Justin Perchalski thought he bagged a prize when he snared an 11-foot alligator, but the hunter soon became prey.
He, his brother, and two friends were out on the water on a night hunt, when they captured a large gator.
“Justin reached over the side of the boat to pull on the line, to bring the gator up, when the gator came out of the water, grabbing his right hand,” his brother Ryan told a local FOX affiliate. “The alligator made it about a turn-and-a-half with his hand in his mouth before he let go, which is kind of crazy, because typically they don’t let go.”
They were able to rush Perchalski to a hospital, where doctors found his arm had been reduced “to mush.” The radial bone was so badly shattered it had to be removed entirely during major reconstructive surgery.
Perchalski may never hunt again, his brother says. Florida’s gator hunting season, in which permitted hunters can bag two gators, runs from August 15 to November 1.
This should serve as a reminder that while hunting is fun and serves a conservation purpose, Man doesn’t hold all the cards.
