GATORS!!!

[dahut]

Over on the beach forum one of the members talked about hunting in FL lakes and encountering alligators on his adventuring. He assured us, of course, that humans were not naturally the prey of gators' - not on the "menu," so to speak.
It reminded me of something that happened more than a few years ago and I shared it over there. Here it is for the rest of my fellow T-Netters to read.

"I remember going fishing out of Orange Park, FL once, with my brother in law. I had only been in FL for about 3 days and he hauled me off to gigantic Lake Orange, motoring us into a backwater arm of the lake... somewhere. It was June, and by about 11AM I was getting hot. Imagine that, an open boat in FL, in the summer and I was getting hot.

I decided to dangle my feet over the side and splash a little water around. I even entertained the notion of taking a dip. Jim, my brother-in-law, a long time Floridian looked at me and asked simply,
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Man, this place is like a sweatbath. I need to cool off!"
"See that over there?" he said and pointed to a log in the water.
"Yeah, so. An old log. What of it?" I was cockier in those days.
He reached down and picked up one of the paddles in the bottom of the boat. Nonchalantly, almost lazily, he tossed it the 15 feet or so it took to reach the log.

The surface exploded!! An alligator as long as our johnboat flung his giant head out of the water and crashed it down on that matchstick of a paddle. For just a moment, the gators smooth, creamy underbelly was exposed in the light of the bright sun. For all it's part, the hapless paddle could only strike for the surface, madly bobbing about in the once calm cove. The beast whipped around, plunging it's powerful tail into the black water and sped off with a splash - about 40 yards. There it slowed, then halted, peering at us. The ripples died away. Once more, all you could see was a log - with eyes.

Jim tapped me on the shoulder with the other paddle.
I spun around, my mouth agape and my eyes like saucers. I couldn't speak and my hands gripped the gunwale, knuckles standing out starkly in the sun.
He thrust the paddle at me and nodded towards the bullrushes, then lit another cigarette.
"Here, take this. Now, scoot us on over there so's we can get what's left of that paddle. Want another beer?"

Say what you want about 'gators and their natural prey. When in FL, I'm taking a BIG paddle along."

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Dont fool with gators in June. Here are some of last seasons casualties.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,36228.0.html

 

[Fumbles]

Gators will never eat humans.














...unless they are hungry. Keep safe.

 

[stefen]

The only good Gator is the one in your neighbors yard....








5 miles down the road.

 

[River Rat]

Dahut,

The stories I could tell you about gators...the latest one was several months ago. I will scan the pictures & tell you about it later. I need to do this anyway, cause several people in chat were aware of the aggressive gator that was in our pond.

Here's another pic to keep you amused for awhile. LOL

RR

 

[dahut]

The rest of this story is I lived in every corner of FL over the span of ten years. From Pensacola to Jacksonville to Key West, there arent may gator stories I havent enjoyed. Im looking forward to yours!

 

[diggummup]

That's funny! You must be talking about Fldivers' post.Certain times of year,I wouldn't go in the water either.If your smart about it though and use common sense,for the most part they are not too big of a threat,during the rest of the time of year.April thru July,they are most active,therefore most dangerous.Winter time is the best time to avoid being approached by these living dinosaurs.They are beautiful creatures.BTW-they can tear off and swallow a limb or worse.

 

[hollowpointred]

gators will eat humans. and anything else they can catch. be carefull at the waters edge.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here is a sign where I bath near my hunting campsite.. I have had some close calls but have to stay clean!

 

[Peg Leg]

My friend I have lived in Florida for 70 years.
There are three things you NEVER do.
1. Swim where gators MAY BE.
2. Take a dog with you anywhere on water-even when fishing
3. Never take a baby with you NO MATER WHAT.
Gators have been known to climb in a boat to get to a Barking dog.
A baby crying WILL attract GATORS.
DO NOT splash water if you even think that Gators are around.
I have killed more gators than all those on this forum combined.
I used to sell their hides.
I have seen GATORS that were over 14' long.
DO NOT THINK THAT YOU CAN OUTRUN THEM EITHER. THEY CAN CATCH A BIG DOG OR EVEN A HORSE WITHIN 20 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE WATER. They can also JUMP up half the lenght of their body FROM THE WATER.
The time of the year does make a difference BUT ONLY A LITTLE.
Peg leg

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont kill them anymore either, Pegleg, even though there are legal hunting permits available for those interested. They were nearly extinct from poaching at one time, and have made a huge comeback. The legs do taste like chicken, the ribs a little like pork, and the tail dipped in egg, then flour, and fried in oil, taste like a combination of white pork and lobster. :P As far as bathing in their water, I guess I have been lucky. I have stepped on quite a few. I even walked up and kicked one that I thought was dead. :P ...stupid. I will NOT enter the water if a large gator has been seen in the area. They are the dangerous ones and need to be respected. I think the mating season (May-June)is much more dangerous. This is when the large males are traveling, looking for potential mates and are more likely to encounter them out of water. If you encounter one out of water try to look large. Do not sit or squat. Watch your dog. Never assume one is dead if its not moving. Careful by the waters edge. No splashing. Keep your feet out of the water. Enjoy the sunshine.

 

[the.silver.standard]

Wow...lived around the country, but never been near Florida. Having read this, I will never complain about Racoons, skunks, or 'Dillos ever again. The alternative seems a tad worse.

 

[dahut]

Indeed! Every year children and dogs are either maimed by gators or simply disappear in South Florida. There is a seasonal alert in fact, a reminder of sorts, not to feed alligators or engourage them in any way. As if THAT was really needed.

But, apparently some folks dont have either good sense enough or the innante respect of such creatures to stay out of harms way.
I suspect 'tis both.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I think poisonous snakes are more of a danger to the unsuspecting but there is something more dramatic about being eaten alive by a large carnivore with big teeth!

 

[Peg Leg]

I disagree about the snakes.
A snake will not stalk a person.
Chances are that snakes will try to get away from people with the exception of a Cotton Mouth. They are bad news.
To me the GATOR is the MOST dangerous creature in the entire world not counting MAN.
Not long ago a young women was jogging and a gator got her right off the jogging path.
Right now gators are the worst they have ever been as long as I have been around them. There are more gators now than there has ever been and things are getting worse. Their living space is getting smaller and smaller as construction continues to grow. Where there used to be swamps there are now million dollar condos and these condos are being purchased by people that have never seen a real live GATOR.
Peg Leg

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Good post. Lets put a face to that 28 year old woman that was attacked on or near a jogging path, dismembered and dragged into the water. Her name is Suarez Jimenez. Here is her picture.

 

[dg39]

Intrestingly enough gator is quite tasty. Gator tail meat, fried is great. There is a restaurant here in my home town where I go that serves it.
Reminds me of one early morning when I was working at a radio station on the early morning show , I came to work at about 5 am. The night DJ had gone out after he got off work and killed a six footer. Put it in the entrance way to the Radio station. I walked in half asleep and almost s##. Took five minutes to figure out the GATOR WAS DEAD.
Don't mess with them. Period!

 

[diggummup]

Not long ago a young women was jogging and a gator got her right off the jogging path.

Peg Leg

WRONG!

Good post. Lets put a face to that 28 year old woman that was stalked and attacked on the jogging path, dismembered and dragged into the water. Her name is Suarez Jimenez. Here is her picture.

It was also determined by the chief medical examiner Joshua Perper that, although she was killed by the gator,she was probably unconscience at the time of the attack.Due to having a blood alcohol level that was over 3 times the legal limit and having more than twice the amount of highest precribed dosage of xanax in her system.It was also determined that there was no water in her lungs,thereby indicating that she was killed on land.
So,although she may have been a jogger, and although she may have been on a jogging path,I highly doubt she was jogging down the path while an alligator stalked her and attacked her to kill her.She was passed out under a bridge just off the path and the alligator just did what came natural.I feel sorry for her demise but give me a break! Stalked? That's hilarious!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I guess youre right. Stalking is the wrong word. I will change it. I have however talked with a very experienced hunter (more exp. than myself and I have hunted the glades since the 70's) that was so shook up over a gator following him that he swore never to hunt the cypress swamp again. I didnt see it, but I believe him.
I dont know it was ever proven that she was passed out. She was seen under a bridge splashing her feet in the water. They determined that she was attacked well away from the waters edge.

A boy was also attacked on a paved bike trail by a gator a few years back while riding with his mother at the Everglades National Park, Shark Valley, Loop Road. Maybe he got too close. His mother beat on the gator and saved her son. I will try to google the story.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Cant find much on the loop road story. The boy may have gotten off of his bike. Never get off the bike. he, he

Here is one version of the jogger story for those who missed it. She apparently jogged everyday.

"Yovy Suarez Jimenez, 28, had been out for her daily jog along a canal-side bicycle path near her home in Davie, Florida, when she was savaged by the 10ft-long reptile.

Nobody witnessed the attack, but people told the police that they had seen a woman dangling her feet from a bridge over the canal in the town of Sunrise earlier that evening.

Construction workers found Miss Jimenez's body the next day, floating in the canal. She was still wearing her Nike trainers, sports bra and biking shorts.

Shortly before her death on Tuesday Miss Jimenez, who was studying for a law degree and wanted to be an actress, spoke on her mobile phone to her family, when they called to ask why she had not returned from an evening run.

She told them she was sitting on a canal bridge and assured her mother she would be back soon. She never arrived home.

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A post- mortem examination showed Miss Jimenez bled to death when an alligator attacked her on land and ripped off her arms close to her shoulders.

She also had bite marks on her legs and back.

Dr Joshua Perper, medical examiner for the Broward area, said: "It is my professional opinion that the alligator attacked the woman while she was on land.

"She died of traumatic injuries sustained by an alligator attack, a mixture of blood loss and shock, and died very fast."

Dr Perper said the alligator completely severed her arms, and bit her right leg and back before dragging the body underwater.

"I do not recall an alligator attack of this kind ever taking place in Broward or Miami-Dade," said Dr Perper. "When they are hungry they can be very, very aggressive and attack for food purposes," he said.

Trappers were still searching for the alligator last night. They caught a seven-foot specimen,but it was not believed to be the killer.

If the alligator is found, it would be killed and its stomach contents examined-said Officer Jorge L Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is investigating the death in conjunction with Sunrise police.

It emerged last night that Miss Jimenez had been suffering from depression and had been on medication. But her family said they were convinced her death was not suicide.

Her sister Angie said: "She was a great girl, beautiful girl, full of charisma. She didn't deserve to die like that. She was a happy person."

There have been 25 fatal alligator attacks in Florida since 1948.

Experts say most attacks occur because the reptiles are protecting their eggs or looking for food."

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