Shooting Sticks - Florida
Lonnie and his gator.
Hunter: Lonnie Turnbeaugh
Cameraman: Joe Rush
Meegan, my wife called and asked if I wanted to go to Florida and hunt hogs and gators at Osceola Outfitters in Orlando over the 4th of July holiday. That was like asking a kid if he wanted an ice cream cone. Of course I wanted to go! So off we went to meet Hoppy, Sage, and our other ACM friends.
After a couple of days of filming and hunting hogs, Ralph turned to me and said, “You ready buddy, ready to shoot a gator?” Wow I didn’t know what to say but YES! So we all loaded up to head out and try to find me a gator. We were driving on the gravel road away from the Lodge to the highway when we looked into the lake and there was a gator. We drove past the lake so we did not alarm the gator and put a game plan together. With Ralph in the lead and Joe in my back pocket filming, we slowly made our way to a small clump of grass.
Ralph asked me where the shooting sticks were and with all the excitement I forgot them. So Joe quickly took the camera off of the tripod for me to use!.....(thanks Joe). I laid the T.C. .223 across the tripod, found the gator in the TruGlo red dot, and settled in for a shot. It was no good, the angle was wrong and the gator knew something was up as he sank down under the water. We decided to move around the lake and come in behind the gator.
We slowly made our way around, a few hundred yards, and peeked over the bank and decided this was going to be a better angle. We eased in behind a clump of dirt and set up. Everyone said they were ready as I placed the red dot on the gators eye and squeezed the trigger. At the bark of the Little T.C. there was a splash and for a split second, nothing! Then all at once the gator started thrashing around. We ran down the bank and saw the gator rolling. Ralph quickly got a hook in him, but the gator was strong and he pulled off the line and started to swim along the bank. I ran alongside him and when he came up on the edge of the bank I reloaded and made one more quick shot and it was all over.
What a rush, just an unbelievable experience. I can honestly say that this trip was one of the most enjoyable hunting trips I have ever been on. And I can’t believe that anyone who takes the time to go to Florida and hooks up with Hoppy wouldn’t have the same experience, it was crazy fun!
Hoppy, Thanks for having us! Ralph and Vicki, thank you for such a memorable trip, and Joe, thanks for filming and the shooting sticks buddy!