umm a little overkill I'd say
 

Associated Press


THERESA, Wis. - Police shot and killed an alligator sunning itself along the Rock River.

Police got a call Thursday afternoon of a 2-foot alligator on some rocks along the river in Theresa, about 20 miles east of Beaver Dam.

Chief Michael Simmons consulted with state Department of Natural Resources warden John Christian, who said alligators aren't a protected species and the DNR wouldn't try to capture it.

Simmons decided to kill the creature before it went back in the river, posing a potential threat to children or pets. He warned neighbors, then shot the alligator with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Christian said he suspects someone had the alligator as a pet but let it go in the wild because it was too difficult to handle.

The alligator would have died anyway once temperatures dropped below freezing, since it was cold-blooded, Christian said. The river water was about 50 degrees, explaining why the alligator was sunning itself, Christian said.

This one is almost 4 feet.....we see who can grab the biggest with bare hands...


http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL11/8...2/82605583.jpg

and another:our friend Jenny:
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL11/8...2/82605561.jpg

My little Reggie Fish:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL11/8...0/36807558.jpg

and of course Justin,
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL11/8...0/36473050.jpg

my point being you dont take a 12 guage to these guys...stupid

Why not
 

If the point is to kill the critter and your choice of firearm is 12 gauge or 9mm, what's wrong with the shotgun. I'll bet it got the job done.
In the absence of a Valigator to grab the critter (if it decided to stick around) it would appear to be a reaonable course of action to blast it.
JMHO

How about a knife to the base of the brain....no fuss no muss and less blood all the way around...

Thee Bad One, 30 years in Enforcement, first thing on the belt my sidearm 2nd thing a good lock blade knife. 17 years later first thing on my belt a good lock blade knife. for alligators in Wisconsin the 12 gauge is the firearm of choice. Never came accross one of them in my career, did shoot a buffalo on I 94 years ago.

Why, was he speeding and runnin' from the law?


;)

well i just dont see why not kill the dang gator and eat the tail. i dont know if you have ever had gator stew but durn its good i kill all the gators i can get my hands on. it is the best. shootdang yort try it

I doubt if a Wisconsin cop would know the best way to brain-stick a gator. Not much chance to practice.

Good call on his part, if you ask me.

Val, I once had a three-footer enjoying the shade of my pickup in the parking lot at the Kennedy Space Center. I grabbed him, carried him to the nearest canal (only a hundred feet) and tossed him. You're right, no big deal.

Well as I was imagining this thing going down in Wis. you gotta fiqure there were a few people around for this to make the news....now keep in mind this little guy was only 2 feet long...its a lizard for God's sake...now lets suppose a cop, fish and game, who ever ...all they had to do was slowly walk up behind it, reach down and grab the neck.....put him in a sack or something and call animal control or who ever is responsible and they discreetly dispose of the animal....blasting it from 35 feet...sounded a little more violent to me...but maybe your right....down here they are more common and that tactic is never one they would take here...

Ya'll Southerner's are gator hardened! I can't imagine that gator snatchin' prowess extending to far to the north let alone Wisconsin. Heck, I wouldn't come within 10 feet of a 8" Alligator LIZARD here in California with nuthin' short of a 10 foot pole with a nail in it and you're talking about grabbing a 2 footer by the neck! :eek: Man, that's gettin' pretty close to the business end of things. How fast are those things? I would have figured pretty dammed fast the smaller they are but again, what do I know about gators? I'm not gator hardened so I would have taken it out with one shot from 300 yards with my Weatherby Accumark SVM and then sent it to Val so she could fashion me up a nice belt or something. ;) :D

back in my younger days, I was known to sneak up behind a sunning gator, slip a wire noose around his neck, pull it tight, and hold on until he died.
I used a stout stick some 4 feet long, with a wire loop at the end, and a stainless steel spike about 5 inches long. Slip the noose over it's head, push down hard just behind the skull with the spike, and pull hard on the T handle to tighten the noose. Watch out for the tail!

Add 36' feet to the stick and I might consider trying that!

Did I fail to mention that I was after a two to three foot gator? :)
If I recall, it would take a bit to render the critter lifeless. Pulling on the garotte, and dodging the flailing tail, and the twisting gator was often exciting. It could take up to 15 min before he was finished. If the spike was well placed, that is, pushing into the spinal column, it was quicker. If longer than that, then the coup de grace would be delivered with a .22 Ruger. The whole purpose of doing this was to be silent, and not draw the attention of one of the park rangers.
mmmmmmm Gator Tail on the grill, or chunked, breaded and deep fried. :)