LMAO
They "coexist peacefully with them" ...until they don't.
I wouldn't be surprised if they gave them cutesy little human names too.

Zeke

hold my beer i gotta get my knife back

It was 3 years ago this week that an alligator killed a young boy here locally at a Disney Hotel.

It was an incredibly sad and traumatic event. It happened right in front of the parents. Being from Nebraska, they were absolutely unfamiliar with alligator behavior. The little boy’s actions at the particular time of day was INCREDIBLY high risk. Many say that idiot tourists fed these gators which made it even worse.

They are dangerous. They do attack and occasionally kill people .

I have had them go after me while fishing. The last time, I had caught a large bass from the shore. The Gator came straight for the fish. Luckily, a limb was laying nearby. I whacked him over the head with it.

A friend of mine catches them with a fishing rod.

I had pix but must have mislaid them. I

It's not believed to be in pain and will live virtually unaffected for several years

Says a lot about alligators.

Grizz

I always had gators in my back yard in Tampa (I lived on a retention pond off a golf course and nature preserve)
We had one that grew up to about 6-7ft when my kids were still very young.
He became very aggressive.... we fished for bass often and he learned to associate us by the bank as a potential easy meal (when we released a bass)
I started beating the hell out of it with a golf club to make it fear humans...didn't work..he came rushing out one day and chased my wife across the back yard and that was the end for him...
I would catch small ones (2-4 ft) on a fishing rod and let the kids see them and also to make them fear humans..

quote:

Originally posted by Poyntman:
I always had gators in my back yard in Tampa (I lived on a retention pond off a golf course and nature preserve)
We had one that grew up to about 6-7ft when my kids were still very young.
He became very aggressive.... we fished for bass often and he learned to associate us by the bank as a potential easy meal (when we released a bass)
I started beating the hell out of it with a golf club to make it fear humans...didn't work..he came rushing out one day and chased my wife across the back yard and that was the end for him...
I would catch small ones (2-4 ft) on a fishing rod and let the kids see them and also to make them fear humans..

Yup, that is pretty common. They are a big problem when fishing especially with top water lures.

I was on a new lease about 25-30 years ago. I took my oldest son, then 7 or 8. It was our first outing there and we were fishing for bass. One came straight for him. I was about 50 yards away when I saw the gator heading his way. I dropped my rod and ran like hell to my son. Let's just say the gator had a rough day.

One has to be careful with those things especially if the do-gooders have been feeding them.

the fishing down in Florida might be pretty awesome.
but I can strap on a pair of waders and the only thing I gotta worry about is getting cold water in my boots.
or maybe a bear,, i'll take the bear.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
the fishing down in Florida might be pretty awesome.
but I can strap on a pair of waders and the only thing I gotta worry about is getting cold water in my boots.
or maybe a bear,, i'll take the bear.

And we didn't even mention snakes!

You can have the cold. We are afraid of that!