Posted on 05/05/2023 5:15:19 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Three Pinellas County, Florida, men were arrested after an anonymous caller reported the group using a “small pickaxe” to hunt an alligator in Holiday, Wednesday evening.
According to an arrest report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the anonymous caller witnessed the three men harvesting an alligator measuring 5.5 feet.
After locating the individuals, authorities said the men admitted to the “illegal take” of the alligator. Two of the men accused the third of using a “weapon that appeared to be a small pickaxe to dispatch the alligator,” the report added.
The gator was seized as evidence.
All three men were charged with the illegal killing, possessing, or capturing of alligators.
In Florida, a license is required to hunt alligators. According to FWC, “the Statewide Alligator Hunt is a highly sought after limited entry hunt; there are often more than 15,000 applicants that will apply for approximately 7,000 permits.”
Yeah, so?
It truly was an “assault pickaxe” that did the deed.
Full auto pickaxe
“more than 15,000 applicants that will apply for approximately 7,000 permits.” -— I don’t know how many alligators are in Florida compared to decades ago when my family would vacation there, but it sure seems like there is a problem with too many of them now. Or maybe since the human population has grown so much, people just encounter them more often?
Isn't there some sort of award for that? Someone could make a pretty good TV series doing it.
“Florida man accused of using ‘small pickaxe’ to hunt, kill 5-foot alligator..”
And?
Now that’s cuntra! I wonder if he hit that special spot with one with swing.
There are more now. Many, many many more.
A small pickaxe. I think that is what a geologist calls a rockhammer.
And in Florida it is normal for Gators to get hammered.
There’s about a many gators in FL as there are feral hogs. They are in every drainage ditch and pond. I’d take one in a heartbeat if I knew I could get away with it. The truth of why they comedown on you so hard is the state wants that revenue from selling tags to harvest gators.
Snakes and alligators. Good riddance
Then they should triple the number of tags. The only thing that argues against an expanded season/ bag limit is that so many Florida yahoos can’t tell the alligators from the endangered American Crocodile. Expanded seasons in areas where the croc isn’t known could get numbers under better control. If I know Florida rednecks, this is far from an isolated incident.
That’s nuts! Should always use a large pickaxe for gator hunting!
“Choot em Liz”! To hell, with the pickaxe/
Sure, that’s why I specified expansion of seasons in areas where they’re unlikely to be killed incidentally. As for the rest of the croc’s range...pretty much peopled with some of the worst that humanity has to offer, biologically, and politically. Poaching is probably a good source of income, for many.
I understand, I was just posting the range in FL to support your view. I actually thought it was smaller but it’s been about a half century since I was into reptiles and amphibians.
As for the rest of their range and poaching, most of it is serious wilderness so I doubt the crocs are in much danger. The politics beyond the pavement is “eat or be eaten.”
I hear that the warm effluent from the Turkey Point nuclear power plant was a great place for the crocs to breed. When I lived near there, the manatees sure enjoyed it. Reptiles from the greater range are popular pets around the world. Crocs may be too big to be great pets. but they probably are eaten. Access by boat is probably the most successful approach.
I’d authorize explosives
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