Run, Elvis,...Run!!!


maynard

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BY SUSAN COCKINGscocking@MiamiHerald.comCORNWELL, Fla. -- Roger McCulloch skipped a grizzly bear hunt in Alaska to drive 18 hours from his Ohio home to central Florida with one mission in mind: shoot an alligator with bow-and-arrow. It was his fourth visit in four years to hunt the reptiles with Okeechobee guide captain Bobby Stafford.``I love gator hunting,'' said McCulloch, who owns a construction business. ``It's just the rush of it. I've hunted everything -- caribou, bear, elk. Gators are tough critters.''Every summer since 1988, the state of Florida has opened many of its lakes, rivers and swamps to a limited-time public alligator hunt. This year's hunt began Aug. 15 and continues through Sept. 12.Once listed as an endangered species and protected from harvest, the American alligator has bounced back to sustainable levels that can withstand hunting, according to Steve Stiegler, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's alligator management program.``Overall, the statewide alligator population is very healthy,'' Stiegler said, estimating gator numbers at about 1.3 million. ``It's a natural resource we can make use of that's renewable.''Each year, the FWC surveys the gator population and determines the number of permits it will issue. For 2010, 6,260 permits were made available by lottery at $270 apiece, permitting each hunter to take two gators from one of about 130 assigned hunting zones around the state, including four at Lake Okeechobee.Though gators as small as 18 inches can be legally bagged, few hunters would consider it worth the effort. Most aim for something closer to the Florida record of 14 feet, 5/8 inches, taken in 1997 at Lake Monroe in Seminole County.By opening date, nearly 6,000 permits had been sold, leaving space for hunters who want to apply before the season closes Sept. 12. Last year, the state issued 6,296 permits, with hunters harvesting 7,844 animals.Bagging a gator isn't as easy as it might seem. Hunters are not allowed to use guns to kill gators. Instead, they may use pole spears, bow-and-arrow, or rod-and-reel to catch the animal, then use a bang-stick -- a pole with an explosive charge on the end -- to dispatch it at point-blank range before bringing it into a boat.The bounty is theirs to keep or sell. Meat and hides often go to processors, becoming gator nuggets at roadside restaurants and shoes, belts and handbags in specialty stores.But that's not likely to be a big money maker this year, said Jill Wood, who owns All American Gator Products in Hallandale Beach with her husband, Brian. Because of a surplus, prices for hides have dropped significantly, bringing $8-$15 per foot, depending on size, versus $35-$40 per foot some previous years.And though gator meat prices have remained stable at $5-$8 per pound, the meat is mostly in the tail -- meaning the total market value of hide and meat together for a 10-foot gator could be as low as $150.From those numbers, it's clear that gator hunting is a sport, not a money-making occupation. Unless, that is, you're a professional guide like Bobby Stafford.Stafford charges $1,500 per hunt and up, supplying boat, gear, permits and crew. And though he doesn't promise success, he's known as a trophy hunter. A few years ago he guided McCulloch to a 12-foot, one-inch monster that McCulloch -- a part-time taxidermist -- made into a full-size mount in his living room.Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/17/1780696/floridas-gator-hunting-season.html#ixzz0wy3UIJHf
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Thankfully, it appears from what I have heard, that ELVIS is not in the wild, like the everglades, but is safely kept where he is protected, and can't get hurt. :clap:

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Otherwise, it would be helpful to give him a batch with a sign on it: "Undercover working Vice - cop! Please, do not kill!":p:D

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Otherwise' date=' it would be helpful to give him a batch with a sign on it: "Undercover working Vice - cop! Please, do not kill!":p:D[/quote']:):):)
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