Update: SC man posts photo of skinned alligator online, which leads to his arrest
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has charged two people with illegally hunting alligators in Horry County.
Gregory Finkel, 23, was arrested April 3 and Blayne Smith, 23, was arrested April 7, both for hunting, taking, possessing, or disposing of alligator parts.
The SCDNR received a Snapchat photo of an alligator being skinned in the back of a pickup truck near Aynor on April 3, according to a police report. The organization tracked the picture back to Finkel and found another of him holding “the dead alligator by the tail.”
Finkel declined to speak with police, so they obtained a warrant and interviewed him. During questioning, Finkel said he took pictures with the alligator and named where the pictures were taken and who else was involved, the report said. The SCDNR then arrested him.
During the investigation, officers found out Smith owned the truck involved with skinning of the alligator.
At least one other person is involved, according to the police report, although they have not been named.
The SCDNR heavily regulates alligator hunting, only allowing the practice from the second Saturday of September to the second Sunday in October, protocols show. Hunters must apply for and obtain an alligator hunting permit.
Last year a woman was arrested after she allegedly shot at an alligator in her neighborhood pond, The Sun News reported. While she did not hit the gator, she shot at the reptile twice to scare it away.
Alligators more active in the springtime
As spring moves in and temperatures rise, alligators will become more active again, The Sun News previously reported.
The breeding season begins in April and adult alligators are more likely to be seen basking in the sunlight or eating. Young alligators may also be seen moving in and out of the water.
As gators have emerged, they’ve been seen covered in pollen and rust, catching the eye of many, The Sun News reported.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 1:31 PM.
