By April Doughty
For most hunters, preparing for a new season means checking equipment, reviewing regulations and making sure everything is ready for opening day. For Brad and me, preparing for our first alligator season has been different, more like a crash course in everything we didn’t know we needed to know.
Brad was selected in Louisiana’s commercial alligator hunting lottery for public lands and lakes, which opened in the west zone on Sept. 2. Lake Bistineau was assigned to be Brad’s hunting area. It wasn’t his first choice, but we decided to make the most of the opportunity. I’m serving as his licensed helper, and we’re both learning the ropes as we go.
One of our biggest challenges this year has been the lake itself.
Lake Bistineau is currently undergoing a drawdown as part of an effort to manage giant salvinia, an invasive aquatic plant that has created significant problems for the lake. The lower water levels have made navigating the lake considerably more difficult, with some boat launches closed and more stumps exposed or lurking just beneath the surface.
We got our first real taste of that challenge when Brad and I scouted Lake Bistineau together last weekend and failed to make it as far as we had hoped. The low water and submerged stumps made it difficult to safely run the boat, even in areas that would normally be navigable. Instead, much of our trip became a slow trolling expedition as we picked our way through the lake.
The low water has made choosing bait locations particularly challenging. Brad was back out on the lake after opening day without me because I had to work. He was hoping to locate some promising areas and get the bait properly placed.
He succeeded in getting some baits out, but not without more challenges along the way. In an attempt to reduce trolling time, he tried to launch the boat closer to the area where he wanted to hunt, despite a sign warning, “Launch at your own risk.”
That warning proved to be pretty accurate.
While attempting to put the boat in, one entire side of the trailer dropped off the ramp and sank. Fortunately, Brad was able to pull everything back out. Without four-wheel drive, he said he would’ve been in a serious bind.
The experience reinforced something we learned pretty quickly: This year, getting to the gators may be nearly as challenging as finding them. Hopefully, with some perseverance, patience and a little luck, we’ll bring in our first gators this season.
We checked the first round of baits together and discovered that a gator appeared to have gotten on one of them but wrapped itself around a nearby stump and tore the 300-pound-test line.
Finding our line in this state was both disappointing and encouraging. While we wish we could’ve hauled in a gator big enough to break that line, we learned some things and confirmed we’ve got gators in the area.
We’ll be checking and rebaiting as needed until we catch Brad’s limit or the season ends. If we have a gator waiting for us, I’ll have plenty more to say, including what it’s like to actually put everything we’ve learned into practice and reap the harvest.
As we’ve started this adventure, we’ve seen other alligator hunters already sharing photos of their successes. One enormous gator reportedly measuring 11 feet, 2 inches has been making the rounds on social media after being taken by Luke Farrar from Bussey Brake Reservoir. A giant like that would certainly be an impressive first gator, but we’re trying to keep our expectations realistic.
For now, our goal is simply to learn. Catching a gator would be a great bonus.
Brad has spent considerable time reading Louisiana’s regulations and information about the legal process, from obtaining the proper permits to understanding the requirements involved in harvesting an alligator. He’s also talked with friends who have experience hunting gators, including one who does it professionally.
There is a lot more to this type of hunt than simply finding a gator and putting a tag on it. The process, equipment, baiting, dispatching, tagging and handling all have to be done correctly and legally.
That’s why this season is as much about education for us as it is about hunting.
We may not know exactly what to expect when we head out on Lake Bistineau, but we’re looking forward to the experience. Between the low water, the hidden stumps and the challenge of locating gators, this isn’t going to be easy.
But that’s part of the appeal for us. We love learning. We love the process. And we love a challenge.
Every outdoor adventure teaches you something, and this one is already teaching us plenty. Hopefully, the next lesson will come with a set of jaws, a successful catch and our first alligator.
