By Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: September 25, 2008
http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2008/sep/25/locals-nab-12-foot-gator-sc-hunt/
HICKORY - Four months of planning, about $5,000 worth of gear, plus three determined North Carolinians and a little luck equals one 12-foot, 7-inch 820 pound gator and a picture suitable for framing.
David McConnell, 29, and Chris Samuels, 28, of Hickory, along with Chris' brother Matt Samuels, 22, of Mooresville, decided to try their hand at gator hunting over the weekend. McConnell said the trip was Chris' idea but he didn't have a tough time convincing the others to go along with it.
Each man paid $10 for the chance to go gator hunting in South Carolina's first state-sanctioned hunt in 44 years. All three won the hunt lottery, were given the chance to buy the necessary permits to bag a gator and they each paid $100 for their gator tags.
That's when things got pricey. McConnell said he bought an old pontoon boat that they fixed up. The group also picked up a top-of-the-line crossbow with some gator-hide piercing arrows and some gator hunting instructional videos.
Once they had all the necessary gear and a rough idea of how to hunt gators, they made their way down to South Carolina's Lake Marion on Saturday. They launched their boat at about 5 p.m. and started hunting.
"When we put our boat in the water, I noticed that there were little 3- and 4-year-old kids playing in the water," said Chris.
As they hunted, they realized the lake was infested with alligators.
"They were everywhere — sneaking up on them was the trick," said Chris.
McConnell said after eight to 10 unsuccessful stalks and three missed shots from the crossbow, Chris made a good shot.
As every gator hunter knows, to get a gator, you can't just shoot one because if you do, they'll just sink out of sight. Even if you did manage to kill one, you'd never be able to find it. That's why they attached 80-pound test monofilament line to the first arrow. After they trailed the gator they shot it with two more arrows — each attached to a 400-pound test line, which they tied off to their boat.
After a five-hour fight and 18 .45-caliber rounds, they killed the gator and brought it aboard.
McConnell said what surprised him about the hunt was that it was such hard work and how tough the gator was. "What else do you know that can take 15 shots to the head and still be fighting and dragging a 24-foot pontoon boat around a lake?"
Chris said the campground's owners and inhabitants were truly grateful to them for getting the big gator out of their lake.
Chris processed the gator himself and he's going to tan the hide, but he's been warned that, with a gator that big, the meat's probably not safe to eat because of mercury contamination. He's still curious to try some.
McConnell said the gator had been taken using Chris' tag but he and Matt want gators of their own — that's why they're going hunting again Oct. 9 through 11.
Subject: 15 head shots from a 45! 
Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:12 pm
