Ladies and Gentlemen,

I travel quite a bit, and have found that it is easier - and more enjoyable - to take my own "in flight entertainment" with me.

I have an Apple ipad, and I download movies, TV shows and books that I think I might enjoy on a flight.

I had a long flight to Europe this morning, and I started watching SWAMP PEOPLE.

It is a TV series about people living in the swamps of Louisiana.

Apparently they get tags for X number of alligators they can kill and sell every year.

Now, one would imagine people doing this for a living would be quite careful about how to do it.

But, it seems the reality is quite a bit different.

These two guys bait hooks and tie them to trees by the water's edge, then come back the next day and shoot whatever croc is there.

They arrived at one place and find that they had hooked a decent size alligator. One of them pulls it out of the water, with the other ready with his 22 semi auto to dispatch it.

"SHOOT IT" one screams, the other one tries to shoot, and discovers the rifle is empty!

The first guy sctarted screaming insults, and picks the spare rifle, and attempt to shoot the alligator. CLICK!

That was empty too!

By this time I was almost falling off my seat with laughter!

The stewardess - with whom I had flown with a bout a month ago - join in!

The next episode was even funnier!

The man forgot to bring the rifle from the truck!

And these are supposed to be pros at this?

In reality, it's "made for TV" entertainment. Just like "the most dangerous catch", which is supposed to be about the perils of fishing in the Bering Sea, has turned into a soap opera.
Buuut, it's kinda fun to watch if you've nothing else to do or if you're trapped in an airplane.

Don't believe the weights of the gators caught with a few exceptions. I find it funny when they say, "He's a 500 lb monster." Then, a guy pulls him in the boat with one hand.

It is what it is, entertainment.

Saeed,

You have met Bubba.

Most of what you are seeing is usually preceeded by the words "hold my beer and watch this".

Think Walter's uneducated cousins that nobody likes to talk about but they are none the less fun to watch.

Yes, anything Hollywood gets involved in tends to get out of hand as far as reality is.

But, they seem to have oudone themselves on this one. There is a poacher on the loose now, and I won't see how it goes until the 17th when I head back home.


I enjoy the DEADLIEST CATCH, as well as ICE ROAD TRUCKERS. Both remind me to stay home to keep warm!

Three of my favourite shows! If I'm looking for mindless entertainment those shows tickle my fancy every time.

I liked it when "Bubba" got his powerful "magnum" that was absolute death on alligators; that would be a 17 HMR.

Then there was the time one got "shot" shot by his dad. Apparently it wasn't the first time. The bullet allegedly fragmented on the alligator's skull and fragments entered Bubba's face. He could have put his eye out...

As funny as a lot of it is, it's interesting how one crew throws a line with a hook on it, snags an alligator and hauls it in. That's something that should definitely be tried with a Nile Crocodile. Maybe Walter can be the first...

It might look comical,but really is a serious proposition.Any one thinks these Gators can`t kill you or maim you,best think again.My Nephew works for the State of Florida relocating problem Gators.I went on patrol with him when a 13 footer was relocated.I don`t know what it weighed,but we had to use a winch to get him on the boat.He could easily kill you with his tail.They are strong and fast.These fellas make it look easy,but have been doing it for generations.Not my cup of Tea.

It's good for a laugh, my kids love it. It reminds me of the song "6 guys, 10 teeth and one brain between us".

Troy....yeah yeah yeah yeah....or....choot choot choot

He is my favorite. I like his personality and how he likes his family core kept close.

I know a guy who hunts gators. He doesn't have a high opinion of those guys.

They use baited hooks, and a 30-30. He invited me to go along a few years ago, but never made it.

I helped a gator hunter in La several years ago. We killed 37 gators the first day, some to 11 feet. We killed a few with various guns, but most of them with a 16 oz hammer blow to the head.

The show is over dramatized for TV.....we rarely "fought" one at the boat the way they do all of them. Grab the line a foot from the nose, pull, and hit em hard on top of the head...it's over.

You cannot, however, PUSH a gator with a trotline....

troy

This show is made for tv. I took a 10'1'' gator last summer in florida and it was one of the best time I spent hunting.Went with a trapper and saw lots of gators and wow- what a great time. It is now life mounted in the studio( its on my site).

Chootem, chootem, chootem!

Saeed, you have to understand these folks are "Cajuns" and to them, they can refer to each other as a "Coon Ass." True swamp people came from French stock, and living 100% off the land was a way of life. They have their own culture, food (jambalaya, file gumbo, boudian, crawfish Étouffée), music and law of the land. As far as the show goes, that's a lot of coached Hollywood. I'll be with them in a few weeks. Gonna choot me a gata.

interesting pet.....
[/IMG]

here is one I got a few years ago

[/IMG]

i havent seen this programme but i did see one where they took the gators back to the larder and skinned them with the aid of a high pressure air gun!!

now that was funny!!!

K

Its an interesting - entertaining - programme. If you watch a few episodes you will quickly notice the staged nature of most of the footage though. The shooter is frequently shown shooting the same animal from different angles with several different rifles. You can even frequently see one of them aiming with a M/L rifle! Strikes me as some country boys putting on a show for the city folks for extra money. I still can't get enough of it though!

Sort of like watching a car accident. You hate it but you can't turn away. Now I need to get a gator too.

Good friend of mine runs a gator outfitting service. He also removes nuisance gators for the WFD. It is quite dangerous, he had a 9 footer put him in the hospital a few years back. I've been invited several times, but I've been quite happy hunting animals that don't bite.

He has also had TV shows come in to film hunts, but says it's all for entertainment just like any other hunting show. They usually kill the gator, then start the TV BS by filming many takes to make an episode.

Since 1979 I have killed well over 1500 alligators only 40 miles away from were "chootem" hunts/fishes his gators.

Every year we have some interesting experience. Fragmenting bullets, alligators coming back to life in the boat, airboat breakdowns, and wasp stings just to mention a few things. Last year I shot one, put it in the boat, cut the tail and "tagged" it. Next thing I know it was out of the boat swimming off never to be seen again. Years ago my brother was bitten by a 7 footer that required a trip to the hospital.

The show is sensationalized without a doubt. If you have a big gator on the line it usually will come to the surface with little resistance if you ease the line up. Pull real hard and you will have a fight on your hands which makes for good TV.

The guys seem to be enjoying their 15 minutes and I am glad for them.




My friend Marc and a 11 1/2 foot gator from last year.


http://cowislandoutdoors.com/Cow_Island_Hunting.php

A link to some gator picures and the boats we use.

I just had a long flight, and watched a couple of episodes.

In one of them one man shot at an alligator, and the 22 bullet splattered and pieces of it hit his son.

One was just under the eye, and one in the arm.

There wasn't much damage, but of course, they had to go home and mom givers dad an ultimatum that he should never be allowed to shoot. And then made a real meal of removing the pieces.

Yep, one can clearly see the bozos at Hollywood genius at work here.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Yep, one can clearly see the bozos at Hollywood genius at work here.

As compared to all that great programing that comes out of the UAE and is broadcast all over the world? What shows would those be?

Hell, it's called entertainment. Seems like it did it's job. Kept you entertained enough on the flight to watch more than 1 episode. All good in the end.

Mike70560, more pics? I love it. Your friend has a magnum example

quote:

Originally posted by Flags:
As compared to all that great programing that comes out of the UAE and is broadcast all over the world? What shows would those be?

Maybe the UAE isn't very famous for stupid TV shows ("entertainment") but I just heard another blurb on TV about the first day back at school for the SURVIVING students of the Joplin MO. high school, who's lives were forever changed by last spring's tornado. The comentator bearly mentioned the new computers and supplies given to EVERY student were donated by the UAE.

It'd be hard to disagree that Hollywood is full of dolts producing stupid programs. We should count ourselves lucky though to have FRIENDS like those from the UAE!

The program SWAMP PEOPLE has been advertised here
as being on this weekend. I was going to watch it if I could, now I will definitely watch it.


GRUMULKIN
"As funny as a lot of it is, it's interesting how one crew throws a line with a hook on it, snags an alligator and hauls it in. That's something that should definitely be tried with a Nile Crocodile. Maybe Walter can be the first..."


They use a 3 Pronged spear here to catch them, haul them to the surface then shoot them. The big croc that ate a German Tourist here was hauled up off the bottom using this method (they try to put the spears in just behind the head in the thick part of the skin).

I agree though, not something you dilly dally about doing as they tend to be very pissed off by the time they are on the surface.

.

quote:

Originally posted by L. David Keith:
Mike70560, more pics? I love it. Your friend has a magnum example

That was a big gator from last year.

Maybe I should send this video of me playing around to the producers of "Swamp People". It was only a 6 1/2 ft gator but I have done the same thing with much larger ones.

Saw where "Choot 'em" Troy Landry is now doing a commercial for Barnett Crossbows.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike70560:
Since 1979 I have killed well over 1500 alligators only 40 miles away from were "chootem" hunts/fishes his gators.

Every year we have some interesting experience. Fragmenting bullets, alligators coming back to life in the boat, airboat breakdowns, and wasp stings just to mention a few things. Last year I shot one, put it in the boat, cut the tail and "tagged" it. Next thing I know it was out of the boat swimming off never to be seen again. Years ago my brother was bitten by a 7 footer that required a trip to the hospital.

The show is sensationalized without a doubt. If you have a big gator on the line it usually will come to the surface with little resistance if you ease the line up. Pull real hard and you will have a fight on your hands which makes for good TV.

The guys seem to be enjoying their 15 minutes and I am glad for them.




My friend Marc and a 11 1/2 foot gator from last year.


http://cowislandoutdoors.com/Cow_Island_Hunting.php

A link to some gator picures and the boats we use.

Mike, A few years ago I worked with a fellow that could be your twin! He used to go down south, to visit kin, and bring back crawfish and shrimp to feast on. His wife made a magnificent crawfish pie.