A Florida hunter recently took down a 13-foot alligator after it had been caught poaching local livestock in the area.
Only in Florida, are we right? It’s not every day you hear a story of a hunter shooting a massive alligator. But that’s exactly what happened down in The Sunshine State. After some calves were reported missing in Okeechobee County (located in South Florida), officials decided to bring in a professional to deal with the problem. The rancher who owns the property discovered a huge alligator on his property could only assume that it was the assailant responsible for feasting on his calves.
It was Doug Borries who had the responsibility of taking the shot and bringing down this particular alligator. Borries is a professional hunting guide from Mississippi. So, it goes without saying that he has plenty of experience when it comes to the massive reptiles. He reiterated the reason as to why this particular crocodile needed to be killed.
“It had been suspected of eating some of the local livestock around the lake and was considered a threat,” Borries told the outlet.
He told McClatchy News that the beast was 13-feet long and weighed in at more than 1,000 pounds. Oh, and this alligator was estimated to be around 80-years-old.
“I had no idea the magnitude of how big his body was until we pulled him completely out of the lake,” he said.
Typically, alligators only live an average of 35-50 years out in the wild. So, for this man to find an 80-year-old on his property is pretty crazy. But the owner of the property was clearly concerned about the safety of not only his livestock but his family as well. That’s why he agreed to let Borries hunt the animal on his land.
Florida Hunter Hit the Shot from More Than 300 Yards Away
Do you want to talk about an impressive shot? If so, Doug Borries has a story for you. According to the hunter himself, he first spotted his target alligator from about 500 yards away. There’s no doubt that he was itching to take the shot. But he needed to wait for it to get a little closer.
So, that’s what he did. The giant reptile was about 320 yards away when Borries took the shot. It was just after dawn. He aimed through the scope of his 7mm STW rifle and fired a shot at the top of its head.
“I was staked out on top of the lake levee before daylight and shot him on an island in the middle of the lake, shortly after daylight,” he said. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I was lucky enough to put a perfect shot on him at such a long-range. It pays to have a good gun.”
