Uninvited guest this Labor Day.

This 8 to 9 footer decided to hand around my dock this weekend. I think he was looking for one of my dogs to join him for Sunday Brunch . Next time I think I'll invite him for dinner.

I need one of those on my lake! We have had tons of boats that don't live here out lately. I think this guy would do just the trick to get people off the lake

Time to get the SLUGS out!

ollie that flat-dog

The gator definately keeps the yankees off the water. The bad thing is he's not the only one theres about 25-30 gators on our lake. Lake Eloise (Cypress Gardens lake)has about 150 gators on it, and its connected to ours.
They dont bother you though. Its when they start hanging around you worry. A gator will eat your dog quicker than Oprah hitting a glazed donut.

let me get this straight, you guys wakeboard in gator infested water? you southern boys are crazy....

I used to live in the south and never had a problem with gators. I say try to ollie it. Just don't fall!

Most of the places we ride are full of them. They wont mess with you for the most part. Just stay away from their nests..

Ha! "For the most part"?.... how about the rest? No thanks. I will stay right here with out 2 meesly lakes (soon to be one), and our earthquakes!

Guess I would learn how to ollie a bit better if I lived back there!

Go Gators!

I had about a 10 footer hang out for a while about 30 yds from our dock.. we have a 6 or 7 footer that we see daily. but we ride rite here and arent gunna stop b/c of a gator.. they wont bother you, just dont jump in rite on top of them.

Weve counted over 20 that are ten foot or over in one of the lakes a ride at. Makes you start thinkin when you are sitting there after a fall!

We are planning on making a trip down to Florida so that we can get a little off season wakeboarding in. I hope we don't have to deal w/ gators b/c I'm not that confident on the board yet

I didnt think you got up that early Billy. The only time I see them on my lake is early in the morning.

Billy, you should have called me. I'd help you catch and relocate him to the grill...

(Message edited by Byrd on September 05, 2007)

I would have called, but there is no room in the freezer.
Too many of his close relatives are chillin out in there.

I'll take that over delta e-coli every day.

So you worry when they start hangin around...or you start worrying for your dogs safety when they start hanging around. i am trying to convince my wife to wakebaord with me this winter down in florida at one of the schools. But she is afraid of the gators. So help me define to convince her she will be ok.

I have been swimming skiing off that dock for 39 years and my 6 yr old and 10 year old swim there as well. Gators wont come after you, only if you swim at night would there be a chance of getting bit. I even fell on one when I was a kid, and the gator couldnt get outa there fast enough. It did scare the shat out of me though.


p.s. I have tried to get my wife in a dog costume and swim at night but she refuses.

She should be fine as long as she doesnt fall...J/K If gators were a problem for wakeboarders, then you would hear stories about it on here and in the news. AS long as you are not in the water after dark, they leave you alone. Plus in the winter, since they are reptiles, they spend almost all of the time on shore or by shore to keep warm.

... not that a nice yankee in their tummy wouldnt keep them warm.

only problem is i also like to stay on shore in winter to stay warm

I'll stick to NorCal where our only worries out on the water are yahoos....gators scare me

where im from this is what we worry about when surfing, tip of the red triangle baby, and its still always crowded in the line-up.

We don't see gators everytime we're out - only about 95% of the time.

I believe it was doctor octagon that said shaving cream repells them. I don't know if there is any truth to that or not but I never leave the dock without it. I use hinged bindings now but I still smear a little shaving cream on myself before hopping in. If Dococ was pulling my leg he got me hook, line and sinker.

Oh, and I always have to post this link when this topic comes up.

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/ecoview/Eco41.htm

.....and I always post this picture.

....and this one

...and dont forget about this one...all found in the lake near you...