Florida Man Arrested For Poaching 5 Little Alligators, Chopping Tails To Cook Super Bowl Dinner
Richard Nixie was arrested in Florida for allegedly killing five small alligators, each less than five feet in length, to be cooked for dinner at a Super Bowl party.
The 30-year-old suspect resides in DeBary, Florida. He allegedly admitted to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers that he had cut the tails of the alligators off.
Florida alligator hunting season is held in the fall. During that period, a Florida hunting license is not required to participate in the statewide alligator hunt, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission requires an Alligator Trapping License and alligator hunt permit. The hunting permit is a limited entry permit which allows Florida residents and non-residents to take up to 2 alligators per permit.
Nixie was charged with violating a state law which governs the proper tagging of gators taken from the wild.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that it’s against the law in Florida to slay an alligator without the proper trapping license and harvesting tag. The report quotes Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman Greg Workman as having said that nobody should be in possession of a state gator unless they’re “a state nuisance-alligator trapper.”
The alleged off-season alligator killer has a prior arrest record for armed burglary, misdemeanor drug possession and felony weapon possession, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Nixie served roughly three years in prison for trafficking stolen property and armed burglary. He served his time in Seminole County Prison.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Mr. Nixie was caught by authorities, NBC News reported.
Alligators killed during the state sanctioned hunting season can be processed by licensed facilities and eaten.
Court records indicated that Mr. Nixie, the alleged alligator poacher, was locked up briefly in Volusia County jail prior to making bail. He was released on $500 bail.
He was arrested at his home just three hours before the Super Bowl’s kickoff.
The Super Bowl dinner was to take place at Richard’s home, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported on February 2, 2015. The report indicated that he was charged with possession and taking alligators without a proper tag, according to Volusia County Branch Jail records.
Nixie will have to appear before a judge on March 3, 2015.
Alligator meat is high in protein and low in fat composition. It contains a significant amount of potassium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, monounsaturated fatty acids and niacin. It’s used in traditional Creole Cuisine and dishes such as gumbo.
Have you ever tried deep fried alligator tails?
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]
