Gators while scouting
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Re: Gators while scouting
A big 10 footer is darn intimidating especially paddling by in an 8' yak, but honestly the three S's scare me more. Skeeters, spiders, & snakes
- Bonecrusher101
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Re: Gators while scouting
This reminds me of the only alligator Ive ever known, named "slidin Clyde."
I met a lifelong friend of mine when we both were 16 years old working at a fast food restaurant in Memphis, TN. He claimed his dad had a hog farm in northern ms with a small pond and had an wild alligator that chilled in the pond. I had never heard of such and called him a liar. He had a good back story and told me, The gator was seen eating ducks in a local pond and then it was trapped as a 4 footer. Afterwards it was procured by his dad who released him in a secluded farm pond and fed him dead piglets and hogs. He said they named him slidin Clyde because of the way he slid in the mud.
So we went out there one summer afternoon and sure enough this 5-6 foot alligator shows up. I was awestruck, and apologized for calling him a liar. We ended up making lots of trips out to the farm throughout the years. We would usually try to find something to chunk into the pond to watch Clyde eat. A few times we had thrown a couple fish in there that were caught in a different pond. He would usually cruise up bump the dead animal then haul it down into the muck. The lagoon Clyde lived was always murky had duckweed and algae covering the surface which made the scene even creepier.
A few years had gone by and Clyde had continued to grow big because he was fed well and never had swam far. I think at this point he was about a powerful 8 footer. So that one day, we had nothing to feed Clyde. We would usually search the barn in the piglet pen and find a few that died. There weren't any but we did see a pen full of 30 pound smaller sized pigs running wildly. We hopped the fence and corner one and after a ton of struggling we had it upside down by the hooves. We fought with the poor pig till we got to the edge of the lagoon. We gave it a quick 3 count and heave hoed it as far as we could into the pond.
That pig hit the water and started swimming back to the bank. Ole slidin Clyde exploded onto the scene and nabbed that pig almost immediately. It had that pig by the back legs, and that pig squealed and screamed the most blood curdling scream as he was being pulled under the surface. My friend and I watched in horror as the black water mixed with the red tint as it churned and rolled. We watched the bubbles move across the lagoon toward the back corner under the pond slime.
We made a pact that day to never tell his dad and to never do that again to another living creature. I could only imagine how awful it would have been to have been grabbed by that thing. We deer hunted the farm a bit but it was only 15-20 acres. One hunting season a year or 2 after we made the pact I remember walking around that pond in the dark, one warm early November morning with my rifle pointed towards that pond feeling creeped out. I was walking out later that afternoon and saw slidin Clyde on the bank sunning himself. I looked at him through my rifle scope and he was a monster, well over 10 foot.
He became dangerous and territorial and was killed a short while later.
I met a lifelong friend of mine when we both were 16 years old working at a fast food restaurant in Memphis, TN. He claimed his dad had a hog farm in northern ms with a small pond and had an wild alligator that chilled in the pond. I had never heard of such and called him a liar. He had a good back story and told me, The gator was seen eating ducks in a local pond and then it was trapped as a 4 footer. Afterwards it was procured by his dad who released him in a secluded farm pond and fed him dead piglets and hogs. He said they named him slidin Clyde because of the way he slid in the mud.
So we went out there one summer afternoon and sure enough this 5-6 foot alligator shows up. I was awestruck, and apologized for calling him a liar. We ended up making lots of trips out to the farm throughout the years. We would usually try to find something to chunk into the pond to watch Clyde eat. A few times we had thrown a couple fish in there that were caught in a different pond. He would usually cruise up bump the dead animal then haul it down into the muck. The lagoon Clyde lived was always murky had duckweed and algae covering the surface which made the scene even creepier.
A few years had gone by and Clyde had continued to grow big because he was fed well and never had swam far. I think at this point he was about a powerful 8 footer. So that one day, we had nothing to feed Clyde. We would usually search the barn in the piglet pen and find a few that died. There weren't any but we did see a pen full of 30 pound smaller sized pigs running wildly. We hopped the fence and corner one and after a ton of struggling we had it upside down by the hooves. We fought with the poor pig till we got to the edge of the lagoon. We gave it a quick 3 count and heave hoed it as far as we could into the pond.
That pig hit the water and started swimming back to the bank. Ole slidin Clyde exploded onto the scene and nabbed that pig almost immediately. It had that pig by the back legs, and that pig squealed and screamed the most blood curdling scream as he was being pulled under the surface. My friend and I watched in horror as the black water mixed with the red tint as it churned and rolled. We watched the bubbles move across the lagoon toward the back corner under the pond slime.
We made a pact that day to never tell his dad and to never do that again to another living creature. I could only imagine how awful it would have been to have been grabbed by that thing. We deer hunted the farm a bit but it was only 15-20 acres. One hunting season a year or 2 after we made the pact I remember walking around that pond in the dark, one warm early November morning with my rifle pointed towards that pond feeling creeped out. I was walking out later that afternoon and saw slidin Clyde on the bank sunning himself. I looked at him through my rifle scope and he was a monster, well over 10 foot.
He became dangerous and territorial and was killed a short while later.
Be original and Enjoy every step along the adventure.
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Re: Gators while scouting
We have a few gators here, this is about as far north as they go. One area I hunt has quite a few of them but I worry more about snakes. Cottonmouths are azz deep to a giraffe everywhere I hunt and a lot of copperheads and rattlesnakes. They are the only thing that worries. The coyotes, gators, bears and red wolves I can see before I step on and most are scared to death of a person.
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Re: Gators while scouting
Big lizards are always in the back of my mind, particularly in the places I hunt with big bodies of water or creeks. I personally don't like water over about knee deep. One little swamp island I've hunted with success you have to cross a little Slough. I hate it. It's usually calf / knee deep then it's at your arm pits. But there are 3 big live oaks on it and it draws deer. In that spot I've seen multiple 10+ footers while fishing. Lol. Heebee jeebees. On a good note when the water is up the cottonmouths are on the high spots usually not in the water.
Another spot I hunt I know for sure there is a gator pushing the 14' mark. He doesn't look real. Last week I saw a small buck that had been gator caught. really makes you think
Another spot I hunt I know for sure there is a gator pushing the 14' mark. He doesn't look real. Last week I saw a small buck that had been gator caught. really makes you think
- Eddiegomes83
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Re: Gators while scouting
Im not always worried about em. Only usually deep in the swamp wherw they might not see as many humans or get as many good meals. Also the big bulls are aggressive during the mating season. Females are aggressive during nesting. I went out deep in a swamp one evening last year and came out well after dark. I got to one spot where the woods lit up with glowing eyes. They were every where. Didnt see any big ones though so i just kept on truckin. I think the one way back where nobody goes dont know to be afraid.
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Re: Gators while scouting
I have one area that I hunt where you have to cross some open water about 200 yards wide - every now and again you'll see some big gators laying out on the far shore. 10-12 ft maybe bigger.
One day, I'm walking thru knee deep muck on the far side and notice some movement about 60 yards to my left, thru the grass and bushes. A gator head about 3 ft long pops up and looks at me, then gets to churning in the mud. I turned around a left, knowing that there were at least 2 or 3 more that size or bigger in there.
One day, I'm walking thru knee deep muck on the far side and notice some movement about 60 yards to my left, thru the grass and bushes. A gator head about 3 ft long pops up and looks at me, then gets to churning in the mud. I turned around a left, knowing that there were at least 2 or 3 more that size or bigger in there.
- Eddiegomes83
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Re: Gators while scouting
Not that i dont worry about snakes but i may be able to get out of the woods if a snake bites me assuming that it gets me outside my snake boots. I dont have any gator boots. If the right size gets me i may not be getting out of the woods. Im not worries about 7 ft and under so much its the 9ft plus that worry me. With that said my desire to hunt is greater than my fear of any of these animals so they dont stop me..haha
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- Kraftd
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Re: Gators while scouting
I suppose its about where you grow up, but I'll stick north, thanks.
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Gators while scouting
Lastcast#1 wrote:When I was 9 I went to Lakeland Florida to see my grandparents..Large pond full of big bass. Threw worms at em for a week. 2 days after we left a 10 footer was captured out of that very pond. No thanks Dudes! Mucho respect for the obstacles you guys face down there. Worst thing I run into is a territorial beaver, or a curious flying squirl.
Much respect.
Chad
I live in Lakeland. Was it a private pond or public.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Gators while scouting
Rich M wrote:I have one area that I hunt where you have to cross some open water about 200 yards wide - every now and again you'll see some big gators laying out on the far shore. 10-12 ft maybe bigger.
One day, I'm walking thru knee deep muck on the far side and notice some movement about 60 yards to my left, thru the grass and bushes. A gator head about 3 ft long pops up and looks at me, then gets to churning in the mud. I turned around a left, knowing that there were at least 2 or 3 more that size or bigger in there.
That's one of them monsters I was talking about!!!!!!
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
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Re: Gators while scouting
Yesr! When they are that big, they'll swallow you whole and that's it, game over.
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Re: Gators while scouting
Tufrthnails wrote:Lastcast#1 wrote:When I was 9 I went to Lakeland Florida to see my grandparents..Large pond full of big bass. Threw worms at em for a week. 2 days after we left a 10 footer was captured out of that very pond. No thanks Dudes! Mucho respect for the obstacles you guys face down there. Worst thing I run into is a territorial beaver, or a curious flying squirl.
Much respect.
Chad
I live in Lakeland. Was it a private pond or public.
Man that was 34 years ago. Private I imagine, pond was within the retirement community. I remember very vividly
my grandfather telling me about it.
Chad
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Gators while scouting
Lastcast#1 wrote:Tufrthnails wrote:Lastcast#1 wrote:When I was 9 I went to Lakeland Florida to see my grandparents..Large pond full of big bass. Threw worms at em for a week. 2 days after we left a 10 footer was captured out of that very pond. No thanks Dudes! Mucho respect for the obstacles you guys face down there. Worst thing I run into is a territorial beaver, or a curious flying squirl.
Much respect.
Chad
I live in Lakeland. Was it a private pond or public.
Man that was 34 years ago. Private I imagine, pond was within the retirement community. I remember very vividly
my grandfather telling me about it.
Chad
LOL! I was a little tyke back then!
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
- JakeB
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Re: Gators while scouting
Can't say I ever gave them much thought, grew up swimming in the lake's and bayou's that are now on swamp people. Can't recall personally knowing of someone getting attacted or bit unless they were doing something dumb like poking one or trying to grab one. The dangerous ones are the ones that people feed, usually in parks or subdivissions and they loose their fear of humans.
My biggest worry is one getting my dog during teal season or spring scouting. So I'm very cautious of where I let him swim.
And for the record I'll go toe to toe with a 7 ftr in a nest of moccasins way before I cross one of those man-eating bear's, wolf's or lion's yall boys got up north
My biggest worry is one getting my dog during teal season or spring scouting. So I'm very cautious of where I let him swim.
And for the record I'll go toe to toe with a 7 ftr in a nest of moccasins way before I cross one of those man-eating bear's, wolf's or lion's yall boys got up north
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Re: Gators while scouting
Yeah, between hunting and scouting a couple of areas I hunt, I average about 6 encounters a year with gators. And about twice that many with water moccasins, copperheads and rattle snakes.
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