Alligator hides...

[Panhandler80]

So I had a few adult beverages last night and decided to unroll the hides that I have on hand. We’ve got to do something with them at some point. They keep stacking up and I literally just sit in a Tupperware bin doing nothing.

If anybody ever wants to go kill a couple of them let me know. I’m thinking about taking this year off. I have pretty much guaranteed tags. And typically kill between two and 10 every year. Application period is about to start.

 

[rooster440]

How do you preserve them? I have zero experience with gators. Do you flesh them out? Salt?
I’d love to hunt them some day, I’ve eaten it a handful of times and liked it.


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[realunlucky]

I'm thinking about going to South Carolina this year to kill one although I'm not sure what I'd do with it either

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[sahunter06]

Pm sent

 

[def90]

Aren’t there buyers out there for skins?

 

[Sevens]

Lot of boots and purses right there. Seems like there would be plenty of market from boot makers?

 

[FLAK]

Yeah, I'd be selling them suckers.

Thinking about getting back in the draw again over here on Mobile Bay.

 

[Zbot]

I’d love to come hunt one.

 

[Lonestar_Slinger]

Id love to! Please PM about details.

 

[ChrisCarson]

I should have a tag in SC this year. Do you skin and treat them on your own? Is it like tanning a snake skin? Thanks in advance for the advice,

 

[Panhandler80]

Did not put in for any tags this year. Have a two year old (turns 2 in a few days anyway), recently took delivery of a 20 year old 42’ boat that needs an engine rebuild, and going to Alaska 2022 for moose hunt.

As far as hides go…. I sometimes skin and flesh myself. If I skin and flesh, I’m
Also cleaning and processing meat. The hide (if you intended to garment grade tan) is a major pain. Other times I drop off whole alligator for process and flesh / salting off hide. In don’t eat dark meat. Rest of meat is excellent IMO up to 9 or so. Over 10 it can get a bit funky. Also depends, like everything, how quickly it was chilled and dealt with. Although considering I hunt at night and they cold blooded out of water, you have way more time to work with them warm blooded mammal.

Skinning… To be so tough in some spots, it’s really easy to cut hole in others (namely belly and armpits, which are last place you want to cut hole ). To flesh I use pressure washer. For storage I roll them in salt and then keep in brine until all are ready to be shipped to tannery. I do it that way so that hopefully all go in same batch with hopes of reducing variation in color hue or intensity. The brine is salt (can’t use too much and I add a few pounds every time a a hide goes in), a little bleach, and borax. There are some preservation brine recipes online. I think state of FL has the one I use in back of their alligator hunting guide, but it may be Mississippi. Tie salted hides in roll and make sure all air is out as you submerge by slowly rolling about every axis giving time for bubbles work their way out. To ship, pull hides out on a Sunday morning, rinse clean, place in shade and let dry. Re-roll with new salt once dry. Tie on roll. Double bag in contractor bags. Include your name, tag number, contact info and desired color / finish on a ziplock inside trash bag. I usually fill up one Walmart touch pliable plastic bin with hides. Tape shut and place inside house to cool. Monday take bins to UPS and ship to tannery. I have used Sebring Tannery with good results. Sebring, FL. American Tanning, or AmTan, in Georgia is supposedly better, but like 2x the price. I’m
Not spending 2x on wild caught alligators.

 

[ChrisCarson]

Did not put in for any tags this year. Have a two year old (turns 2 in a few days anyway), recently took delivery of a 20 year old 42’ boat that needs an engine rebuild, and going to Alaska 2022 for moose hunt.

As far as hides go…. I sometimes skin and flesh myself. If I skin and flesh, I’m
Also cleaning and processing meat. The hide (if you intended to garment grade tan) is a major pain. Other times I drop off whole alligator for process and flesh / salting off hide. In don’t eat dark meat. Rest of meat is excellent IMO up to 9 or so. Over 10 it can get a bit funky. Also depends, like everything, how quickly it was chilled and dealt with. Although considering I hunt at night and they cold blooded out of water, you have way more time to work with them warm blooded mammal.

Skinning… To be so tough in some spots, it’s really easy to cut hole in others (namely belly and armpits, which are last place you want to cut hole ). To flesh I use pressure washer. For storage I roll them in salt and then keep in brine until all are ready to be shipped to tannery. I do it that way so that hopefully all go in same batch with hopes of reducing variation in color hue or intensity. The brine is salt (can’t use too much and I add a few pounds every time a a hide goes in), a little bleach, and borax. There are some preservation brine recipes online. I think state of FL has the one I use in back of their alligator hunting guide, but it may be Mississippi. Tie salted hides in roll and make sure all air is out as you submerge by slowly rolling about every axis giving time for bubbles work their way out. To ship, pull hides out on a Sunday morning, rinse clean, place in shade and let dry. Re-roll with new salt once dry. Tie on roll. Double bag in contractor bags. Include your name, tag number, contact info and desired color / finish on a ziplock inside trash bag. I usually fill up one Walmart touch pliable plastic bin with hides. Tape shut and place inside house to cool. Monday take bins to UPS and ship to tannery. I have used Sebring Tannery with good results. Sebring, FL. American Tanning, or AmTan, in Georgia is supposedly better, but like 2x the price. I’m
Not spending 2x on wild caught alligators.

Thanks!! Awesome Info! Good luck this year!

 

[Doepee]

They make great wallets! The wallets make great gifts for guides. I've still got a few hides left from my trapping days that I need to send in for another batch of wallets.

 

[Panhandler80]

They make great wallets! The wallets make great gifts for guides. I've still got a few hides left from my trapping days that I need to send in for another batch of wallets.

Where have you sent? I have yards and yards and yards of material but have done nothing with it. Been hesitant for fear of waste and price.

 

[Doepee]

Not sure if they still do it, but I used Central Florida Trophy Hunts. Its probably been at least 6 years ago. The prices were reasonable and the quality was good. Got wallets, boots, belts, and a gunsling done. All have held together well.

 

[BraedenD93]

So I had a few adult beverages last night and decided to unroll the hides that I have on hand. We’ve got to do something with them at some point. They keep stacking up and I literally just sit in a Tupperware bin doing nothing.

If anybody ever wants to go kill a couple of them let me know. I’m thinking about taking this year off. I have pretty much guaranteed tags. And typically kill between two and 10 every year. Application period is about to start. View attachment 289934View attachment 289935View attachment 289936View attachment 289937View attachment 289938

Im actually looking for a 2022 Alligator hunt in either February or March can I DM you ?

 

[Panhandler80]

Sent message. Season here starts mid August and ends the end of October. There are private land hunts you can do year round but they get pretty expensive. Mostly Central Florida.

I don’t like going here past early October because it can get cool at night and there’s too much steam to see animals or even run the boat. I can make for a very slow trip home on the water

 

[Treerat-sniper]

I went to a technical school in FL about 25 years ago, one of the instructors was a gator/hog hunter. Wish I could have hunted gators back then but as a starving-student it was pretty cost prohibitive. Still on my bucket list though!

 

[gtg13]

I'll send you a PM

 

[kid44]

So I had a few adult beverages last night and decided to unroll the hides that I have on hand. We’ve got to do something with them at some point. They keep stacking up and I literally just sit in a Tupperware bin doing nothing.

If anybody ever wants to go kill a couple of them let me know. I’m thinking about taking this year off. I have pretty much guaranteed tags. And typically kill between two and 10 every year. Application period is about to start. View attachment 289934View attachment 289935View attachment 289936View attachment 289937View attachment 289938

At the price of alligator hide leather goods you're sitting on a gold mine, I've seen brief cases over $15,000, wallets for $1,000 plus, I have an alligator hide belt that cost, well I won't mention it here.