Posted on 03/15/2002 8:15:06 AM PST by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
FORT McCOY — A Fort McCoy woman who killed an alligator with a shotgun last month and cooked gator tail for dinner admitted Monday to shooting the state-protected reptile because it had gotten dangerously close to her children.
Donna Marie Brown, 31, of Fort McCoy, who pleaded guilty Monday in misdemeanor court, said she killed the alligator in mid-February after she spotted it behind her home, lying on the bank of a small creek in a swampy area near Bully Lake.
Brown retrieved a Remington 12-gauge shotgun and fired.
''I wasn't going to stand for it,'' said Brown, who moved from Tampa several months ago. ''I know it's illegal, but what am I supposed to do? I've been taught to eat what you kill. I've had alligator tail before, so I decided to cook it.''
Her husband, Michael Robert Brown, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of an alligator after he dumped the rest of the carcass in a remote area near his home. The Browns each received three months' probation, and each was ordered to perform 20 hours of community service.
They were each ordered to pay $308 in fines and court costs. Adjudication of guilt was withheld, meaning the charges will not appear on their permanent record if they successfully complete probation, Assistant State Attorney Susan Simmons said.
Lt. Joy Hill, regional spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said wildlife officers Brian Lambert and Kevin Steinke received an anonymous tip about the killing and went to the Browns' Northeast 207th Lane home to investigate.
They first talked to Marie Brown, who denied killing the alligator and allowed officers to search her freezer for evidence. Not finding any meat, officers then interviewed one of the Browns' children, who said his mother killed, cleaned and cooked an alligator for dinner.
Both Browns were then given citations, ordering them to appear Monday in court.
''Alligators are protected by law because they are on a list of animals of special concern,'' said Hill, adding the commission supervises alligator harvesting activities in the fall. These hunts are to help reduce alligator populations in certain lakes throughout the state.
Joe Callahan can be reached at joe.callahan@starbanner.com or paged at 898-9649.
Alligators go under/through fences, they are amazing creatures.
What we have is, a good women with an honest child!
The Fish and Wildlife police will stop at nothing to destroy a family. The court which prosecuted the Browns is not a just court. They are probably more concerned with citzens using a gun in self defense than any stupid alligator.
I don't know if I'd say this woman,who shot the alligator was ignorant; probably more concerned with the safety of her children, than the hide of that 'ole nasty Alligator.
And using the excuse that the animal was probably there before she was... well... I reckon if you take that to its logical conclusion, we should all just take off all our doors, and let the animals roam our homes freely, as they were here before we were.
I probably would have called the authorities, but I sure appreciate her moxy!
Always wanted to try alligaor, but... oh heck... they just don't roam this far north!
Cheers... my friend!
Alligator tail generally has a pretty chewy texture. I've had some seafood that was similar, but there's no perfect comparison. I've only had it a few times, but it's always been spiced to the point that I really couldn't taste the meat. If you are ever in a restaurant in Houston or Louisiana, you might want to give it a try. It's popular in both places.
WFTR
Bill
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