:arrow: The Alligator Harvest Celebration was our 4th Annual Alligator Harvest Celebration Slims fish Camp in Belle Glade, Florida Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 6 pm till mosquitoes carry you off. We have a great time socializing at this event. The animal rights activists / protesters used to run the show but for the last 2 years they were nowhere to be found.
Over 150 people came out to try some gator dirty rice, gator fritters, gator gumbo, fried gator, fried frog legs, deviled eggs, pasta and potato salad and homemade desserts. The best part, it’s free. Big Ed’s Butcher Shop, Froehlicks Gator Farm and All American Gator donated all gator products. The public was excited to join us as we were keeping the anti-hunters home where they belong.
There were raffle prizes donated by local businesses such as Jeff Leserra Enterprises and John Walker Taxidermy. At dark members of the group start heading out on Lake Okeechobee for opening night of alligator season.
FSCA really want the media and public to know they’re invited. It’s important for them to know about ethical harvesting and the need for game management for a sustainable species, which is what this hunt is all about. In fact, there are plenty of alligators on Florida’s waterways and lakes. The alligator management program is run by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Alligator populations aren’t endangered, on many water bodies where FWC allow the harvesting of alligators. There are increasing gator populations and FWC would actually like to arrest that population increase.
Every hunter who has a permit is allowed two tags and may harvest two alligators. About 75 percent of the tags are filled each year. Over 4,400 sportsman puuchased permits to hunt gators in Florida. The key to FWC management is monitoring efforts; they do statewide monitoring and set most of our quotas based on those population inventories.
FSCA would like to thank Todd Hallman, event chairman, and other members of the club and anyone else who has participated to make the fourth annual gator kickoff party a huge success. Also we would like to thank All American Alligator, John Walker Taxidermy, Big Ed's Butcher Shop, and Froehlichs Gator Farm for sponsoring this awesome event. This was the last chance to enter the big gator shootout, which is sponsored by the Central Florida trophy hunters. They also sold last minute gator harvesting equipment along with Jeff Leserra Enterprise, Glades Airboat and Buggy Association provided iced tea for everyone. I know it's a weeknight but this is one event you don't want to miss. See ya’ll there next year on August 15, 2008.
