Recently my wife and I saw the movie, The Bucket List. After it was over we started discussing things that we would put on our list, things that we wanted to do before we passed. A few days later I started thinking about my list and decided to do one with an outdoor theme. So I sat down and thought about all the adventures that I’d like to get in on before I was no longer able to do so. Sitting very high on the top of my Outdoorsman’s Bucket List was an alligator hunt with a bow and arrow. Earlier this year I received word from the Georgia DNR that I had drawn an alligator tag for zone 8. An e-mail was sent out to the Smoke House crew with Teresa contacting me at home. A hunt was booked and my Gator archery hunting supplies were ordered. A few days later my supplies arrived as did an envelope containing my tag and paperwork. Anticipation set in as I was actually going on a gator hunt. I stripped the deer hunting stuff off my bow and set it up with the gator gear and started practicing for my hunt. By day at first then progressing to only practicing at night shooting by a flashlight at cardboard silhouettes of an alligators head fastened to a styrofoam block while standing on top of my ATV.
          
       The night before my hunt Teresa again called the house and confirmed my hunt with Russ and Bernie for the next day. She reminded me not to forget my gator tag and again went over the license requirements for the hunt before wishing me luck. The next day we meet up with Russ and Bernie and the rest of the crew and got a quick run down on Gator Hunting 101. The first thing that impressed me was their dedication to their sport. Before the night was over they would show over and over again how dedicated and serious they were to their sport from putting on a safe hunt to catering to their client’s needs and requests. (I had requested to use my bow and equipment and have my father-in-law accompany us)
          
             Conditions weren’t very favorable; we faced bad weather, high tides, wind, a full moon, at times lightning and storms were in the distance not to mention the uncooperative gators. At times I surely expected one of them to suggest calling the hunt for the night and giving it another try the next night when conditions would be better. It never happened and the thought of doing so was never entertained by any of them. If you think these guys are going to go out for an hour or two, ride you around the river a bit while shining a light around you’re wrong. If that’s what you’re looking for then you’d probably be better off booking with someone else. When you go out with the Smoke House Crew you had better be prepared to be up all night if need be because they are. These folks leave the ramp at sunset and won’t be back until daybreak unless you get your gator or there’s a chance of someone being struck by lightening.

     They stayed with it and we kept seeing gators, good gators too, just none that would allow us to get close enough for a shot. Finally we found a gator that held and allowed us to get within range.

      Portions of that hunt will always stay with me; the sight of that gator illuminated in the spot light lying there stretched out thinking it was safe and hid. The sight and sound of the arrow impacting it and the splash of water it made as it took off pulling line out of my bow mounted reel as it dove for the deeper water. Bernie reaching over and feeling the tension on the line and announcing, “Boys, we got ourselves a gator!” Feeling the weight of the animal on the line as we eased it up off the bottom and seeing the rush of air bubbles just before it broke surface and gave a toothy grin before the catch pole was slipped over its head and neck while Bernie delivered the finishing shot with a 240gr Corbon to the gator’s “sweet spot” then taping its mouth shut with the electricians tape and hauling the gator onto the boat so the tag could be placed in its tail and Russ shaking my hand complimenting the bow shot and congratulating me on my first gator. Lots of things I remember, you guys skinning and boning out the gator and packing it on ice for us, the drive home while my father-in-law excitedly called his friends and our family, sending texts and pics, telling each of where we had been, what we had done, and our success at doing it and once home the folks that stopped by just to see the gator. All of the meat has been vacuum sealed and the gator is now in the freezer. Some of it has been cooked and eaten. Eventually all of the meat will be eaten and there won’t be anything left but the skull, a tanned hide and the memories. I’m betting that those memories will outlast the skull and the hide.

As long as you guys are guiding we’ll keep applying for the permits.

Next time I’ll bring the long bow… just kidding.

Thanks again Smoke House Outfitters!!

Eric Stewart
Burns, TN
September-2008