Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-03-07
HUNTING ALl,oAToRs.

HUNTING ALlioATORS.
new The Sport Il Conduetod In Florsds
at Nighttime
Alligator hunting BY night is the
great sport in Florida In their pres
emit panic-stricken condition the alli-
gators seldom 60 far away from tho
water in the daytime, but make all
tnelr overland journeys at night They
are growing very uneasy at the adj
vance of civilization, and have learned
TO shun both men and steamboats,. So
frightened have they become that re-
Peated trips may be made the entire
length Of the ST. Johns river without
q single specimen being seen. Alliga-
tor hunting was formerly one of the
most lucrative pursuits in Florida. as
well as source of infinite amuse-
ment to tourists. The reptiles were
slaughtered in great numbers all over
the State. They seemingly possess no
intelligence whatever, and are notably
siothful. but have learned that safety
Is found only in hasty fight and Sc
clusion. In former years they were
shot at random by excursionists from
the deck of nearly every steamboat
that navigated the lakes and rivers of
the State, but now the iron-clad rule
Is everywhere enforced on board that
alligators must not be seriously dis
turbed by either passengers or en-
ployes. This regulation has been
rendered necessary to satisfy women
and children who constantly complain
of being in Florida for weeks without
ever seeing a single real live alligator
in its native haunts. Under present
conditions alligator hunting by day.
light has become tedious and un-
profitable in most parts of the PEN
insula, and novel scheme for killing
them at night has been adopted. The
hunters equip themselves with guns.
revolvers and bulrs-eye lanterns The
alligator track is reached soon after
dark. for the alligators begin to move
early in the night The tracks are
as plainly marked as wagon roads,
and are made by the reptiles
constantly travelling from one
lake. river or swamp to another. The
alligators can be heard at considerable
distance laboriously approaching.
The men preserve absolute silence un-
til the alligators reach the proper
point and then turn their bull's-eyes
upon them. The dazzling stream of
light seemingly paralyzes the reptiles,
and they stop short in their journey.
Their eyes bulge out and sparkle, and
at these glistening orbs the hunters
direct their aim. 1t is useless to shoot
the alligators except in the open
mouth or under the throat, as the shot
is repealed by the tough skin or other
parts of the body. producing no per-
ceptible effect, except in instances to
the reptiles to frenzied re-
sistance. In one case, between lakes
Nellie and Louisa, in this county, a
few days ago, an alligator supposed
to be fatally shot showed fight when
and knocked one of
the men unconscious with its
tail Fearing to shoot then because
of possible injury to their companion.
the other hunters attacked the fero-
cious reptile with clubs. one of which,
four or five inches in diameter, was
seized in the monsters jaws and
crushed to splinters. A man is usu-
ually employed to remove the hides
and teeth, while the bodies are left as
food for the numerous buzzards, which
are here protected by the law. The
hides sell for from one dollar to three
dollars each, aud the teeth for as
much, the former being in demand for
the manufacture of various leather
goods, and the latter to be worked up
into jewelry and other ornaments.
Half q dozen enterprising men can
capture from one to score of alliga-
tors in single night, the number de-
pending largely on the locality select
I'd and the conditions of the weather.
II the migratory propensities of the
slligators continue to develop. 80 that
hey can be reached without encoun-
'ering the dangers of the swamps.
hey will be practically exterminated
this region within the
,ext few yeara-Cor. Chicago Herald.