the buzz log

Lesson for the gator world, and some general advice for folks all around: Avoid women with crossbows. Two gators recently found out the hard way.

The Gator vs. the High School Girl
The first fell victim to 16-year-old Cammie Colin, who may be the youngest gal ever to bring down a South Carolina alligator. After snagging one of 1,000 lottery permits, she went out in the dead of night on Sept. 13, surrounded by male kinfolk and a family friend. The 10th grader opted for a crossbow over a harpoon (the other preferred weapon of choice in gator-bagging). One 10' 5"-footer and four arrows later, the Colin family now have 40 pounds of alligator steak in the family freezer.

The Gator vs. the Mom
Another first-timer, new Florida mom Arianne Prevost, brought down an 11-footer. She had to miss last gator-hunting season because of her pregnancy. Apparently, her new maternal instincts made her plenty proficient with a Viper Rattler crossbow with NcStar laser sight.

The New Mom vs. the Cheerleader
Although Provost's critter reportedly beat out Colin's by almost a foot, Colin's getting the attention (like this Fox interview, during which she opines that alligators taste like fish-flavored chicken). She plays softball and likes algebra, but it's her extracurricular activity as a junior varsity cheerleader that's getting the buzz. As they say in cheer parlance, Colin brought it on.

Gators vs. Florida and South Carolina
Both states allow "harvest quotas" as a means to control their alligator population, and open the process to residents and non-residents alike. Florida has been running what it calls its international  "model program for the sustainable use of a natural resource" since 1988.

South Carolina started its hunt in 2008—the first in 44 years (and not without controversy). With such a new program, the state has posted a hefty how-to "alligator hunting guide"(which includes a biological history of its native gator denizens) online. Not in the guide: the use of pom-poms. That's optional. 

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.