Swamp People

We watched Swamp People for the first time Sunday night.  Its like a car wreck, its terrible but you can't help but see what happens next.  They were hunting alligators... 

They don't exactly inspire my confidence in their skills.

 
Now I'm no stranger to danger.  My dad was a logger and suicide racer.  My husband rode bulls and now welds in a gas plant.  I rode race horses.  Anyway these Swamp People really walk on the wild side and in some cases, for no reason. 

Once the hunters latch onto an alligator, they drag it up next to the boat, inches from their face and then shoot it with a rifle. Immediately, they drag it into the boat, skipping, in my mind, one very important step.  MAKING SURE ITS DEAD!

Question #1:  Why a rifle?  Is there some hunting regulation forbidding the use of a pistol?

Question #2:  Why do they only shoot the alligator once?  Do they get less money if the gator has two holes in its head?

I kept yelling at the TV, hoping someone in Louisiana could hear me.  "Make sure its dead!"  And then, not to my surprise, after lugging one of the critters overboard, they found it flopping and chomping at their feet.  "Well duh!"  Ok, now they're in the situation I kept playing out in my head.  Do you shoot it again, also putting a hole in your transportation?  Transportation that will take you home and out of obviously alligator infested waters?  Or do you try to get it back in the water before you take another shot?  They shot it in the boat and then never addressed the hole situation.

Question #3:  Are people who are crazy enough to hunt gators with a rifle and flop sometimes still lively beasts into the boat, smart enough to line the bottom of the boat with some sort of bullet proof material?

Bruce

I want to watch again next week but I'm not sure I need the stress.  I was thinking that maybe the History Channel could get another sponsor for the show, like maybe Remington or Winchester.  They could provide additional bullets!  Just trying to save lives here, or fingers at least.