texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
nmmuledeerhunter, Dzia-Dzia, TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed
71989 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,417
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,769
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics537,030
Posts9,719,606
Members86,989
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
JD Murphee #8654658 08/02/22 04:33 PM
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 464
T
tailchaser93 Offline OP
Bird Dog
OP Offline
Bird Dog
T
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 464
Got drawn for the gator hunt here. Super pumped, has anybody been before?

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654682 08/02/22 05:14 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,302
B
Blank Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
B
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,302
Congrats! See pics of some big ones taken there every year. Good luck.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654693 08/02/22 05:27 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
E
Erny Offline
Extreme Tracker
Offline
Extreme Tracker
E
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
Congratulations. My buddy went a few years ago. Both gators killed were 10+ feet. Have fun and post some pics!

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654721 08/02/22 05:53 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 363
E
elvisp_bucks Offline
Bird Dog
Offline
Bird Dog
E
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 363
I have been. It's great. I have also been gator hunting a bunch. PM me and i'll tell you what i know


Jason
Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654739 08/02/22 06:16 PM
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
H
Hudbone Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
H
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
Pump Sniper for intel.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654912 08/02/22 09:29 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John Offline
gumshoe
Offline
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
I have been on about 20 drawn gator hunts going back to the early 80s if you include youth hunts where I was the adult. Mostly Murphree, but we have taken trophy gators at Sea Rim State Park and Gus Engeling. Pole Line, Snares, and by Bow and never been skunked. My screen name should probably be Gator John, but I hunt Snipe more often than I hunt gators these days. Here are old posts of mine going way back. That first one includes some answered questions. Unfortunately the pictures in the posts are gone due to the hosting company being destroyed in a fire in france. The hosting company went bankrupt. I do have the pictures backed up, just not in the posts anymore. Any questions on the Murphree hunts or gator hunting, just ask. Glad to help.

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1591410
http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/852140
http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4609295
http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3598955

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654952 08/02/22 10:21 PM
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 464
T
tailchaser93 Offline OP
Bird Dog
OP Offline
Bird Dog
T
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 464
At Murphee it says you can only use shotgun to dispatch the gators. What size shot did you use?

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8654957 08/02/22 10:31 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
Sniper John Offline
gumshoe
Offline
gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,903
The "rifle" in the picture is an Indian SMLE .410 aka .410 Enfield Musket. It is a rifle converted to a 410 shotgun. We have used 10Ga, 12GA, and 410s. The one time we used a 10GA it shot all the way through the gator's head on a big gator and damaged the hide on the underside causing the buyer to take $50 off the price he paid us for it. Never did that again. I prefer a 410, or a knife at the base of the skull.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8655222 08/03/22 03:16 AM
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 44
F
Fireman383 Offline
Light Foot
Offline
Light Foot
F
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 44
My son drew the youth hunt here. We are super excited, but super ignorant on the subject. Thanks for any and all advice.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8655234 08/03/22 03:36 AM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,512
R
rickym Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
R
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,512
Use a .410 with a slug for dispatch. Have a buddy that took his son on a drawn hunt a couple years back. They got a 9’ 11” gator.



Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8655533 08/03/22 04:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
E
Erny Offline
Extreme Tracker
Offline
Extreme Tracker
E
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,236
Originally Posted by tailchaser93
At Murphee it says you can only use shotgun to dispatch the gators. What size shot did you use?


I have participated in the killing of 8 alligators. All were killed with bird shot (7.5 or 8 shot) that from a 410, 20 or 12 gauge. If you shot them in the spine right behind the skull they are dead!!!!! I would not use slugs or buckshot (I don't think they allow it anyway) if you want to keep the hide.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8656276 08/04/22 03:40 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,817
Wildphilhickup Offline
Veteran Tracker
Offline
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,817

*** I don't think you can use a shotgun bigger than 20 gauge. ?

I hunted JD Murphee a few years back and got a 9 footer. I am told the area averages 1+ gator per surface acre.

My advice;

1) Use chicken thighs. MANY! Soak in a sealed bucket for at lease 5 days. Current Texas heat will ripen them. Wear nitrile gloves when handling the spoiled chicken. Your hands will stink for weeks if not.

2) Bait the Area - Get some florist foam sheets, 2" thick minimum. Cut into 4" x 4" squares, minimum. You are going to use Dacron line and sew the chicken thighs to the foam "blocks". Why? You want your chicken thighs to float when you throw them into the water near your gator pole. If they sink, turtles, crabs, fish will eat them.

3) Get there a day early and meet with the wildlife biologist if you can. Ask lots of questions. They will give you a good spot.

4) Get a BIG boat fender and paint it ORANGE or RED. Attach 100 feet minimum of YELLOW nylon rope. Attach that to your "hook line" on the Gator pole. I used 200 pound stainless steel line, leader, and attached that to my BIG Hook. Hang a good size chunk of chicken on the hook. Suspend baited hook at least 2 feet above the water. *Mean high tide. Set your gator pole deep and tight.

5) Bait too high above water - you get nothing. Bait too low above water - you get a 3 foot gator.

6) When you go back in the morning, be slow and cautious. *** You should see shredded foam everywhere floating in the water. FIRST indication you got a gator.

7) Check your pole. If bait and hook / line is gone, start looking for your buoy. Once located, find your nylon rope. SLOWLY retrieve the rope. If you feel a hard tug, let go. Work the gator back to your boat, slowly. NEVER pull the gator out of the water until you have shot it. Bring the gator up next to your boat - let gator stay submerged. If the gator pulls hard and fights, let go of the rope. Gators feel safe in the water. Get the gator close enough to be able to put the barrel of your shotgun on top of his head, even if it's in the water.

GOOD LUCK!


MILL CREEK HONEY BEE FARM, LLC
millcreekhoneybeefarm @yahoo.com
Re: JD Murphee [Re: Wildphilhickup] #8662147 08/12/22 03:14 AM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 635
1
1riot1ranger Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
1
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 635
Originally Posted by Wildphilhickup

*** I don't think you can use a shotgun bigger than 20 gauge. ?

I hunted JD Murphee a few years back and got a 9 footer. I am told the area averages 1+ gator per surface acre.

My advice;

1) Use chicken thighs. MANY! Soak in a sealed bucket for at lease 5 days. Current Texas heat will ripen them. Wear nitrile gloves when handling the spoiled chicken. Your hands will stink for weeks if not.

2) Bait the Area - Get some florist foam sheets, 2" thick minimum. Cut into 4" x 4" squares, minimum. You are going to use Dacron line and sew the chicken thighs to the foam "blocks". Why? You want your chicken thighs to float when you throw them into the water near your gator pole. If they sink, turtles, crabs, fish will eat them.

3) Get there a day early and meet with the wildlife biologist if you can. Ask lots of questions. They will give you a good spot.

4) Get a BIG boat fender and paint it ORANGE or RED. Attach 100 feet minimum of YELLOW nylon rope. Attach that to your "hook line" on the Gator pole. I used 200 pound stainless steel line, leader, and attached that to my BIG Hook. Hang a good size chunk of chicken on the hook. Suspend baited hook at least 2 feet above the water. *Mean high tide. Set your gator pole deep and tight.

5) Bait too high above water - you get nothing. Bait too low above water - you get a 3 foot gator.

6) When you go back in the morning, be slow and cautious. *** You should see shredded foam everywhere floating in the water. FIRST indication you got a gator.

7) Check your pole. If bait and hook / line is gone, start looking for your buoy. Once located, find your nylon rope. SLOWLY retrieve the rope. If you feel a hard tug, let go. Work the gator back to your boat, slowly. NEVER pull the gator out of the water until you have shot it. Bring the gator up next to your boat - let gator stay submerged. If the gator pulls hard and fights, let go of the rope. Gators feel safe in the water. Get the gator close enough to be able to put the barrel of your shotgun on top of his head, even if it's in the water.

GOOD LUCK!



Excellent advice. Protip on #1: put the hook in the chicken thighs you are going to tie on and leave the leader line hanging outside the bucket. No need to handle those nasty things more than necessary.

Re: JD Murphee [Re: tailchaser93] #8690640 09/19/22 12:27 AM
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 44
F
Fireman383 Offline
Light Foot
Offline
Light Foot
F
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 44
We did well down there this weekend.

Attached Files 1742B49B-BB4E-452B-A7D7-52A066F152F0.jpeg
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3