Thoughts on Alligators?

My buddy and I just built an incline rail in a pond by our subdivision. It was dug a few years ago for the construction of a wallmart, and it just filled with water. Anyways the pond is dead, no turtles, no grasses or anything. So we spent like 6 hours in there building the rail and rode it for about 3 hours. The next day I see a 6 foot gator. I always assumed the possibility of there being a gator but was hoping the pond was free of them. Should I be worried. How do people who board in larger lakes feel about them? Trappers would be helpful but the gator was probably there first, and its not a private lake, so Im not sure what the rules are of getting a trapper, and what not, or if it is even neccessary.

They are habitual hunters so the more there is a meal in the same spot they will come back. A 6' can kill you for sure. I'd worry about snakes more, but that would freak me out. Strap a diving knife on you somewhere(hard cased with lock in) or call fish and game and say it's nuisance. There's to many of them anyways.

Huh I was hoping it was just in my head, and the responses would reassure me Im alright, but that was not the answer i was expecting. Now Im sketched even more to get in the pond. Ill look up the number for the gator trappers and see what they can do.....Do you know if it costs money? or is it funded by the individual counties as a safety program????? Ill look it up

Ya, I lost a buddy to a 4 footer last year so I don't know was a 6 footer would do to you. You're lucky you weren't a meal already. Talk about a horrible way to die bro.

Personally, I get freaked out by the snakes, and would be if it was a small pond. Big lakes I really dont think twice about gators, but if i saw a 6 footer in a small pond, no thanks. If it decides it wants to stay there, my guess is it would get pretty territorial if its a small pond. I would be a little nervous.

Get a 45 or 12gauge slug and yell "it's coming right for me" and shoot it behind the eyes.

54 degree water does not look so bad now...

I was thinking the same thing Chris.

They're all over in FL, but in larger lakes, rivers, etc there is room for them to get away from you (they hate boats) and there is food for them.... with this pond that sounds like nothing more than arunoff ditch I maybe a bit hesitant.

If it is the gator's "home" he will protect it, and itsn't moving until someone makes him.... also if its small you're running into a lot more trouble than if he can just swim away to another area.
I assume you're winching this rail, which means no boat in the water to scare it away, another possible risk increaser
Pond is lifeless.... Gators must eat, and if there isn't food always around for it (fish / birds / etc) you'll start to look pretty tasty.

Like other said, I would NEVER want to deal with anything bigger than 3ft, 4ft could easily overpower a 6ft. man... they are solid muscle and are built to do one thing - kill/eat.

I would guess if you call the Florida Fish and Game they'll remove it for you

Also want to take into consideration that we are still in mating season (near the end)... This reptile gets extremely aggressive during this time of the year! So if it was me, not saying I've ever done this or would ever even think about doing, but go out late at night with a spotlight. Hopefully your not in a neighborhood. And put a 270/7mm/300mag between its eyes and haul that booger off. Gator tail is amazing on the grill!!!

he'll move on in a couple days, but they'll be one there right after him. I'd just throw in the towel, and not get in, ride, winch or rail much in a small retention pond or ditch. The shallows and weeds in a lake are bad enough, but like has been said, they have somewhere to go there. And I doubt you really want to call attention to the any authorities that you built that rail there........

"Molesting" a gator is likely a crime. But you might be able to annoy him away and be more discreet about with a slingshot and some ball bearings.

I live on the Texas Gulf Coast. I see gators often while riding. I have even heard of horror stories of skiers crashing by and on alligators, but never a rider being attacked. Every time you hear of an "attack" if usually involves a hillbilly with a stick. That said, I give them their space and they give me mine.

Around here it is not uncommon to get an alligator in a pond or water-hazard. Call animal control. They will be super-stoked to come catch it. No reason throw rocks or pellets at it--plus it probably won't chase it off anyway.

Run zig zag bc they are faster than u

Dude I would offer up the neighbors dog as a sacrificial meal about an hour prior to you and your buddies riding. Make sure that it is a neighbor that you don't like.

I must be getting old and mellow but could you not just leave it alone. It's just a creature survivng in his habitat. He go there first. Killing him just so you can get a few pulls on a rail is a bit cruel imho.
Time to find another pond maybe?

I know thats why I was like, is it worth it, or is it moral to call the trappers. i dont know if they relocate it or if they would kill it. I understand it would be cruel to come in and kill it just to ride but if they relocate it then I wouldn't feel that bad.

Did you call animal control? Just curious on the outcome.

Too many gators. They are a nuisance.

Yeah I called animal control three times to see what they would say and each time is "Hello Alligator Serivces" .....then yeah Im calling to get some more information on alligator removals .......and then click....they hang up??!?!?!?!??!?!?!

Man that sucks. Actions like that lead to bad problems. What if some little kid wanders a little too far away from his/her mommy and the gator atachs them. I wonder how that would make the operators that brushed you off feel. I even think that if something bad was to happen that they could possibly be facing some sort of negligent repercussions.

I'm glad that I don't have to deal with any thing that is going to eat me in the water. Although I did see a horse in the water last weekend. It was in up to the base of its head, That is about the strangest thing that I have seen.

because if it was a real issue of needing removal most people also call the cops, and they get the right "Animal Services" out there. You have to know the trapper to call....

Dead pond eh? After 6 hours of building he didn't bit your arse? Every think about what else you may not have seen?

Here's a few ideas

Option 1: Tell Wal-Mart, they are afraid of the liability. They will ban the gator but probably you as well.
Option 2: Stake your dog at the waters edge. It will keep the gator occupied until your done riding. Or well fed until your done riding.
Option 3: Call those guys from Discovery - Swamp brothers, they will wade in, pull him out with their bare hands. Be prepared to feel like a pussy......cat.
Option 4: Apply for a county wide gator tag and come September you will have a mount for your fire place and something that tastes like chicken.
Option 5: Watch a few episodes of Swamp People then take matters into your own hands.
Option 6: Don't fall so much or get outta the pond.
Option 7: From above Zig Zag. I love that idea.

Let us know what happens.

Originally Posted by srock

Option 3: Call those guys from Discovery - Swamp brothers, they will wade in, pull him out with their bare hands. Be prepared to feel like a pussy......cat..

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/194...s-6-foot-gator

This is a funny ass thread! Something you never think about unless you live in FL I guess.

I only have to worry about shark or sea lion attacks at my home spot in Long Beach!

Good luck gator huntin.

watch out...
dem gators is sneaky critters.......

I grew up in south Louisiana. We never had any issues when out riding. I have never even heard of a gator attacking a skier/wb'er. Now, when we duck hunted, you would never never NEVER use your hand to pick up a dead duck in the bayou. We used those things people use to pick up garbage on the side of the road. Damn gator will bite your ass if he spots a dead bird and he thinks you are taking his food when you go to grab it. Lot of cajun duck hunters without ten fingers in south Louisiana.

That being said, I agree that sharing a small pond with a gator is not a good idea. Why even risk it?

In Lake Okeechobee, Fl we use those inner tube floats to duck hunt then we hunt gators from an airboat. At night you can see gators everywhere. After watching Swamp People on Louisiana I thought to myself I'm never getting into those waters. There must be a disconnect somewhere in my brain.

I know they will avoid boats and for the most part people and a 6 footer would have a tough time taking you out. However they seem to grow "huskier" exponentially as they get over 6 foot.

A 6 footer in a small pond with make the ride more thrilling for some and others will be scared away. What personality type are you? I'm more afraid of spiders and snakes.

I've always wanted to kill gators and have the skin dyed and incorporated into my boat vinyl.

Originally Posted by mojo

I've always wanted to kill gators and have the skin dyed and incorporated into my boat vinyl.

Classic!!

the thought was to barbie it, KC style

http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-police-s...tory?track=rss

I lived down in FL for a few months each winter over the last few years and coming from Wisconsin the gators, snakes, spiders, and bugs are a BIG change of pace.

I remember first week or two there we would walk barefoot through the yard at night to go down to the dock to go fishing.... quickly learned that was a no-no.
Snakes Snakes Snakes (which don't really bother me). In Wisco we've got a few but nothing that can do more than nip you.... not down there. We quickly learned that shoes and a flashlight are a must.



The gators made me pretty uneasy right away, but after about two weeks you just forget they are there. Except one time we riding and by buddy fell and was going to end the set, we came around to get him, shutoff the boat and he crawled in.... well no more than 2 minutes after he climbed in a gator popped up right where he had fallen.... it was pretty crazy to think it was just sitting right below. The next year we lived with Will Christien and the lake she is on is pretty undeveloped, so that means there are some MONSTERS there. Billy(woreout) on here would always remind us that that lake was full of "Dinosaurs".... we only saw 2 that winter but I would put one of them at over 10/12ft.





I really hated the spiders and cockroaches.... ugggg.

My theory is to keep the boat running and they will stay on the bottom hiding.