The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District hosted the 7th Annual Lone Star Warriors Outdoors Gator Hunt at its Wallisville Lake Project location from September 28 through October 1.
More than a dozen combat injured veterans took part in the event USACE co-hosts in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Anahuac Emergency Medical Services, and Lone Star Warriors Outdoors (LSWO)—a Texas-based nonprofit 501c3 organization.
USACE Galveston hosts the hunt to successfully manage alligator populations and maintain its longstanding relationship with local veteran communities.
“This event supports our mission of environmental stewardship while supporting our chief’s priorities of taking care of veterans,” said David Mackintosh, acting chief of USACE Galveston’s Houston Project Office.
Hunting alligators involves setting up lines with baited hooks from the trees hanging over the wetlands, Mackintosh explained. The hook is commonly baited with fish or chicken. After the bait is taken, hunters return to draw in the alligator via the hooked line. To dispatch the alligator, hunters use firearms and aim for the center of the spine directly behind the animal’s skull plate. The skull of an alligator is very dense, and fragments may ricochet, Mackintosh said.
Mackintosh and other USACE Galveston staff escorted the group of veteran hunters throughout the grounds and rainy weather at Wallisville—home of the largest remaining intact cypress swamp along the Texas coast.
“Despite the challenging weather conditions, our veterans experienced a hunt they will not forget anytime soon,” said Mark Tyson, the hunting program coordinator at the Wallisville Lake Project.
Eric Udick, a veteran and participating hunter, scored the biggest catch during the hunt: a male measuring 12 feet 5 inches.
“Our annual gator hunt is another opportunity for us to maintain our close relationship with the veteran community here in Texas,” said Col. Timothy R. Vail, USACE Galveston’s district commander.
“Our district—much like the state of Texas—is heavily comprised of dedicated veterans who continue to bring their exemplary service to the nation into their civilian careers,” Vail said. “This is just another way for us to show our support to this vital community.”
All participating veterans were selected by LSWO through an application process. LSWO is an all-volunteer organization consisting of an all-veteran board of directors offering hunts and fishing trips throughout the year for combat injured veterans.