Alligator Attacks in Florida

[awlchu]

I use to find it amazing that people are still attacked by alligators. That was my feelings until I was at Sanibel Island the same week when that Woman was attacked by a 12(ft?) gator.

What amazed me was the speed inwhich the gator can attack. I guess a quick flick of it's tail will launch it towards it's prey (both in speed and height).

I know there are several FL. TBN'ers that visit this board. Do you take any special precautions when working an area close to canals or wet lands? Curious if you carry a weapon (pistol?) when working the land in these types of conditions.

 

[awlchu]

I use to find it amazing that people are still attacked by alligators. That was my feelings until I was at Sanibel Island the same week when that Woman was attacked by a 12(ft?) gator.

What amazed me was the speed inwhich the gator can attack. I guess a quick flick of it's tail will launch it towards it's prey (both in speed and height).

I know there are several FL. TBN'ers that visit this board. Do you take any special precautions when working an area close to canals or wet lands? Curious if you carry a weapon (pistol?) when working the land in these types of conditions.

 

[dmccarty]

awlchu,

FYI. There is another thread on FLA Gators in the Rural area.

Gators can move quick and run short distances much quicker than many/any human can run. Also people see the head of a gator and think its not that big. I forgot the exact rule of thumb but you multiply the size of the head by 3 or something to get the total size of the animal.

Most gator attacks are due to people playing yes playing with the animals or more likely feedng them. Gator's ain't smart. Their brain is the size of a walnut. But they figure pretty quick that the two legged thing throwing bread in the water means food.

If you are near gators you just need to keep an eye out for them. If you live/work near where you think gators live go out with a flashlight and start shinng it around. If you see pairs of red eyes in the water, you found a gator. Don't do this with a firearm since the act of posission of a weapon and the flashlight in a habit area is Prima Facia that you are poachin. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you have children or animals near gator(s) and the gator(s) seem to have lost their fear and/or are actively hunting you and yours call up the Florida Wildlife Commission to make a complaint. They should send out a trapper to take out the gator. The gators usually become problems when people feed them.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

awlchu,

FYI. There is another thread on FLA Gators in the Rural area.

Gators can move quick and run short distances much quicker than many/any human can run. Also people see the head of a gator and think its not that big. I forgot the exact rule of thumb but you multiply the size of the head by 3 or something to get the total size of the animal.

Most gator attacks are due to people playing yes playing with the animals or more likely feedng them. Gator's ain't smart. Their brain is the size of a walnut. But they figure pretty quick that the two legged thing throwing bread in the water means food.

If you are near gators you just need to keep an eye out for them. If you live/work near where you think gators live go out with a flashlight and start shinng it around. If you see pairs of red eyes in the water, you found a gator. Don't do this with a firearm since the act of posission of a weapon and the flashlight in a habit area is Prima Facia that you are poachin. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you have children or animals near gator(s) and the gator(s) seem to have lost their fear and/or are actively hunting you and yours call up the Florida Wildlife Commission to make a complaint. They should send out a trapper to take out the gator. The gators usually become problems when people feed them.

Later,
Dan

 

[orangebluegreen]

I don’t think most people who don’t live by fresh or brackish water think about it much (probably why the attacks)....kind of like do you not go swimming in the Gulf because of sharks. Now that my pond is filled over I never think about them, but I am always on guard for snakes, I’ve seen rattlers, cotton mouths and coral snakes here.

Agree with everything dmccarty said.

Florida has had three deaths in one week. They hypothesize it’s due to a combination of mating season and low water levels due to our drought. Today is our first rainy day in many months. So dry the grass crunches. I remember last years Sanibel attack, the scary thing was she died a few days later from infection.

IMO they are dumb prehistoric creatures that were well on their way to extinction as it should have been IMO. They should have allowed evolution do it’s job and get rid of them, but noooooo. I hate them and would shoot them if on my property which is highly illegal. They get smarter and more aggressive as they get older and bigger.

I have friends who live on the river who have had to fight them out of their horse barns and garages. There’s been plenty of missing dogs through the years as well. Once while taking care of a friends animals while they were on vacation I was driving down the street at night and saw two glowing eyes in front of her house. I stopped and realized it was her cat staring down an alligator from about two feet from it. I pulled up close looked out the window and thought the gator was dead. I was going to get out and get the cat but my wife said no I think it’s alive, they play possum. I aimed the car at it and when I was within inches it sprung up opened its jaws then ran away. The cat was minutes from being served up and didn’t know it. I’ve actually been out fishing a salt water canal (where they are not supposed to be) and had a small 4-5 footer follow me everywhere very aggressively, every time I tried to go the opposite direction it followed me. Luckily the seawall had him trapped and he couldn’t get back on land. That to me appeared like one that might have been fed by people, a very bad idea that I see tourists doing at rest areas on I-75's Alligator Alley all the time.

BTW....Florida passed a new law that you can shoot any person who you feel might be about to cause you or another harm. It is very liberal and from my understanding does not have to be equal force as it used to be. Could be shooting a gator gets you in more trouble than shooting a human.

 

[orangebluegreen]

I don’t think most people who don’t live by fresh or brackish water think about it much (probably why the attacks)....kind of like do you not go swimming in the Gulf because of sharks. Now that my pond is filled over I never think about them, but I am always on guard for snakes, I’ve seen rattlers, cotton mouths and coral snakes here.

Agree with everything dmccarty said.

Florida has had three deaths in one week. They hypothesize it’s due to a combination of mating season and low water levels due to our drought. Today is our first rainy day in many months. So dry the grass crunches. I remember last years Sanibel attack, the scary thing was she died a few days later from infection.

IMO they are dumb prehistoric creatures that were well on their way to extinction as it should have been IMO. They should have allowed evolution do it’s job and get rid of them, but noooooo. I hate them and would shoot them if on my property which is highly illegal. They get smarter and more aggressive as they get older and bigger.

I have friends who live on the river who have had to fight them out of their horse barns and garages. There’s been plenty of missing dogs through the years as well. Once while taking care of a friends animals while they were on vacation I was driving down the street at night and saw two glowing eyes in front of her house. I stopped and realized it was her cat staring down an alligator from about two feet from it. I pulled up close looked out the window and thought the gator was dead. I was going to get out and get the cat but my wife said no I think it’s alive, they play possum. I aimed the car at it and when I was within inches it sprung up opened its jaws then ran away. The cat was minutes from being served up and didn’t know it. I’ve actually been out fishing a salt water canal (where they are not supposed to be) and had a small 4-5 footer follow me everywhere very aggressively, every time I tried to go the opposite direction it followed me. Luckily the seawall had him trapped and he couldn’t get back on land. That to me appeared like one that might have been fed by people, a very bad idea that I see tourists doing at rest areas on I-75's Alligator Alley all the time.

BTW....Florida passed a new law that you can shoot any person who you feel might be about to cause you or another harm. It is very liberal and from my understanding does not have to be equal force as it used to be. Could be shooting a gator gets you in more trouble than shooting a human.

 

[chucko]

They are fast.... I was driving down the road and saw about a 6 footer maybe 50 yards from the water near the road. Thinking I wanted the gator I was going to put my truck between him and the lake and cut off his escape to the water.....my old chevy was too slow......I bet he was moving about 40 mph

 

[chucko]

They are fast.... I was driving down the road and saw about a 6 footer maybe 50 yards from the water near the road. Thinking I wanted the gator I was going to put my truck between him and the lake and cut off his escape to the water.....my old chevy was too slow......I bet he was moving about 40 mph

 

[HGM]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifOK,I grew up in Miami... After spending most of my early years in the Keys, I discovered the Glades..Today it remains a true love of mine.. There's something about it, if you havent been there and experienced it(not on a tour boat or buggie) you just cant understand it fully... My buddies and I would go out with a couple cases of adult beverages and spend the night out there fishing, spotlighting and catching(yes catching) gators... I'll be the first to say it isnt a smart thing to do, but being young and consuming alcohol will remove some sense(most everyone here knows exactly what I mean)..... Durring this time, I learned allot about gators.. The first and foremost was already mentioned here... DONT mess with mama durring mating season, she will be very agressive and humans are no match for their strength when they are the aggressor...On the other hand, in most cases they are truely more timid and afraid of humans than we sometimes give them credit for.... Ever notice how the gator attacks you hear of are in suburbs? This is because they have become acustomed to people and associate them with food.. We cant forget, they were here first.. If you think we should kill them all because they encroach on your property, maybe you shouldnt have moved to their home.. So much of Florida has been developed that the only choice is to build in the swamp(or what used to be swamp).. Its all about respect, you should always respect nature because you cannot always anticipate what will happen.. If you do respect it, you can enjoy it and co exist...

BTW, I always have a gun in the truck, but like was said, you dont want to get caught shooting a gator... Might be better off letting him eat you.. The law is screwy that way..

 

[HGM]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifOK,I grew up in Miami... After spending most of my early years in the Keys, I discovered the Glades..Today it remains a true love of mine.. There's something about it, if you havent been there and experienced it(not on a tour boat or buggie) you just cant understand it fully... My buddies and I would go out with a couple cases of adult beverages and spend the night out there fishing, spotlighting and catching(yes catching) gators... I'll be the first to say it isnt a smart thing to do, but being young and consuming alcohol will remove some sense(most everyone here knows exactly what I mean)..... Durring this time, I learned allot about gators.. The first and foremost was already mentioned here... DONT mess with mama durring mating season, she will be very agressive and humans are no match for their strength when they are the aggressor...On the other hand, in most cases they are truely more timid and afraid of humans than we sometimes give them credit for.... Ever notice how the gator attacks you hear of are in suburbs? This is because they have become acustomed to people and associate them with food.. We cant forget, they were here first.. If you think we should kill them all because they encroach on your property, maybe you shouldnt have moved to their home.. So much of Florida has been developed that the only choice is to build in the swamp(or what used to be swamp).. Its all about respect, you should always respect nature because you cannot always anticipate what will happen.. If you do respect it, you can enjoy it and co exist...

BTW, I always have a gun in the truck, but like was said, you dont want to get caught shooting a gator... Might be better off letting him eat you.. The law is screwy that way..