Family owned and operated Since 1985, Ron’s Guide Service is the top choice among hunters new and old when it comes to planning an exciting alligator hunt in Florida.
Get hands-on attention from your guide on your private alligator hunt. Our hunts are perfect for first-time hunters who need one-on-one help from an experienced guide without judgement.
No! Your hunt is completely private. It will just be you, your guide, and anyone else you bring with you.
Yes! Even if you are by yourself, it will still be a private hunt.
No! We specialize in large parties so bring your whole crew!
Yes! Alligator hunting is even better when friends and family participate in the excitement of your experience as “non-hunters.” for only $30 per person, non-hunters get to ride on the swamp buggy, take photos, and be part of your adventure—they just don’t kill anything!
Alligator hunting can be very dangerous! Your guide has years of experience and knows how to keep you safe and ensure your success on this daring hunting adventure.
Of course—just ask him! However, your guide’s primary responsibility is to keep you safe on your alligator hunt. If you want pictures or videos of you in action, you might want to ask someone else in your party to capture those intense moments so your guide can focus on your safety.
Choose from a variety of weapons such as firearms, knives, and spears.
Yes! You’re welcome to bring your weapon. If it doesn’t work out, we have plenty here to use.
Check out our loaner weapons page.
A rifle or bang stick are by far the preferred weapons for alligator hunting. .243 and 30-30 rifles are popular choices. For bangsticks we recommend a 357 magnum for smaller alligators and a 44 magnum for the larger ones.
Loaner weapons are FREE to use. They are included with your hunt. Really!
No. You may purchase ammunition when you arrive.
No. Weapons are kept on-site. Choose when you arrive.
For logical and safety reasons, not everyone will be shooting at the same time. You can share weapons with your party members.
Yes! You will be able to sight in weapons at the hunting grounds.
If using a firearm, the average shot distance is typically 15 to 25 yards.
Yes. Visit out our transporting weapons page for details.
Kick up mud in a pickup truck or glide along narrow canals on a boat. The type of vehicle or vessel we will use during your hunt is at the discretion of your guide, however, if there is a particular vehicle or vessel you would like to use we will try to accommodate your request.
Receive basic skinning of your alligator from our friends at Florida Trophy Gators Inc.
Alligators are cold blooded and require several hours of cooling time before skinning.
Your head, hide, and meat are typically ready for pickup the following day after your hunt.
No. Your guide will transport your alligator to Florida Trophy Gators Inc. after your hunt.
Our price includes the harvest of one alligator in the size-range you reserve.
Yes—and naked too! Our alligators vary from native residents to derelict dog killers and baby eaters brought to us for being a nuisance.
Yes! Each hunter is guaranteed one alligator in the size-range they reserved.
Many times a hunter will shoot at an alligator and believe they missed, however, most likely they wounded the alligator, and days later it will float up dead. Snagging not only ensures your success by preventing the alligator from swimming off, but it also is a humane way to hunt.
Florida is home to over one million alligators, with the highest concentration in Central Florida—which is where you’ll be hunting!
Growth rates may vary from 2″ up to 12″ per year, depending on the type of habitat in which the alligator is living and the sex, size, and age of the alligator. Growth rates slow down as alligators become older. Male alligators will grow faster and larger than females. Males can grow to approximately 13’+ in length and attain 500+ pounds. Females can grow to approximately 9′ in length and 200+ pounds.
The Florida state record for length is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The Florida record for weight is a 1,043 pound (13 feet 10-1/2 inches long) male from Orange Lake in Alachua County.
Hunt alligators seven days a week, year-round!
Navigate sunny trails beneath a canopy of swaying trees and discover a mecca of alligators in various sizes on this popular daytime experience.
Marvel at the shiny scales and sharp teeth, and witness the powerful force of your alligator thrashing in the water. You’ll see it all in broad daylight!
Show up ready to hunt! We pre-scout our alligator hunting property prior to your arrival so you can show up, get hunting, and go on with the rest of your day.
Journey into the moonlit wilds of Central Florida, where alligators both big and small await your arrival amid the mystifying shadows of the dense brush.
Immerse your senses and explore the sights and sounds—and scares—of the backwoods of Venus, Florida. Listen for the cold slither of a ruthless alligator cutting through the water and use a spotlight to look for the evil glow of its eyes.
Step up your game! Our nighttime alligator hunt is best for intermediate hunters looking to test their hunting skills. Alligators are especially vivacious at night—if you can’t measure up, you’ll be saying “later gator.”
All of our hunting times have been proven successful. Morning hunts are recommended in the summer as it tends to get warmer later in the day. Afternoon hunts are recommended during the winter months when its colder in the morning.
Daytime hunts are a lot more exciting! There is nothing like seeing a wild alligator thrashing in the Florida sun! Nighttime alligator hunting is for experienced hunters only. Hunting alligators at night can be fun, but you can’t see much in the dark.
You will have as many hours needed to complete your hunt. Your hunt is over once each hunter in your party has killed an alligator. How long your hunt will last depends on many different factors such as alligator size, weapons, hunting style, and how many hunters are in your party. On average you can complete your hunt within two to four hours. Some hunters combine wild boar hunting, fishing, or another of our exciting experiences with their alligator hunt.
Harness the power of rifles, handguns, and bangsticks to take on a ferocious alligator.
Rifles are the most recommended firearm when it comes to hunting alligator. An alligator’s skin is like bullet-proof armor. A fatal bullet must enter behind the brain. You must roughly aim in the same direction that the gator’s nose is pointing and shoot at an angle from behind and above the alligator with a rifle.
Scoped rifles help with shooting accuracy. A more accurate shot means a faster and cleaner kill.
Average Shot Distance
50-75 yards
Popular Calibers
.243, .270, .30-30, .30-06
A bangstick is a long pole with a pin that activates a bullet on one end. To use a bangstick, grip the aluminum pole nice and tight, then load the bangstick with ammo. Once the gator is close enough, with its head at least 8 inches underwater, press the end of the bangstick directly onthe “quarter-sized kill spot” on the back of the alligator’s head. Once pressed, it will activate the bullet and kill the alligator. Hunting with a bangstick is the most humane and accurate way to kill an alligator.
Popular Calibers
.44
Hunting with a handgun requires incredible accuracy. A hunter needs to shoot behind the skull to severe the spine from the base of the skull. It may paralyzes the gator if the shot is too far back in the quarter-sized kill zone. Just about any caliber handgun can take down an alligator, it’s shot placement is really what matters.
Average Shot Distance
10-15 yards
Popular Calibers
.9mm, .22, .357
Grandpa wasn’t kidding when he wanted to use a muzzleloading gun for alligator hunting! Just like with any weapon, using a muzzleloader requires pinpoint accuracy for a successful hunt. Once the smoke clears you’ll either have a dead alligator, or very angry one!
Average Shot Distance
10-15 yards
Popular Calibers
.50
Bring your bow and drawback your inhibitions on a challenging alligator bow hunt. Most alligator hunters have a difficult time hitting a fixed quarter-sized target on a piece of cardboard, let alone one on the back of an alligator that thrashes violently left and right. Bow hunting requires more self control and accuracy than any other weapon.
Pack at least two fiberglass arrows and a bow fishing rig kit. You’ll need arrows with gator points and a reel or spool loaded with at least 400 pound test line. Muzzy’s gator kit includes all of these items and features a rotomolded float/spool that easily detaches from the bow allowing the hunter to quickly “reload” for a second shot, something Grandma Dean strongly recommends. She also suggests buying a bowfishing rest to decrease the likelihood of your line catching on conventional rests.
Hunting with a longbow is very effective. you only need enough penetration to get the point thru the alligator’s hide. We recommend bows with a 60 lb. draw weight.
Average Shot Distance
10-15 yards
A “gator bow” only needs enough power to get the point under the hide of the animal, so most any compound bow in the 30 to 70 pound range can work great.
Average Shot Distance
5-10 yards
Using a crossbow is similar to most other bow hunting methods. Once the alligator is snared, you’ll shoot the alligator with a fishing arrow. Now the alligator is on both the rod and the float line from the crossbow. At this point many hunters will use a bangstick or other weapon incase the arrow did not finish the alligator off.
Average Shot Distance
5-10 yards
Using a knife is the most brutal way to kill an alligator. Once your alligator is snagged and close enough to the vehicle or vessel, drive a stout knife between the skull and backbone to sever the spinal cord. For a more savage kill, your guide will hold the alligator’s mouth closed allowing you to slit its throat.
Not for Beginners
Hunting alligator with a knife is best for hunters who are strong, fast, and in good health with a thirst for blood. We do not recommend this experience for squeamish hunters and guests.
Connect with your tribal roots on a fully guided spear hunt. Aim for the small area known as the “quarter-sized kill spot” on the back of the alligator’s head. You must drive the spear between the skull and backbone, severing the spinal cord.
Not for Beginners
Experienced hunters with a keen eye are welcome to use a spear on a fully guided alligator hunt.
In Venus, Florida, the only sounds are the wind rustling through the pines and the singing of birds. Our Venus hunting property is roughly 4,000 acres. RGS Venus features resort style lodging, fishing ponds, and home-cooked meals.
1012 New Boot Heel Rd,
Venus, FL 33960
Get Directions
Venus is only a short drive from popular Florida destinations such as Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, and the Walt Disney World Resort.
Hunt alligators on over 70-acres of private reservoir consisting of ponds, canals, and marsh which are prime alligator habitat. Guides pre-scout and monitor the property for alligator activity daily to stay knowledgeable on the best spots.
Cousin Lisa here! I want to take a moment to talk to you about...size.
Expect the smallest size alligator in your size-range, and you will not be disappointed if you get something bigger! For example, choose the 6 to 9 foot size range if you will be happy with a 6-foot alligator.
It’s hard to judge how big it is when you only see the head…
We can’t guarantee an exact size alligator as so little of the animal is showing above water. Your guide will look at the distance from the eyes to the tip of the snout to estimate length. Typically, the longer that distance is, the bigger the alligator will be.
Sorry size queens…
If you have your heart set on an exact size alligator, unfortunately, we are not the right guide service for you. Look for outfitters that price alligators by an exact size instead of a size-range.
A $52.00 alligator farming agent license is all it takes to hunt with us—no matter where in the world you’re from! The license is issued instantly! Visit our licenses page for more details.
No, not when you hunt with us! Tags are only for public land hunts. If you participate in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s lottery system for public land hunts, the cost of the tag with licenses can add up to over $1,000.00—not including boat rentals or guides!
No, not at this time. Public land hunts have a lot of restrictions when it comes to where and how you can hunt. Since the properties have not been pre-scouted there is no way for your guide to know where you’ll have the best success—that’s a lot of pressure on him!
Set yourself up for success with our skilled guides, and private property teeming with alligators we have a 99% success rate and guarantee you will see and have the opportunity to hunt alligators.
Feel safe! We work only with properties and guides that are friendly, reputable, and meet our quality standards. We pre-vet them all to make sure you always have an exceptional experience.
Our transparent pricing lets you know what’s included in your experience—and what isn’t. When it comes to the outdoors there are enough surprises creeping up on you—hidden fees shouldn’t be one of them!
We’re looking forward to your visit at Ron’s Guide Service. Please read through this important and helpful information about your experience, including arrival times, what to bring, and more.
© Ron's Guide Service, All Rights Reserved
