In Florida it is legal to hunt alligators with rifles on private land (just to be clear, the alligator needn't have a rifle :-). They used to have a season that allowed only large alligators to be taken during the summer. The fellow I’m probably going to hunt with is very expensive, and charges much more for the large animals. As a teacher I have two strikes against me. I work for teacher’s pay, and I can’t take time off except during the summer.

They recently removed the summer restriction on eight footers, which is why I’m now going after a relatively small alligator. The size is fine with me, as I do not keep trophies, except I will tan hides to make knife sheathes. On the other hand, I’m very fond of alligator meat. Although Nelson tells me there isn’t much of it on an eight-foot alligator, it will still be a bunch to me, I’m sure.