don't think Momma-Gator won't come back after you start digging.



Pay day!



End of the day. They're probably sitting there sipping on a cold PEPSI.

I got these pictures from my cousin, Wayne (HoHo) Brooks. Him & his brother Shane manage/own Claybrook Farms in Christmas, Florida. If any of you gator hunters want them to process your gators this season, give them a call. Office #: 407-568-0134 / HoHo's cell #: 407-948-7358

The pictures were taken by Carl Nettles, also from Christmas, FL. Any of ya'll that go to Loughman Lake Lodge probably know Carl, he runs the ride boat during the week. Him & HoHo have been collecting eggs every year since the program was started.

I'll be scanning & uploading more of these pics to HoHo's gallery.

Rick

 

[Homegrown]

thats cool I think I met Carl before when I used to go to Tosohatchee for the hog hunts he had some good dogs.

 

[rick]

That sounds like him P.Vento. He lives right there next to Tosohatchee.

Sorry about moving the thread, but I felt like I had to moderate myself. I kinda forgot about this new hunting & fishing area.

 

[Whitebear]

Thanks for the pics Rick.

This may sound contrary but it isn't intended that way. What is the purpose of havesting alligator eggs in Florida? Are they hatching them then releasing them in some place that isn't blessed with gators? Is there such a place even? If thats what they are doing then I'm 110% behind them.

Scotty

 

[cfth]

Eggs are sold to farms and hatch out. There is also a private lands program that does the same. It is good fun work but absolute hell on a boat.

 

[Whitebear]

Sounds like more fun than the law allows ! Hahahahahaha

Ok so the farms raise them for market meat I assume or for restocking maybe. Don't see much gator meat at Publlix.

Just a very few restaurants serve it. The Catfish Place in St. Cloud used to have a fine platter with gator and frog legs. Hope they still do. Worth the drive for the meal.

Scotty

 

[rick]

They sell to quite a few restaurants these days, including places like Lone Cabbage, Loughman Lake Lodge, etc.. I'd imagine the hide's still the money maker though.

cfth is right about the airboat abuse. HoHo put 86 tough hours on his in just that few weeks.

 

[Whitebear]

Id think a good Hammant Hull with a tough ole O-320 H2AD would stand up to it and still grinn at ya

Scotty

 

[Olf Art]

I can get ya a platter of gator at several fish camps up here in N. Florida. One of them, Whitey's, has a cook that knows how ...... Yum.

 

[SwampMatt]

Last winter when our trailer broke, it was unsafe to haul at night, so a call to the AHA Network put me in touch with Wayne. His gator farm was only a mile from the ramp we were broke down at, and he met us there so we could park the boat in the security of thousands of gators till daylight when it was safer for us to haul the crippled trailer.

In the process, we got to meet a REALLY COOL dude... and he gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the huge tanks full of babies and adolescent gators.

Absolutely AMAZING. The smell was strong.... but not unplesant at all!!!

Now I learn that the farming of them is only half the adventure. That egg collection safari looks like such a fun thing to do! Teamwork at it's finest, for sure! Wayne & Carl - if you need any helpers next time out... You have a willing deck hand RIGHT HERE!!!!

matt.