SC gator gives up surprising stomach contents

gator
This gator was harvested by Ned McNeely during a private land hunt in April 2021. (photo courtesy of Cordray's Processing)

Private land gator had a healthy appetite

When Ned McNeely brought a harvested gator from a private land hunt to Cordray’s Processing in Ravenel, S.C. on April 8, 2021, they decided to take a look at what the 12-foot, 445-pound gator had in its stomach. They found some very interesting items.

They told the story of the gator on their Facebook page:

“We don’t usually open up the stomach, but we did today. Five dog tags (from dog collars), one bullet jacket, one spark plug, loads of turtle shells, and several bobcat claws were inside,” they said.

gator
These items were found inside the gator’s stomach. (Photo courtesy of Cordray’s Processing)

They found two phone numbers on two of the dog tags. One number was out of service, but the other one worked. And it was the number of the hunter who had lost a dog more than two decades ago while hunting in the Lowcountry’s Pon Pon area.

“Two of the tags were legible and one phone number still worked. The owner said he had that lease 24 years ago,” said Cordray’s. The tag was from one of his dogs.

gator
One of the dog tags had a working phone number. Cordray’s called and confirmed the owner had lost a dog in the area more than two decades ago. (photo courtesy of Cordray’s)

South Carolina’s private land alligator season doesn’t get a lot of attention. It’s much different than the public season which takes place every fall. The private land season runs from Sept. 1 to May 31. Click here for more information on the state’s private land alligator season.

About Brian Cope 2746 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply