Title is misleading. Should state the fish was shot and killed. Oklahoma Game Warden sure is proud of this kill.

https://www.fox13memphis.com/amp/top-stories/mpd-man-shot-in-parkway-village/h%20http://www.fox13memphis.com/amp/news/trending-now/whopper-oklahoma-angler-reels-in-170pound-alligator-gar/942461656

Beauty of a fish, such a shame it was shot and killed.

Should be some good eating!! Congratulations to him nice gar !

Nope, no intention of eating it. As per the newest update "After the catch, the gar was given to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for research".

Well good then it wasn�t wasted was it ?? Either way good catch on a nice gar!

All sportsman should stand together and support each other for any legal pursuit of game. Or we will chip away and lose our rights separately.

I bet that was an exciting catch. Congrats the angler/sportsman.

I've got to disagree. Taken from a past post by a fellow TFF'er: "Fishermen and hunters aren't fighting among themselves when they call out against unethical and/or illegal means, methods, or take. They are protecting both their natural resources and their future rights."

Congratulations on a once in a life time fish!!!

I have always released trophy fish for the simple fact that they have a good gene pool for future generations of fish. When I catch a trophy fish I get my pictures/video,and even weigh it sometimes. I then release it to reproduce more big fish. If I do eat fish I will take the smaller ones (legal size). That is just me. What hurts a fish population is not the legal catching of fish and keeping legally caught fish. It is the illegal catching of fish that is hurting the fish population. I have no problem what an angler does with his catch as long as it is a legal catch. As for me I release the bigger fish. Just my two cents.

Meh. There are others. It was donated to research.

That mentality is changing about what is legal pursuit of alligator gar and I agree with it, have you seen the new rules for the trinity river next year.

wow that fish brings back memories. while shrimping in a gas pipeline canal in south louisiana one night, the boat started going sideways, we knew there should be nothing back there to snag the nets, so we winched up the nightrig frame and there was one abt the same size in the net. we beat it to death with a hammer. the next morning we drove it over to a poor small community up the road, asked if they wanted it.
they took it gladly and I had heard the whole small community made a 3 day feast of it.

I agree!
But nothing illegal here right?

And changes next year do not make this illegal.

They are changing speckled trout limits from 10 to 5 in September....are we supposed to follow those limits now?

"Fishermen and hunters aren't fighting among themselves when they call out against unethical and/or illegal means, methods, or take. They are protecting both their natural resources and their future rights."

Bowfishing ranks right up there with snagging, perhaps worse even as you can still somewhat reliably release a snagged fish. Snagging is illegal here in Texas, I thoroughly believe bowfishing should be as well.

So because you dont like it it is unethical?

I dont like bird hunting with a 12 gauge but who am i to tell someone what to shoot their birds with.

I also like to fish with artificials.....does that make bait fisherman unethical?

I would start asking your favorite way to pursue game.....but im not that pretentious and self righteous.