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IMPORTANT LAND NOTES

If you live close to or just above sea level and you get a significant amount of rainfall in a short amount of time, like in the instance of hurricanes and tropical storms, try to get out to some wooded or wildlife management areas as soon as the weather lets up. Explore lowland areas that have limited high areas. The deer, hogs, rabbits, and many other animals will be on high ground, like roads and dikes. They will be in herds, as the water will be too deep for them to move in the lower areas without swimming. Situations such as these are known to us natives as “the prime time”; this is when our foods of choice present themselves in groups. Finding food under these circumstances becomes considerably less complicated and much less of a challenge.

The last bit of information I will leave you with pertains to fat supplementation. Fat is necessary for our bodies to function properly. To keep healthy you must consume a certain amount of fat if you aren’t eating carbohydrates. One way to insure you maintain a proper fat intake is to collect all of the tendons and connective tissues off any animal that you catch and boil them in a pot of water. These tissues are loaded with fats and will help keep your energy level up. You can consume it as a warm broth, or you can wait until it cools and forms a gelatin. I prefer it hot myself, as it tastes like any other broth. Either way, it will keep your body healthy.

SEA

The ocean is vast with endless amounts of food. There is protein everywhere, and it is yours for the taking. If you can swim, it is possible for you to apply the same techniques that I have learned in my life to enable you to get food every time you go in the water. I want to instill confidence in you first by sharing with you some common misconceptions about freediving. The first one being that you need to dive in deep water to find fish. This is completely false. Believe it or not, some of the biggest fish that I have caught have been in 8-10 feet of water. Some of my friends cannot believe the size of some of my fish I have shot at shallow depths. The truth of the matter is that you just need to know what to look for to find the fish. Another misconception is that you need to be experienced in order to catch fish. This is not the case at all. In fact, some fish are so curious that they will swim right up to you with intrigue. Now in a case like that when there is no food readily available, you have just hit the jackpot. I’m sure there are plenty of other common misconceptions out there, but the one I would like to focus on is the danger aspect. Freediving is just like anything else and requires common sense; be smart, use good judgement, and breathe when you need to breathe. The last thing I will leave you with, before we get to it is this. Everybody has their own opinion and advice about what they think is safe and what is not, but it is up to you to make it safe, be your own supervisor, and embrace your independence. I have spent my entire life in the outdoors, and it has enabled me to become successful at providing slabs of fish, crab, lobster, sea urchin, octopus, and shark on my table week in and week out for years. If you listen to me and execute these practices, I promise you can too.

GEAR

• MASK- There is a lot of overpriced stuff out there. Don’t break the bank. You need a mask that functions properly and doesn’t leak. The way to check if a mask fits is by putting it to your face without putting the strap around head and breathe in with your nose. If the mask stays on your face and you feel the suction taking place, then the mask fits good. However, if the mask doesn’t stick and you can’t feel any suction, put it back and choose another one. It will for sure leak on your face and you have just wasted valuable time. Ideally, you want a mask that doesn’t allow leakage, even when the mask is just snug (tight) on your face. Take your time and select what feels comfortable.
• SNORKEL- This is a very important piece of equipment that allows you to breathe while your face is immersed in the water. I recommend a snorkel that has the least amount of pieces. Snorkels that have several connecting pieces are more susceptible to leakage in the joints. Most of the time they are glued together, and over time the glue breaks down allowing water to seep in. Once this occurs, the snorkel must be re glued or discarded. One very important part of the snorkel is the attachment ring that connects the snorkel to the mask strap. Make sure that the attachment ring is integrated enough that it will last for a while and stand up to dry rot. In most cases they are made out of rubber, which will work fine as long as it isn’t stored in direct sunlight or in areas over 90 degrees for long periods of time. (Having a spare attachment is highly recommended, and they are less than three dollars a piece.)
• FINS- Be economical and purchase something that fits your needs. If you are not planning on diving in water depths greater than 25 feet, then don’t purchase really long fins. Medium length fins will be sufficient for what you are doing. Try not to buy the most inexpensive pair you can find, but make sure that they have a certain firmness to them and won’t be too giving. (The stiffer the fin, the more thrusting power you will generate.)
• WEIGHT BELT- You will need to weight your belt according to your body weight. The trick is to have a specific amount of weight on your belt to maintain a neutral buoyancy, not too much and not too little. You don’t want to sink to the bottom, but you don’t want to be stuck on top fighting to get down either. Weight belts are inexpensive. I recommend the rubber ones that you can undo very quickly if you need.
• SPEAR GUN- This is one item I would not be too stingy on, if you can help it. The Robb Allen 900 is a great gun at an affordable price. It will last forever if you keep it lubed up after use and change the rubber bands on it every year. The best thing to do is buy ten extra bands and rub Vaseline on them and store them in a cool place. (The heat tends to make them crack.)
• KNIFE- You should keep a dive knife on you at all times. You do not need a large knife. It should be easy to maneuver with a sharp point. I also recommend keeping it strapped around your upper arm so that it is easy to access when you need to draw it.
• CHASE LINE/STRINGER– A chase line is a rope that a diver pulls with them while they dive. It holds their fresh catch. I recommend a chase line attached to a 4ft x 2ft mesh bag that can be sealed shut using a zipper or a locking pin. The line should be approximately 30 feet long. I keep the line at this length so that if a shark or barracuda happens to be swimming by it will go for the mesh bag before coming at me. A stringer with a mesh bag is recommended as it can hold other items like lobster, crab, and sea urchin along with fish; whereas as stringer alone can only hold fish.

SPEARING FISH

Now that you have your gear situated, there are a few basic tips that you need to know to be a successful hunter underwater. First, you need to locate an area in the water that has rocks or some type of structure. Fish are drawn to structure; metal, concrete, wood, or anything that could create a hiding place for a fish will provide a good habitat. You can also make your own. Car hoods work well, as do big tires, pipes, concrete blocks, and motor parts. If you decide to create your own reef, I recommend an area where no one else can find it. If you do it right, there will be fish hanging out around it in a week. Just don’t get caught making your own, because it is illegal. Be smart and take calculated risks.

The next tip for being a successful underwater hunter is to try and relax. Fish sense an accelerated heart beat under water, especially sharks; they have little openings on their noses called the Ampule of Lorenzini, which pick up electrical impulses that living things give off. This allows them to focus on an animal or fish in distress. If you are breathing fast and trying to swim after a fish, you will rarely be successful in catching it. Swim slowly, relax, and take your time. If a fish doesn’t let you get close, don’t stress about it. Keep swimming, and find another target, but try to stay relaxed. You can slow your heart rate down by taking long, deep breaths in and slow exhales out. Your heart rate increases when you are taking air in, but decreases as you exhale. The secret here is count to three when inhaling, making sure you reach your lung capacity, and then try to take 10 seconds to exhale out every bit of air. Do this for about three minutes; when you feel relaxed, take a big breath in and go down. I encourage you to practice this before you take it to the water. DO NOT HYPERVENTILATE! (This is breathing all your air in and all out rapidly.) Instead, breath slow and take your time, and you will be fine.

One valuable tip is not to look the fish in the eyes. If a fish knows you are looking at him, you have a greater chance of him swimming off and never coming back. Obviously, you will have to spot the fish at first, but try and act uninterested and swim on a diagonal in a parallel motion toward the fish rather than directly at it. You must move slowly, and when you think you have a shot make sure that you raise your gun very slowly to take aim. Do not make any sudden movements. You will need to squeeze the trigger and follow through if the fish is moving. Try to pretend you can only move in slow motion; this will help you remain calm.

Another way you can get a shot on a fish if he takes off is by reaching down and grabbing handfuls of sand. Throw the sand up and create a fog. Many times snapper, along with other fish, will turn right around and come right back to the fog in hopes of finding something they can munch on. So be patient, and you will get an opportunity. Just make sure you seize it. Once you have managed to shoot a fish, try and get a good grip on it so that it does not rip off your spear tip. If it is a large fish, you will need to be patient for the right opportunity to grab it. You must always remember safety comes first. Do not sacrifice safety for a fish. Be smart, and calculate your movements. After you have successfully removed your fish from your spear, make sure to put your fish on the stringer, and reload your gun. There will be more fish coming your way. (They will be attracted to the distress your injured fish has put out in the water.)

You should always aim an inch behind the eye on the lateral line of the fish. This will instantly paralyze the fish and render it incapacitated. In the scenario that you happen to shoot a nice fish in a non-lethal spot, the fish will be thrashing around vigorously on the end of your spear. In this situation, remove your knife and stick the fish in the head. You can also cut the fish’s throat. Stick the knife under the throat and cut from the gills in a downward motion toward the chest plate. If you are swimming in an area where sharks are present, you must use good judgement. If sharks are moving in very quick and sporadic movements, then I would suggest relocating to another area. If a shark swims at you in an aggressive manner, it is very important that you be aggressive towards it and stand your ground. In this case, try to strike the shark in the eye. If a shark gets poked in the eye, it will usually retreat immediately. Do not swim away fast; rather try and keep your heart rate down and keep your eyes peeled. If you stay calm and keep your eyes out, you will see the shark coming at you before he tries to attack and you will be able to react appropriately to defend yourself.

Another way to attract fish is by shooting other small fish or picking up various types of sea creatures you see to use as bait. (You can use tropical bait, conch, crab, and lobster heads, which is the best.) Take the fish off the tip of your shaft and rip it into pieces, and set it on the bottom. If it is a shellfish, then try and break the shell and dig the meat out to lay on the ocean floor. Kick some sand up to create a fog, and be ready. This is basically chumming underwater. Remember that you can use anything for chum– sea urchins, small fish, crabs, and many others; so be creative. Sometimes it takes a while, but it works. (The best time to chum is at incoming or outgoing tides. You can tell by looking at water lines on docks. Compare the water level to the water line on the dock or seawall or a jetty, and you will know if the tide is high or low. Try and locate a rock or something underwater that you can hide behind and be stealthy. You can try wearing camouflage or anything else long sleeve that will help you blend in and break up the shape of your body lines. Long sleeves will also protect your arms from reef rash if you brush up on the rocks.

If times are real bad and you don’t feel comfortable being seen in the daylight, then you can also try and locate a dock or other area that has a bright light that shines out into the water. In the area where the light is shining there will be bait fish on top of the water there. The bigger fish will be on the bottom watching the smaller ones. Even if you don’t see them take my word for it, they are there; they are waiting for their dinner. Be stealthy, move slowly, and take care of business.

TURTLES / CATFISH

My grandfather ran trot lines all through the year, when I was just a boy. He loved catfish and fresh water turtles. He claimed that turtle, or “cooter” as it is known by the Seminoles, was the best meat in the everglades. It is soft, tender, and sweet. There are a variety of turtles (box, alligator snapping, and softshell to name a few) in freshwater lakes, ponds, canals, and streams, and they are all great eating. My uncle and I always ran trot lines when we went camping. You can run them in salt or fresh water. They can also set them underwater while spearfishing.

You can always bet on a good meal when you have a line baited right in the proper location. A “trot line” as it is called by the Florida natives is nothing more than a gator catch line with some minor differences. It is made using monofilament line (fishing line) and a few small hooks spaced out about every 8-12 inches. They are very simple to make and will yield fresh meat on a regular basis. All you need to do is take a 15 ft. length of monofilament fishing line and tie a small weight at one end. Next, you will need to tie some small treble hooks or small single hooks every 8 inches in a span of 12 feet. Remember the innards of the seagulls and pigeons or anything else that you caught and saved? This is where they come in. After you retrieve those inner organs you saved, simply cut small portions of them and bait all of the hooks on your trot line. Drop your baited line in the area you intend to fish, and tie the end to a strong stick, root, branch, or anything else that is stationary. You are going to want to conceal it, like you did the gator catch line. After your line is secure, it is best to make sure some of the hooks with the bait are on the bottom of the lake bed and some of the hooks are shallow enough to attract turtles and allow them to get to it. All of the hooks should be submerged. Once you have your trot line positioned right where you want it, take some (but not all) remnants of your innards and throw them in the water around the area that your trot line is located. This will draw the catfish into your area and will guarantee you some positive results. If you still have some innards left, you may want to run another line in another location, preferably somewhere a little ways away. If you don’t want to fish in another location, then bury your innards in your airtight container close to your trot line. This way you won’t have to go far if you choose to rebait your line the following day. Never let your lines go unattended longer than two days. It is preferable to set them in the late afternoon and check them two hours after the sun is up.

Remember you want to fish in different locations so that you don’t wipe out your resource. Give your little hunting ground the proper time to recuperate and reproduce so you can count on a successful bounty in the future. You are going to need it.

To clean a catfish, simply cut off the head and throw the body in the skillet with some oil to fry. The fish will move around for a while even when they are cooking, so don’t be alarmed. They are very good eating and go great with grits.

To clean or process a turtle, you are going to need to euthanize him first. The best way to do this is to shoot or strike him in the head. In order to do this, you will need to set him on the ground first. Step behind the turtle and wait for him to stick his head out. Once the turtle emerges, it is time to strike. Do not do this if it is a soft shell turtle; they are very fast, will run away, and you will never catch it. You can recognize soft shell turtles because they have a long pointy beak and their shells are low to the ground. To euthanize a soft shell, you will need to improvise using a spear or a knife. Be creative but humane. This animal is giving up its life for yours. Be curious, and make it as pain free as possible for the animal.

Turtles are tough to clean, so I’m going to share with you the way my uncle and I always did it. First is to build a fire and get some good coals working. (Make sure the coals are flat.) Next, simply set the turtle on the coals, and let it cook for about 40 minutes or until the meat is tender. (The larger the turtle, the longer the cook time that is required.) As the turtle cooks, the meat will slowly start to sag outside of the shell. Poke it with a stick and when the meat is coming off the bone you know it is ready. The inner parts of the turtle take a little longer to fully cook, so remember to give it enough time on the fire before pulling it off the flame. Eat around the innards and don’t be afraid. The meat is spectacular, and once you have put it in your mouth you won’t be thinking about anything else but the next bite. (Remember to save your turtle innards; they are an excellent bait for alligators, even after they have been cooked.)

On a final note I would like to point out that there are always small grass shrimp and mollusks that live just on the edges of whatever water source you are fishing. They can be caught by sweeping a small net about an inch below the surface at the water line where the water grass grows. These little shellfish are an excellent bait for bluegills and bass and can also be used on your trot line, if you don’t have innards.

RACCOONS / OPPOSSUMS

Opossums and raccoons can be found in almost every neighborhood in the country. Although they are not considered a viable food source to people nowadays, the old “Florida Crackers” felt otherwise. In fact, opossums were the land meat of choice to most of the old timers. Eating opossums was the norm for my grandparents; it was something to look forward to. Because opossums are scavengers and not hunters, they tend to move slowly and don’t require the need to move fast. They lack the dense muscle tone that predator animals poses. This makes their meat extremely tender. Opossums usually freeze when they encounter anything that poses a threat to them. This is where the term “playing opossum” came from, and it makes them a very easy animal to catch.

Raccoons on the other hand are less timid and tend to move quicker. Their meat is tougher than an opossum and a bit strong in taste. However, anything can be made to taste good with the right seasoning and preparation. The rule of thumb is “the stronger the animal tastes, the longer the cooking time that is required.” (Raccoons are best stewed. They can also be cut into small nuggets, pounded with a hammer, and then deep fried. My grandfather used to soak the meat in milk for several hours before cooking.)

Now that you have met the opossum and the raccoon, let’s learn how to catch them. A dead fall trap is one of the easiest traps to make. The Seminoles have used this same technique for centuries. All you need to do is dig a hole five feet deep with an opening that is larger than the animal you are targeting and taper the edges backward. You will need to shape a large circumference at the bottom and a small circumference at the top opening. This will prevent the animal from escaping once it has fallen into the hole.

The next thing you will need to do is find some very delicate branches to place on top of the hole. Place some leaves on top of the sticks and make sure that the opening blends into the surroundings. You don’t want anything to look out of place, and you shouldn’t be able to tell there is anything there once you have everything set. Make sure it is strong enough to hold your bait but delicate enough to give way immediately once your target stands over the hole. All you need to do after that is place your bait in the center of the area and wait. Be patient, and your dinner will arrive soon.

To euthanize your catch, it is best to use a gun or compound bow. If you don’t have either one, I advise you to make a spear. You will figure it out from there. You could even place sharpened spears at the bottom of the hole embedded in the sand to kill the animal right away, if you would like, but I don’t recommend this. If you delay in checking the trap and the animal spoils, then you have killed something for nothing and that is not acceptable. If the animal is alive, it guarantees you freshness when you are ready to consume it. The great thing about bait selection for these animals is they both eat most anything they can get their claws on. Raccoons do prefer fish or seafood over anything else; so remember to save your fish and turtle remains after you are done with them.

It is important also to note that both animals are usually nocturnal and will most likely get trapped at night. So make sure to check your trap every morning.

Prior to cleaning any type of scavenger animal it is best to build a fire and set the animal in the fire for three minutes fur and all. This will kill all mites, fleas, and ticks that may be on the animal. Don’t leave the animal on the fire too long but just enough to kill the unwanted creatures that may be living in the fur. Remove the animal from the fire, and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Now you are ready to proceed with the processing of your catch. Clean it the same way as a squirrel. (Think about separating the skin from the meat.)

Deadfall traps will work on many different animals, including dogs and cats. So, if and when TSHTF, do not hesitate to use them. Start digging, get your deadfall trap baited, and you’ll be eating soon enough. As a final note, dogs and cats have been eaten for years all over the world and are still considered a prime food source in many countries. Stand outside the realm of normalcy, and you will live to hunt another day.

EGRETS / HERONS

Egrets, curlews, and sandhill cranes are also excellent sources of protein and are so delicious that the Native Americans preferred them to over all other bird species. They are protected by the Department of Fish and Wildlife but are very plentiful and may aid in your survival when things get bad. Remember when desperate times present themselves, food is food. This article isn’t about what is legal to eat; it is about what is edible and how it can be obtained. The best places to find these three types of birds are golf courses, parks, and low land areas. All three of these locations have a human presence that the birds are accustomed to, so getting in proximity to them is much easier than out in the swamp. Because the food sources for these birds live in the park, so too do the birds. Every night they roost in the trees around a water source on the overhanging limbs. These areas are easy to spot, if you know what to look for. (When they roost at night they defecate onto the tree limbs they are seated on, and the branches become stained white. This is a dead giveaway as to where the birds are sleeping every night.) These parks are easy to get in and out of. Usually the parks are large and don’t have the man power to be secured everywhere at all times. Most of the security or park rangers are dozing off in various areas of the park at different times during the night. This gives you plenty of time to get in and do some food shopping before one of the rangers even knows of your presence. The parks may even be unsecured, depending on how bad things get, presenting easy pickings for some prime dinner selections. Once you have located the roost areas, you will need a weapon. I recommend a compound bow and arrow or a crossbow. If you don’t have either, then I recommend purchasing one of the two as soon as possible. Unlike guns, they are quiet and don’t draw a lot of attention. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. Compound bows are not that much these days and can be found at pawn shops, online, or at garage sales for pennies on the dollar compared to what they sold for years ago. Once you have your weapon, you need to get to the roost area before the birds do. If you arrive too late and try to get at them after they have turned in for the night then you run the risk of startling all the birds out of the roost, and you have just “cooked your own goose”. The birds will find another roosting location, and you will have to start all over. Move slowly and blend in to your surroundings. Stay quiet, be still, and be a hunter. It is in your DNA, and you are more than capable of catching your own food.

Egrets and curlews have skinny legs and long beaks. There are different types, with colors that range from blue, grey, brown, white, and pink. They are usually found on the banks of lakes, ponds, canals, and other moist lowland areas. The Sandhill crane is the largest of the three birds mentioned here and stands about five feet tall. They have a red head, and their bodies are grey in color. They are not very intelligent and make an easy target. They are plentiful on or around golf courses. All three breeds will need to be plucked (de-feathered) and gutted. Their gizzards make the best gravy you will ever eat, and that gravy goes great with some homemade biscuits.

You must practice and do some target shooting before you try to shoot one of these birds. You may not think you have time to practice shooting a bow and sneaking into parks and golf courses, but you need to make the time to practice. You may also be thinking that you will never be successful at harvesting one of these birds by hitting your target, but I assure you that it is very possible and even highly probable, if you practice a little. If your life is dependent on it, what choice will you have? These locations are easy pickin’s for many types of food. They are a living grocery store and act as a refuge for birds, squirrels, and ducks. My uncle and I have enjoyed many a curlew over an open fire in my lifetime, and even to this day it remains one of my favorite foods items.

SQUIRRELS

Squirrels are another plentiful food source that taste great. They consist of dark meat and are excellent when they are cooked right. They do need to be cooked a bit longer than other animals but are quite tasty over a bed of rice and biscuits. It is best to cook squirrels at a low temperature for longer periods of time. They can also be stewed to make them go further.

Squirrels need to be skinned. This is done by cutting the animal down the middle of the body all the way up and from the ends of the hands and feet horizontal towards the vertical cut in the middle. Once you have made your five cuts– one down the middle, two from hands to middle, and two from feet to middle– you will need to grab on to the fur with one hand and the skin with the other. Pull to separate the two. Go slow at first and work the fur off the skin gradually. I usually start at the hands and work my way down, but it can be done from feet up if that suits you better. There is no right or wrong way. Try to only think about separating the edible meat from the fur. Remember, you are just going to “make it work”. After the skinning process is complete, you will want to remove the innards. (The heart of any animal is usually very tasty and is loaded with the nutrients your body needs. Let nothing go to waste.) Wash the meat off and you’re ready to cook. Squirrels love avocados, papayas, oranges, sunflower seeds, acorns, peanuts, and many other types of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, I have had the most success catching them using peanut butter.

If you don’t have the means to shoot one, then trapping them is the next best option. All you will need is something to dig with (preferably a shovel), a regular- or standard-size garbage can, 50 feet of rope, an overhanging tree limb or something you have improvised, and something to bait your trap with.

Start out by finding a location that you have seen squirrels in previously that is close to the food source. If possible, choose a location where there is an overhanging limb. Lay the garbage can on its side in the location where you want it, under the overhanging limb or improvised structure. Using your shovel, dig a hole a foot deep all the way around the garbage can and four feet out beyond the opening and the bottom of the can. Make sure that the can fits snug in the hole on the sides. You will have to dig a little deeper to accommodate the handle of the garbage can if it has one. The front needs to stay open. There shouldn’t be any wiggle room on either sides of the can. (This gives the can support so that it is forced to rise vertically.) You need to create a tapered entrance to the can; it should be a very slight slope made by digging. If the can has a handle on the side make sure it is facing up. Tie the rope very snug to the handle and throw the rope slack over the hanging limb. (If the can has no handle, then you will need to poke a hole in the upper portion of the can so you can tie your rope through it.) Pick up the opposite end of the rope that isn’t tied and walk back as far as you can until the rope is as tight as it can be without lifting the can up vertical. You will need some cover. If there isn’t anything to hide your position, improvise and build yourself a blind so your target animal can’t see you. Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to bait the trap. Simply put the bait source you have selected on the ground at the tapered entrance– the opening of the can. Peanut butter works the best. Place twice as much bait inside the can all the way to the back or the bottom. Do not put too much at the entrance or the squirrel will get full and won’t have a reason to enter the can to eat more. You will have to wait patiently for the squirrel to enter the can. When it does, simply pull the string and the garbage can will rise up vertical and the squirrel will be trapped at the bottom of the can. The trick is pulling the rope fast and keeping the rope snug so that the can doesn’t turn sideways and allow your dinner to escape. This technique never gets old, and I have caught hundreds of squirrels exactly like this. Make sure you practice a few times before you bait the trap. You may also have to be patient at first. It may take a few days before the squirrel discovers the bait. Try placing small amounts of bait on the tree limbs leading down to the ground towards your trap. This will make it easier to lead the squirrels to your trap. Another tip is to change your bait source if you aren’t getting any action. Just be patient and persevere; you will succeed.

ALLIGATORS

One of my favorite animals to catch is the alligator. Years ago the swamp lizard was facing extinction. However, after being placed on the endangered species list, they have thrived and can be found everywhere in Florida. Alligators are a very valuable food source and can feed your family for a long time. Their meat is pinkish white and resembles a mix between a grouper (reef fish) and chicken. They can be made in a piquant with peppers, tomatoes, and onions but are best served fried, cut up in little nuggets. Alligator meat can be a little tough depending on the size and the preparation process. (It is best to pound the nuggets with a hammer prior to cooking to soften the tissue.) Clean an alligator the same way you do a squirrel– skinning. You will definitely need a sharp knife and to go slow, because they take a lot longer than most other animals. If the gator is large, make sure you utilize the jaw meat. It is some of the best meat you will ever put in your mouth. It is very tender and tastes fantastic.

There are a few easy ways to catch a gator. One is by using a fishing rod, and the other is putting out a catch line at night. The fishing pole method is an easy technique if the gator is hungry. In the warmer months of the year alligators tend to be more aggressive towards food. It is easy to know right away if a gator is hungry because as soon as your bait hits the water the gator will head towards it. It does not matter if it is an artificial bait, live bait, or a shoe string. If a gator is hungry and sees movement he will come after it. I caught a gator on a dirty sock one time. All I did was keep it moving. The most important thing is not setting the hook. The inside of a gators mouth is very hard and the chances of the hook setting properly are very slim. Simply wait it out and let the gator swallow the bait. Once he has swallowed it, let him swim off and then slowly start to reel him in. He is going to fight and free spool you many times, especially if you are using a small rod. Make sure that your drag is set very lose so that he doesn’t pop the line. The trick to this is letting him get tired. Do this by reeling him in and letting him run many times until the gator is spent. If you don’t have a gun, a bow, or a spear, then you are going to need something to hit the gator over the head with once you get him to shore. (Keep in mind the kill spot on an alligator is approximately four inches behind the eyes in the center portion of the head.) Make sure you have your weapon of choice with you when you are tangling with the gator. You do not want to get stuck one on one with an alligator without a weapon to defend yourself. These same rules apply when you are tending to your overnight catch line.

The catch line is also an easy and productive technique; but in order for a catch line to work, you are going to need real bait. You can use anything that was previously living. I have used lizards, opossum, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, bacon, chicken, innards from animals and birds, fish heads, curlew carcass, other gators, dead turtles, and even road kill. Most anything will work. You just need to make sure the bait hangs up a little higher than the water and just sort of dangles there, not too high but enough to allow the gator to take the bait. A good tip to remember is always keep the remains of other animals that you catch. Place them in an airtight container and bury them until you need to bait your hooks on your catch line. (Alligators have a great sense of smell, and the more rancid the bait you use the more success you will have catching an alligator.) Remember also that you aren’t restricted to just one catch line either; try setting several out a night if you have the bait.

To set a catch line you are going to need some thick nylon rope (thick monofilament or wire litter will work as well, but you don’t want the gator to break the line, so make sure you don’t leave it unattended for too long), preferably a large hook (shark hook), and a strong tree to tie the rope to. If there aren’t any trees around you can use a large pole or tree limb stuck in the ground at least five feet deep or anything else that is somewhat stationary. Let the catch line sit overnight and hide the rope so no one can see it. When you go back the next morning, retrieve the rope and pull on it slowly. If there is a gator on the line you will know it. Keep in mind alligators are more scared of you than you are of them, and when it sees you and realizes it’s stuck you better be ready for a fight.

The last way to catch a gator is by snagging them with a top water lure or a large treble hook. You have to be pretty accurate with your casting in order to catch a gator this way, but I have caught many like this. It most certainly can be done. This is a good option if the gator isn’t hungry and is just sitting still in a lethargic state, like they do in the winter time sunning themselves on the canal and river banks. I have also used this method many times at night. Gators are much harder to find at night during the winter time but easier to spot during the day in the winter. They will be all over the banks sunning themselves.

When hunting at night, you will need a flashlight to shine in the gator’s eyes. You will need to hold the light in the gator’s eyes while as you cast your line. When you shine the light in the gator’s eyes, they will shine back red. The best way to snag a gator is to cast over him and bring the lure over him. Once the lure gets close to the gator, stop reeling and let the lure sink down a bit. Then start reeling slow; as soon as you feel the tension of the treble hook or lure against the gators body, set the hook hard. Remember to keep letting him run so that the gator gets tired before you try to bring him all the way in.

If you get in a bind and need food, alligators are all over Florida and the other southeastern portion of the U.S. They are an easy target and will keep you and your family fed for a few weeks, if preserved the right way. Be smart and utilize everything.