Alligator Lottery?

[specktator]

Originally Posted by QUACKHEAD

Dang! I am hunting about 80-100 acres off the river and creek and the biologist only gave me two for this area. The red river is full of big gators. I have another guy I work with and he has about 110 acres water on about 250 acre track and he got 16 tags. What do they use to figure out how many tags to give to someone? Andrew Jacksons vs Lincolns? I'll pick my tags up on the 22nd.

Yeh man they tried to give us only 2 tags this time around. My dad knows Winton Vidrine and walked down to his office and talked to him. And he went back up there and made the guy give my dad 4 more. The beavers busted up our damn so we weren't holding much water last few years so we didn't get them. This is first time we got em in like 4 years, so I guess they looked it over again and only tried to give us 2. It's quite an adventure getting back to our swamp. 2 tags wouldn't even be worth our time.

[QUACKHEAD]

Originally Posted by specktator

Yeh man they tried to give us only 2 tags this time around. My dad knows Winton Vidrine and walked down to his office and talked to him. And he went back up there and made the guy give my dad 4 more. The beavers busted up our damn so we weren't holding much water last few years so we didn't get them. This is first time we got em in like 4 years, so I guess they looked it over again and only tried to give us 2. It's quite an adventure getting back to our swamp. 2 tags wouldn't even be worth our time.

I can drive my truck within 10 yards of the lines on the private land, but only get the two tags for that place. And I have 2 from the lottory in a local lake. I'll have fun with 4 tags this year and put some meat in the freezer. I'll try and givem hell next year.

[jaclyn.renea]

Good luck to ya!

[Ray]

You get the same price for them whole as you do skinned.
You can't get me to skin a freakin alligator for the rest of my life.
I hate skinning alligators. I worked in a skinning shed in Lil Chenier on season.
Never again.

[BIRD DOG]

No im pretty sure you get a little more skinned than on the hoof but if you screw it up it aint worth nothin!Last year we got $9 a ft. 4 years ago we got up to $45.00 a ft

[Ray]

Not in Southwest La.
Same skinned as whole.
The gator houses here make their money on the meat.
There are just a few hide buyers, most of the skinning shacks buy for the hide buyers.
The skinning shacks buy whole, sell the skins, the profit is in the meat for them.

[Marshrat]

I was told by a Miami trapper that $30 a ft was turned down by the man over Miami lands.



Warren

[QUACKHEAD]

Have any of you guys ever use the air compressor to inflate the skin from the flesh, or was it all done one slice at a time? I know that the skin is not going to inflate like a football and slide off. Just wondering if it helps any or more trouble than its worth. This is a lot of good info for someone that knows little to nothing about the process.

[Ray]

Yes, you can use air, but it is better to chill the whole gator first. Meat breaks free better. It makes it a lot faster. Then after you get it skinned, lay flat and use a pressure washer to get the rest of the meat off.
If you don't put in ice water first, the meat is a lot harder to get off.
You need to punch each foot and pressure up. But don't use a lot of pressure. Use a regulator and test first to see how much is needed. Start with around 10 psi and work it up.

Miami Corp. used to bid out for their gators. If you hunted on Miami, you had to sell to their buyer. Not sure if it is still like that.'

[Marshrat]

Originally Posted by Ray

Miami Corp. used to bid out for their gators. If you hunted on Miami, you had to sell to their buyer. Not sure if it is still like that.'

Ray,

I think it is still like that. My uncle still hunts for them and they have to go to Roger's old camp to sell every day when they come in.


Warren

[Ray]

Who is your uncle?

I heard Roger don't work for Miami any longer. Is that true?

[Marshrat]

My uncle is Johnny Price, he is the only one left in our family that still traps for Miami. My dad, Daniel Price, took a job running a crew boat in the early 90's and gave up his lease when he got the job.

That is correct, Roger doesn't work for Miami any longer. A man by the name of Chad Courville took Roger's place a while back.


Warren