It was a busy morning on Aug. 25, 2018 as Freeport hunters Tilton Morrison, his son Dalton Morrison, and Cade Nick harvested a 13.675 ft. long alligator in Basin Bayou. The male alligator had a 42” tail girth and weighed approximately 800 lbs. The Florida state record for length is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County.
The alligator was taken from the bayou close to Nick’s Seafood Restaurant. The gator was brought to Nick’s, measured, then transported to a refrigerated storage facility before they process the meat.
“We vacuum seal the meat, freeze it and eat it throughout the year. We will grill it, fry it, barbecue it, it’s pretty much good for everything,” said Dalton.
Dalton Morrison runs Northwest Florida Guide Service. They provide fishing and hunting excursions on their 22 ft. Path Finder and 20 ft. Carolina Skiff. They can be reached at 850-543-2296.
About alligator harvest:
The alligator take is through a program from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Since 1988, Florida’s statewide alligator harvest has been nationally and internationally recognized as a model program for the sustainable use of a natural resource. Each year, alligator management units are established with appropriate harvest quotas to provide recreational opportunities for Floridians and non-residents who are at least 18 years old to take up to 2 alligators per permit. Applicants who are awarded a permit must pay for two CITES tags and an Alligator Trapping License, or provide proof of possession of an Alligator Trapping License valid through the end of the alligator harvest season. A Florida hunting license is not required to participate in the statewide alligator hunt. Learn more about the program here.