Something you don't see every day

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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)

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Never a dull moment here...nobody told him it was still winter time...


I love my job!
Carl
 

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Awesome...that I get to see that a few times a year.
Scary...hard to tell in the pic, but he or she is about 7 feet long, and they can run 30+ mph! Especially if they are hungry.
Carl
 
I opened up the thread, just knowing it was a picture of me and my TWO diabetic pets! I mean afterall......"Something you don't see every day!!!"

Seriously, glad you didn't get to close Carl!
 
Ginny,
Yes, when you get close enough, you can tell it's green, but a really dark shade of green.

What the hell do you do with something like that!!
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:lol: well, first you try the "good cop, bad cop" routine.... Good cop says "hey mr. gator, you really need to move away from the side of the road. You can't outrun a car, and besides, you're still supposed to be hiding out for the next 6 weeks or so...
This inevitably fails, so the bad cop takes over...

Mr. Gator, if you don't get away from the highway....then first , and then.

That usually works!
 
What the hell do you do with something like that!!
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But seriously... if the gator is a baby, only a couple feet long, you can catch it with an animal control pole. But I've seen even one that small get the pole on it, and start the spinny, twisty thing they do, and rip the pole right out of the handler's hands. Amazing how quick and powerful they are.

When the weather starts to warm up (it's been around 70 for a week here), they start to come out of the winter hiding semi-hibernation phase. They leave the fresh water ponds on one side of the highway, and try to cross the road to the marsh on the west side of the island. It has something to do with "bathing" in salt water to wash off the winter funk (mites and such). Then they cross back and do whatever it is gators do in the spring time.....eat, mate, scare people....

So when this happens, we get a call on the radio saying there's a gator on the roadside. At least two of us will go out there and figure out if we let it cross, or chase it back into the woods. Usually the latter.
So you park one truck between it and the road. Then you slowly approach it with a 2nd vehicle, using the horn or siren or racing the engine to try to scare it away. That usually works, but you have to be patient because he ain't moving till he is ready to move. Today, he didn't show the least bit on concern about the two trucks. So then you try to toss a pine cone or two at him to make him move.... that didn't work either. Today, it took a poke in the tail with a 5 foot long rake handle! And I didn't do the poking! Gator was pissed off, but took off pretty quickly back into the woods.

Since I have worked here, I've probably seen a dozen of them in a location other than around or in the ponds of fresh water. Every year we get one or two on the side of the highway. So far I have never seen one hit by a car, but they have held up traffic a couple times. And of course, everybody wants to stop and take a picture, which can be a bit nerve wracking.

This one was reported as "ten feet long", so we automatically assumed about 5 feet tops. Scary things always look bigger than life! I got maybe 15 feet away and guessed at 7 feet, maybe a few inches more, but I figured that was close enough for government work.

Carl
 
Wow! Hope your kitty was inside!

I know it has been so warm here in the Mtn's for Jan. All the daffodills are in bloom. I even heard the frogs croaking tonight at our pond. Amazing they are all out in Jan. No gators here though, just red wolves and coyote's.

Be careful! The government doesn't pay enough for a leg bitten off.

Awesome to see. Keep the pics coming!

Lori
 
Yes we have seen quite a few here in "gator country" lately. Last one was a 8 footer.
They smell quite stinky if you get in the vicinity of one.
 
dmartini4 said:
What the hell do you do with something like that!!
nailbite_smile
Click to expand...

You put it right next to the mashed and gravy.
Those critters are delicious!!
 
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