With all the knowledge that abounds, would someone opine as to approximate wholesale and/or retail value, if any, of a freshly taken 10' gator?

check with reflections taxidermy in Monett missouri. shannon does a lost of gators

are you talking about selling the hide and meat???

When I hunted La in 92 such a gator would be worth near $1000. Last year I was told maybe $300 in Al. Seems the price has dropped a bunch.

I doubt that the cost of taxidermy for such a gator had dropped

troy

Last year alligators sold for next to nothing. A 10' gator hide skinned was worth less than $100.00.

This year I am hearing the price will be around $16-$18 per foot for 7 footers on up. Less per foot for smaller.

The most I ever was paid was over $50.00 per foot and that was quite a few years ago (around 1990 if I remember correctly).

BTW if a freshly killed gator does not have a freshly installed CITES tag it can cost several thousand dollars.

Mike, we were hunting with Don Delestiner(sp) from Venice. He had a gator processing place and bought hides. You hear anything of him since Katrina???

I think 10 footers were bringing $60 a foot plus more for meat in 92 when we were there.

troy

I do not know Don. Lots of people moved back in Venice, Delecrouix, Hopedale and other fishing towns. They are a hardy bunch.

I appreciate the info gentlemen. Just trying to see what the market was as we will be trying to take three in S. Texas in September. May just have them mounted as I am certain the "boss" will be appreciative of having them just chillin in the casa.

Last year, myself and a couple buddies hunted gators in Florida.

We asked the processor what the value of the hides were and he said basically nothing unless it is a 10 footer, and then it still isn't worth much, about $10/foot.

He went on to say any thing in the 8 foot and under had been saturated by gator farms and wasn't worth anything.

Hope this helps!

If gators are a game animal in Texas, and I think they are, I don't think you can legally sell any part of them. I could be wrong - just too lazy to research right now.

I'm hunting them in Fla next week and had heard the hides were not worth much but checked with a processor and they are charging $30 per ft and $3 per pound of meat to process but will trade even for the hide so a 10' would cost you $360 or so to have skinned and processed but nothing to keep the meat in trade for the hide so....I'd guess you'd have trouble selling a hide independently for enough to break even if you pay for skinning and processing or value your time above manual labor rates.

One caveat is that several processors won't offer the trade deal on anything under 7' or charge $100 flat rate so.... size matters!

Best regards
Mike Ohlmann
Mike's Custom Taxidermy Inc.
4102 Cane Run Rd.
Louisville KY 40216
502-448-1309
Mike@mikescustomtaxidermy.com

There is a local alligator farmer near me in S. Al that from all indications is not doing well. The meat was on the US/Asia market and skins to Japan. AL now has hunts for Al w/ 13'/14' specimens being taken every yr!