Alligator Hunt, New Orleans

Members,

I promised to help a relative find a guide to take him alligator hunting this fall, a bow hunt.

He married my cousin, a mean red head, but she's blood and I'm following through. It's their anniversary trip before they pick up stakes and move to Montana. He's a kind gentleman and I'd appreciate any leads you might give me to help them plan a trip.

They will travel to New Orleans by air, so they want to stay somewhat close by and not travel too far from that general area. I was hoping members could make suggestions I can pass along to help him book a hunt, figured it might be an air boat in the swamps. This is all I have to work with. http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wild-al...sons-and-zones

(If I can help, maybe they'll store my drift boat in the garage when they get to Livingston, MT).

I don't know what the seasons are but there are east and west zones. I have never heard of an archery hunt. Makes sense as they could slip under water and not be retrieved. Google.

They are always in or very close to the water when you see them, and the target area is very small.
They use very large grapnel hooks for retrieving them, but it becomes more of a tug of war situation.
Then you would use one hand to hold its jaws shut and the other to cut its throat. lol
I see them every day I go fishing, not uncommon to see a dozen or more. Most are in the 6 to 8 ft range but some are larger.
Every once in awhile i will see an absolutely huge one id guess to be longer than my 17' boat, with a girth about like a 300# man.
Its actually become a sizable industry taking tourists for rides on large airboats looking for gators at $40 a head for an hour.

I did see a video where some tourist were in a boat throwing fruit at some wild hogs,, drawing them into the water where a big old alligator was waiting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGfLzadKyuI

Just heard that due to high numbers of gators, Florida will issue more than 1300 extra tags this year.
Its very obvious there are lots of them.

Am in St Pete FL and got the card of a bow fishing guide two days ago. He mentioned gators but I don’t recall the context.
Bowfishingfl.com