Hunting Season Isn’t Closed for Summer

know life isn’t all rainbows, sunshine, and lollipops, but there is no reason your bowhunting opportunities can’t be. I’m always looking for fun, reasonably priced adventures to have with my bow when most of the big-game seasons are over.

Bowfishing is often my go-to for helping fill the void between spring turkey and fall deer season. However, while bowfishing is a blast, it can get repetitious. So, what are some more fun options for traditional bowhunters during the slower times of year that will also provide some great meat for the table, if successful?

Alligator hunting is one of my favorites, because it’s so different. I’ve heard some folks refer to it as “bowfishing on steroids,” but I personally feel it’s more like bowhunting than bowfishing for the simple fact you’re pursuing a huge animal capable of doing you harm if you don’t do your job right — kind of like bowhunting grizzlies or brown bears, if that makes sense?

Gators are also delicious to eat, and I’ve always enjoyed introducing ‘gator meat to my dinner guests, as well as serving it to people at wild-game dinner banquets. Another plus is that you can usually use the bowfishing gear you already have. I use a Muzzy bowfishing reel, because I can set the drag tight enough that I can wear down even a large gator, so long as I don’t let them pull the bow out of my hands. I recommend using the 150-pound line the Muzzy reel comes with, but you can re-spool with heavier line if need be. I also use Muzzy’s gar or gator arrows.

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