Alligator in my farm pond...Question.

[buzzcut]

"SHOOOOOT HIMM"
If you watch swamp people you know who im talking about. haha.

And make sure the pistol has bullets in it!

[b.latiolais]

Seeing how we have kiddos around the edge of that water all the time, nuisance season may be Saturday...

This is my thinking as well. I wouldn't wait and risk this guy snatching up one of the kiddos.

So what if you can't sell him. Fry him up and get the hide tanned.

I would try and catch him first, rather than just shooting him. I think if you just shoot him he's gonna sink for a while.

[Texastaxi]

Feed him till April ... then kill him!

[Tommyh]

id shoot him as soon as i saw him pop up again!

[nanny_slammer]

i will be in athens this evening we can get him tonite if you need help!! or the weekend i have a house in malakoff so im close to athens and can be there to aid in the boot making anytime

[Randy]

Seeing how we have kiddos around the edge of that water all the time, nuisance season may be Saturday...

We get them all the time and shoot them in the nuisance season.

If you shoot him Id just call the GW and make sure its cool or whatever. Will be hard to do anything with the hide since you wont have a cites tag. You have to have one of those to get it tanned unless you know the tanner.

check out our gator page

https://www.texaswildhoghunting.com/gator

[TXBowhunter2009]

This is my thinking as well. I wouldn't wait and risk this guy snatching up one of the kiddos.

So what if you can't sell him. Fry him up and get the hide tanned.

I would try and catch him first, rather than just shooting him. I think if you just shoot him he's gonna sink for a while.

Gotta have a legal tag to get the hide tanned.....or do it yourself.

[bjg]

Game warden should be able to direct you to the local nusiance gator hunter. If he can't, contact me as I have someone I can get you in contact with.

[theboydoutdoors]

Well I don't understand the hesitation, if it was a perf out child molester lurking outside your little girls bedroom window you'd take him out wouldn't you.

I see no reason why leaving him alive would be beneficial to you or yours. Call the GW tell him you want that thing gone because of the kids and ask him for help or at least a tag to make it legal.

[mchildress]

If you can't get a tag for the hide at least nail him on the bank and get the meat out of his tail. Good eating.

[ground level]

Sure is quite a few folks on here giving wrong information which could land the owner in a heap of trouble. Do the legal route as a couple last folks mentioned and take it out legally this coming Spring season, April 1- June 30

Alligators Rules and Regulations
Except when engaged in hunting, it is against the law to intentionally feed a free-ranging alligator.

Alligators may be taken under any resident or non-resident hunting license.
In Angelina, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, and Victoria counties ("core" counties), and on properties in other counties for which Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has issued CITES tags to the landowner, the open season for alligators is September 10 - 30. In core counties and on special properties, no person may hunt an alligator without possessing a valid CITES tag on their person. CITES tags in these counties are issued to landowners following a site inspection and evaluation by TPWD for information about tag issuance and requirements, contact the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management office at (409) 736-2551.

In all other counties (non-core counties):
Open season: April 1 - June 30. Alligators may not be taken during this season on any property where alligators were taken during the September season.

Bag Limit: One alligator per person per license year.
Alligators may be taken on private property ONLY. Alligators may be taken from public waters by all lawful means EXCEPT FIREARMS; however, the person taking the alligator and the taking device MUST be on private property.
Tagging: Upon killing an alligator, a person must:
IMMEDIATELY complete a Wildlife Resource Document (WRD). See Transfer of Wildlife Resources, which shall accompany the alligator until it is permanently tagged with a CITES tag;
Within 72 hours, complete an Alligator Hide Tag Report Form (PDF 43.2 KB) and mail to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, TX, 78744, along with a $21 hide tag fee (check or money order); and
Permanently tag the alligator with a CITES tag IMMEDIATELY upon receipt of the CITES tag in the mail from TPWD

Lawful hunting hours: From one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, no person shall set any baited line capable of taking an alligator, remove an alligator from a line set, or use any means and methods other than line sets.

Means and Methods:

-Hook and line (line set). Line sets must be secured on private property. Hook-bearing lines may not be set prior to the open season and shall be removed no later than sunset on the last day of the season. Each baited line shall be labeled with a plainly visible, permanent, and legibly marked gear tag that contains the full name and current address of the person who set the line and the hunting license number of the person who set the line. Line sets shall be inspected daily and alligators shall be killed, documented, and removed IMMEDIATELY upon discovery.
-Alligator gig
-Hand-held snare with integral locking mechanism
-Lawful archery equipment (with barbed arrow)
-Lawful firearms. IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIREARMS MAY BE USED TO TAKE ALLIGATORS ONLY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. IT IS UNLAWFUL TO TAKE AN ALLIGATOR BY MEANS OF FIREARMS FROM, IN, ON, ACROSS OR OVER PUBLIC WATER. Centerfire ONLY; rimfire UNLAWFUL, except for dispatch.

An alligator captured on a taking device (line set, lawful archery equipment, gig, or snare) must be killed immediately. An alligator, in public water, caught on a taking device lawfully attached to private property, may be dispatched with a firearm.

-No person may employ more than ONE taking device at any time.

-A line of at least 300 pound test must be securely attached to all taking devices other than firearms.

-Hook-bearing lines must be attached to a stationary object, on private property, capable of maintaining a portion of the line above water when an alligator is caught on the line.

-Using natural vegetation on crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered in the process.

-A line attached to an arrow, snare, or gig must have a float attached to the line. The float shall be no less than 6" x 6" x 8" or, if the float is spherical, no less than 8 inches in diameter.

NOTE: Additional regulations apply and can be found in the department publication entitled "Alligators in Texas" (PDF 953.5 KB), also available at all TPWD Regional Law Enforcement offices or by calling (800) 792-1112 9menu 5). Alligators may be sold ONLY to a licensed wholesale dealer or alligator farmer.

[ground level]

If you can't get a tag for the hide at least nail him on the bank and get the meat out of his tail. Good eating.

If you can't get a CITES tag for the alligator, it is illegal to retain any portion of the alligator including the meat.

[Peacock]

I sure wish he was in my pond. This thread would of had LDP'S.

[SOLID EAGLE]

Throw him a chicken and video it. Then you will know what to do.

[BTLowry]

We had one in our pond several years ago that was 5-6', left on its own after a couple of weeks

You do what you think you need to do to protect the kids but I would try and have someone catch and relocate. I am going to guess you live south or east of Athens.
We hunted a lease east on 175 and it had lots of gators on it. Catfish creek, Coon Creek Club,Fincastle and a few more places I can't think of the name of have bunches of gators