# Came very, very close to losing my son to a gator today.



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 20, 2019)

Was mullet fishing in the middle of the Oconee River today with my 5 and 12 year old sons.
About 6-8 women came floating by on floats and we made small talk.  Oddly enough it turned to gators and they said they hadn't seen any and I told them I hadn't either, but I knew they were in the river, because I had seen them several miles down.  They floated on down and my 5 year old was playing in the water just above me.  There was a submerged sandbar in the middle of the river.  It was about 2-3 foot deep.  We were all standing in the water and only had a kayak anchored with us to keep our bait, drinks and supplies in.  I happened to look up and saw a BIG gator swimming about 35 yards up river swimming away from us.  I told my 5 y/o to come to me.  I've never been scared of gators before.  It's always been my opinion that if you leave them alone they left you alone, but I wanted my younger son closer just in case.

The gator swam on up the river about another 50 yards and proceeded to do what gators generally do.....just sit there next to the bank.  My 12 y/o son decided he wanted to go get some fishing line from the bank so he swam over(about 70 yards opposite bank) got out and got the line and proceeded to jump back in and swim back toward me.  I looked up just to check on the gator and he was cutting a wake right toward my son. It was almost surreal how fast that gator was moving.  I yelled for him to swim like crazy to me at the kayak and I took off running through the water trying to put myself between the gator and my son, yelling, splashing and waving my arms like a madman.  The gator initially paid no attention to me, or didn't notice me and veered toward me as my son got closer.  My son reached the kayak and the gator finally noticed me and stopped about 20-25 yards away from us.  I picked up rocks and threw, yelled and continued to be as menacing as i could,  but it was very hesitant to leave, eventually taking up station about 75 yard up river and on the left bank.   Our exit was on the right bank.  I had threw my 5 year old in the yak at some point.  I don't even remember when, but we were in a pickle.  I found myself in the middle of the river with 2 children, 1 kayak, no phone, no one in sight, and no reason to expect anyone, knowing to get out we were gonna have to swim for it.  I didn't panic, but there was no good solution.  I didn't want to try to swim for it because I had seen how fast that gator could swim and knew there was no way we would make it if it decided to come again, especially with me having to push my 5 y/o son in the kayak while the 12 y/o swam.  I thought maybe we could try to wade down the river and come out on a rock shoal so we tried but it kept getting deeper and deeper very quickly so that was a no go.  we went back up and positioned ourself in the shallowest water i could find which was rocky but about 2 foot deep.  From there I hoped we could go up the river and try to cross.  It would move us slightly closer to the gator, but would mean the swim wouldn't be quiet as far.  That's what we did.  I angled us up the river but away from the gator and got to a point where we wouldn't have to swim about 20 yards.  I told my 12 y/o son to SWIM and he made the bank in no time.  I check the gator hadn't moved and couldn't see him anymore.  I shoved the kayak with my 5 y/o son toward my son on the bank as hard as I could being neck deep in water and quickly caught  up to it and steered it to the bank.  It was very steep and as soon as the kayak hit the bank i turned it sideways and my 12 y/o grabbed the 5 y/o and got as far up the bank as they could.  I waited there chest deep in water until they cleared the top of the bluff and floated with the yak down about 30 yards to where we had put in at.  I got out, pulled the yak out and sent the kids to fetch my phone from the truck.  I called 911 and asked that the warden be notified.  I could see the gator again and Thank God he was on the other side of the river.  I just sat and watched him.  Pretty sure I couldn't have walked if I wanted to.  The Warden called me back in a while and while I was speaking with him the gator came back across the river to our side and settled about 70 yards up stream.  Initially I had thought he was 6-8 foot long judging from snout to brow, but seeing him from higher vantage point on the bank, I could see he was probable 8-10 foot, but not super wide.    Just as he went behind some flotsam a local gator trapper showed up.  I don't know who called him, 911 or the Warden, but the Warden knew him when I told him who had showed up. I got off the phone with the Warden and relayed the story again to him.  He said he had seen a 10 footer here before and that from what he had seen recently the gators are very hungry due to low water levels, and that the gator had simple seen my son as an available food source.  I had pretty much guessed the same, but it dang sure wasn't any more reassuring.  The plan is to try to pattern the gator, catch it and who knows from there.  I told him all my life I've respected gators, but not been afraid of them, but that today had changed all that.  He said they are apex predators and if you are in the water, or near the water, then you are on the food chain.  I guess in theory I've always known that, but today did away with my thinking about it on a theoretical basis.  It was real, and if it wasn't for the grace of God we would be dragging the river for my son tonight.  I won't be sleeping much tonight, but Thank God it's not because of that.


----------



## 4HAND (Jul 20, 2019)

My goodness! Thank God y'all got out of there safely!


----------



## Stonewall 2 (Jul 21, 2019)

Glad all I well! I can only imagine the fear for your sons! Awesome job keeping your wits about you. Where on the Oconee river?


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 21, 2019)

Stonewall 2 said:


> Glad all I well! I can only imagine the fear for your sons! Awesome job keeping your wits about you. Where on the Oconee river?



About 1/2 mile above 80 bridge in Dublin


----------



## Hillbilly stalker (Jul 21, 2019)

Man I'm glad your sons and you are ok. You gotta keep your guard up.


----------



## Cmp1 (Jul 21, 2019)

Wow,,,,glad everything is good,,,,


----------



## ugajay (Jul 21, 2019)

That had to be horrifying! Thank the good Lord everything worked out


----------



## Hooked On Quack (Jul 21, 2019)

Dang it brother, that coulda been terrible.  You kept your head and did good.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 21, 2019)

Keeping your senses about you surely worked in ya`lls favor and saved all of you from a catastrophic event. Never let your guard down anytime you`re in their territory, because nobody on this earth can predict what a gator will do. They are sneaky, fast, and incredibly strong. 

I`m thankful this had a good outcome.


----------



## Pig Predator (Jul 21, 2019)

I'm glad ya'll are okay, that could've been bad to say the least. I know it is illegal but, I would have ended that gator when we got to safety. It would relocate down stream by current for going after a person. I would've been concerned for others safety as they float that river regularly and wouldn't leave a hungry,man eating,apex predator in the water for them. But thats just me. I'm from the mtns and gators weird me out a little anyway.


----------



## Mark K (Jul 21, 2019)

Not taking anything away from your experience, but any time you enter the water where gators inhabit then you are always a potential meal, whether it’s fishing or hunting. I ran into an ornery one on our local WMA. Don’t know if she had a nest nearby or what, but it flat let me know I wasn’t welcome in that part of the swamp. Glad your outcome was what it was.


----------



## EAGLE EYE 444 (Jul 21, 2019)

I am VERY THANKFUL that you and your family are OK and I know that this must have scared all of you beyond comprehension.


Thankfully, in my area of Georgia, I don't have anything to worry about as such and I don't plan on visiting the rivers across Georgia such as your locations etc either.

However, I just posted photos on here today of gators that we saw while on our golfing vacation on the golf courses that are located just west of Disney World boundries at Orangelake Resort where we have owned there for the past 31 years now and I always vacation there with my family in Mid-July each year.  You surely have to keep a close eye out for them as I surely don't trust any of them.


----------



## Ruger#3 (Jul 21, 2019)

Thank God for the outcome. Your actions likely prevented the unthinkable.


----------



## Throwback (Jul 21, 2019)

praise God!


----------



## jbogg (Jul 21, 2019)

That would be a helpless feeling, and two young kids with you just compounds the stress.  Really glad you stayed aware of your surroundings. Not much in the woods gives me the willys, but wading through a waist Deep South Georgia swamp in the dark to get to my hunting spot would be a no go for me.


----------



## chehawknapper (Jul 21, 2019)

Glad you worked out a plan that kept you and yours safe. I have always been told that <8’ the gator is more worried about you than you should be about him, BUT, >8’ and definitely >10’ you better keep eyes on him at all times because he knows he can take you.


----------



## Big7 (Jul 21, 2019)

Nicodemus said:


> Keeping your senses about you surely worked in ya`lls favor and saved all of you from a catastrophic event. Never let your guard down anytime you`re in their territory, because nobody on this earth can predict what a gator will do. They are sneaky, fast, and incredibly strong.
> 
> I`m thankful this had a good outcome.


 
My sentiments EXACTLY. All I can add is, if I'm in gator county, I always carry a pistol if messing around in the water. If I'm in a decent size boat with no intention of swimming, I'll have my little youth model 3" chamber 870 stoked with 3" number 2 buckshot. 18 pellets. I had to kill one at Chickasawhatchee one time about 10 years ago. Some of my buds were hog hunting- it was way to hot for me and a friends son. We found a massive fish kill. The scaled fish were dead and floating. Only the cat's were alive and we were scooping them out with a dip net by the hundreds. Half to three quarters of a pound. Dang gator run at me until he got about 5 yards from me. Then he starts hissing. I figured he was going to charge me, so I shot it one time, right at the bridge of the nose, between the eyes. He didn't move. Soon as I stopped shaking, I was thinking about taking the tail. Then I thought about how much money it would cost me if I got caught. 

It was self defense. I would have never shot him had he not charged me. I was really scared. 

Glad your situation worked out. I'd carry in gator county if I were you. Especially with kids. Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 21, 2019)

Big7 said:


> My sentiments EXACTLY. All I can add is, if I'm in gator county, I always carry a pistol if messing around in the water. If I'm in a decent size boat with no intention of swimming, I'll have my little youth model 3" chamber 870 stoked with 3" number 2 buckshot. 18 pellets. I had to kill one at Chickasawhatchee one time about 10 years ago. Some of my buds were hog hunting- it was way to hot for me and a friends son. We found a massive fish kill. The scaled fish were dead and floating. Only the cat's were alive and we were scooping them out with a dip net by the hundreds. Half to three quarters of a pound. Dang gator run at me until he got about 5 yards from me. Then he starts hissing. I figured he was going to charge me, so I shot it one time, right at the bridge of the nose, between the eyes. He didn't move. Soon as I stopped shaking, I was thinking about taking the tail. Then I thought about how much money it would cost me if I got caught.
> 
> It was self defense. I would have never shot him had he not charged me. I was really scared.
> 
> Glad your situation worked out. I'd carry in gator county if I were you. Especially with kids. Just my 2 cents.



The problem with gators, is that in most cases, by the time you see it, it will be too late.  At least in the experiences that I`ve seen. Most of the time they don`t come at their prey on top of the water. They hit from below.


----------



## Big7 (Jul 21, 2019)

Nicodemus said:


> The problem with gators, is that in most cases, by the time you see it, it will be too late.  At least in the experiences that I`ve seen. Most of the time they don`t come at their prey on top of the water. They hit from below.



I hear you. There was very little water. What was there was pooled up. All the fish except cat's were dead. This guy came running from the woods, not water. It was scary. Me and the kid were on a wood bridge. I know they close fast. Bad as I hate it was him or me and the 12 y/o kid. I wasn't out to kill a gator. We had seen a BUNCH of them around. Then it just happened. If I'd had a place to go, I would have. The truck was 20 yards away. I knew we couldn't out run the gator that far.


----------



## Big7 (Jul 21, 2019)

And the little pools were only 12-18 inches deep in the channel.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jul 21, 2019)

Glad it turned out good, that could have went very bad. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about up here. I haven't been around enough gators to know how to judge them or how they behave.


----------



## Mark K (Jul 21, 2019)

Big7 said:


> My sentiments EXACTLY. All I can add is, if I'm in gator county, I always carry a pistol if messing around in the water. If I'm in a decent size boat with no intention of swimming, I'll have my little youth model 3" chamber 870 stoked with 3" number 2 buckshot. 18 pellets. I had to kill one at Chickasawhatchee one time about 10 years ago. Some of my buds were hog hunting- it was way to hot for me and a friends son. We found a massive fish kill. The scaled fish were dead and floating. Only the cat's were alive and we were scooping them out with a dip net by the hundreds. Half to three quarters of a pound. Dang gator run at me until he got about 5 yards from me. Then he starts hissing. I figured he was going to charge me, so I shot it one time, right at the bridge of the nose, between the eyes. He didn't move. Soon as I stopped shaking, I was thinking about taking the tail. Then I thought about how much money it would cost me if I got caught.
> 
> It was self defense. I would have never shot him had he not charged me. I was really scared.
> 
> Glad your situation worked out. I'd carry in gator county if I were you. Especially with kids. Just my 2 cents.


Wonder if that’s the same gator I had an encounter with. It did the exact same thing. I just backed out keeping an eye on it and found another route to take. This one was fairly grown too. And it would have been about that time frame as well.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 21, 2019)

Big7 said:


> I hear you. There was very little water. What was there was pooled up. All the fish except cat's were dead. This guy came running from the woods, not water. It was scary. Me and the kid were on a wood bridge. I know they close fast. Bad as I hate it was him or me and the 12 y/o kid. I wasn't out to kill a gator. We had seen a BUNCH of them around. Then it just happened. If I'd had a place to go, I would have. The truck was 20 yards away. I knew we couldn't out run the gator that far.




Sounds like you were at Flat Hole Bridge on Chickasawhatchee Creek, or along the Kiokee Creek stretch.

Chickasawhatchee WMA is part of my stomping grounds. since the early 1970`s.


----------



## oochee hunter (Jul 21, 2019)

I live on the river above where you were fishing.  Can tell you first hand there are some doosies in the oconee.  See them quite often in my pond.


----------



## Big7 (Jul 21, 2019)

Nicodemus said:


> Sounds like you were at Flat Hole Bridge on Chickasawhatchee Creek, or along the Kiokee Creek stretch.
> 
> Chickasawhatchee WMA is part of my stomping grounds. since the early 1970`s.



I'm not sure of the name of the river. I'd remember if I had satellite screen shot or a good topo map. I'm thinking where I had to shoot that gator was more like a creek. I want to go back there- just not in the summer. Seen some really good deer & hog sign. Is that river you were talking about, the same river that runs through your place?


----------



## Tom W. (Jul 21, 2019)

I used to fish amongst them a lot in Lake Eufaula. The smaller ones would try to catch my buzzbaits. One day my buddy and I were on his bass boat fishing in the Witches ditch. I was on the very back of the boat next to the motor throwing a spinnerbait. There was a small limb that was hung up under the motor and the tip part was out and making splashes. I looked and all of a sudden there was a big gator coming up behind the boat pretty quick. He caught up with the boat, opened his mouth and rolled a bit, determined to bite that stick. I saw that the inside of the gator's mouth looked the same color as a dirty tee shirt. Two steps and I was at the bow of the boat crowding the trolling motor.
I still think that if I hadn't moved when I did I would have been gone....


I'm glad that you and your boys are safe. I suspect that you will be a bit jumpy for quite a while......


----------



## Thunder Head (Jul 22, 2019)

First off, im glad yall are ok.

All predators have a general sense of what size prey they can take on. A small child is on every large predators list of can do. Dosent mean they will. But if they see an opening there liable to go for it. Better keep the little ones close and be watchful when your in there territory.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 22, 2019)

Big7 said:


> I'm not sure of the name of the river. I'd remember if I had satellite screen shot or a good topo map. I'm thinking where I had to shoot that gator was more like a creek. I want to go back there- just not in the summer. Seen some really good deer & hog sign. Is that river you were talking about, the same river that runs through your place?




The 4 waterways in Chickasawhatchee are Keel Creek, Spring Creek, Chickasawhatchee, and Kiokee Creeks. I`m between Kinchafoonee and Muckalee Creeks, with the Flint River about 8 miles or so to the east.


----------



## Big7 (Jul 22, 2019)

Nicodemus said:


> The 4 waterways in Chickasawhatchee are Keel Creek, Spring Creek, Chickasawhatchee, and Kiokee Creeks. I`m between Kinchafoonee and Muckalee Creeks, with the Flint River about 8 miles or so to the east.



Thanks. Now that I have some parameters, I'll see. I might just get me good map. Hard fitting the sat. maps on a phone screen. I don't have a line to hook up my computer to. I'm not that far from the publc library. They have good computers. Thanks for the info..


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 22, 2019)

Big7 said:


> Thanks. Now that I have some parameters, I'll see. I might just get me good map. Hard fitting the sat. maps on a phone screen. I don't have a line to hook up my computer to. I'm not that far from the publc library. They have good computers. Thanks for the info..




No problem. The area shows up well on google earth.


----------



## Swamprat (Jul 22, 2019)

Glad you are all safe...can't even imagine that scenario if I had my kids with me...by myself not an huge deal but in my 53 years of stomping around Florida swamps whether working or playing you never know how a gator will act.


----------



## bigbonner (Jul 22, 2019)

I am from Kentucky , I have never seen the swamps and after reading this story I am glad we have no alligator's. 
 Plenty of Wildcats and occasionally a bigfoot


----------



## elfiii (Jul 29, 2019)

My skin is crawling after reading that. Y'all were lucky the good Lord was looking out after you.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 30, 2019)

elfiii said:


> My skin is crawling after reading that. Y'all were lucky the good Lord was looking out after you.



It was by God's grace, and that alone which saved us.  Of that I have NO doubt.  I've been keeping a close eye out and have not seen it again.  It's just behind my house so I can and do go down there every evening.  Nothing.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 31, 2019)

Update. Went down to the river yesterday evening just before sunset and just watched.   I hear voices echoing down the river.  As they get closer I can see it’s a lady and her 2 sons who appear to be 7- 8 years old  floating down on Dollar General
Floats.  They are coming right through where me and my sons had our run-in.  I hailed the lady from the bank, appraise her of what happened and offered to help them out.  They wisely chose to come out.......QUICKLY.  My sons and I helped them up to our house and they called for someone to pick them up.  They said they had already seen 2 gators but had paid them no mind.  My son said to me, “What kind of people float down a river in dollar floats at dusk with kids?”  I told him I had spent many a evening and even night swimming in the river.  Gators are just something most people don’t worry about, but this one has me concerned he’s gonna get someone or a child given the number of people floating down the river and his behavior.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 31, 2019)

Has anybody along that stretch of river been feeding gators that you know of? It sure sounds like it.


----------



## Mark K (Jul 31, 2019)

A gator is like a snake, one day you may be able to pet him and the next day you’d be his dinner. He might have just been hangry that day.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 31, 2019)

Nicodemus said:


> Has anybody along that stretch of river been feeding gators that you know of? It sure sounds like it.



Nic.  The Warden suggested the same, but IMHO it's highly doubtful.  There are only a few of us who have land that even has river access on the land itself.  Of us, all of the others are very old and debilitated to the point of being physically unable to get to their land on the river, with the exception of one.  I know him.  He's not gonna do that, or allow it to happen on his property.  So in short, No.  The trapper told me that due to the low water levels, the gator's food supply was down, they were very hungry, and that the last few he had to euthanize had only rocks in their stomach.  I didn't know gators ate rocks, but the guy struck me as a man who knew his business.  He was realistic, sincere, and very informative, so I took him at his word.  It made sense to me.  If you think about it, with low water levels, there is less area to feed, less prey, less cover for the gators, and it concentrates the gators into a condensed area all competing for what food IS avail. That's just how I reasoned it.  All I really know is that a gator that is big enough to take down a grown man tried to get my kid.  As a guy who literally lives in the water, or on the water, almost as much as a gator,(and that is no exaggeration)  along with my kids, it concerns me as I can't feel safe as long as it's around.  Wouldn't bother me a bit if it was 5 miles up or down stream.  We would be swimming and fishing today, but that's not the case.  Also concerning is the fact that many others are unaware of the danger and are continuing to float down.


----------



## Mark K (Jul 31, 2019)

You do realize that’s probably not the only gator in the river. What I’ve seen is they generally move on after a food source is depleted. And I thought low water would make their food supply even more available provide they’re eating aquatic prey. I even find gator tracks on plantations as they move from one hole to the next.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Jul 31, 2019)

Mark K said:


> You do realize that’s probably not the only gator in the river.



Never crossed my mind.



> And I thought low water would make their food supply even more available provide they’re eating aquatic prey.



Really????  Go on....


----------



## Mark K (Jul 31, 2019)

SemperFiDawg said:


> Never crossed my mind.
> 
> 
> 
> Really????  Go on....


Yeah I’ll play then. 
Have you ever seen a pond lose water?? What happens to all the fish? 
Go on, guess???
Yes, that’s right, they all get concentrated in one little area. And I’d be willing to bet that makes it a whole lot easier for their predators to catch them.
Not sure where you were going with your answers, but you went the wrong direction. 

As far as the gator comment, it’s an alligator being an alligator. People float by, swim by, wade by, even walk the banks by gators every single day. And, if you remove one, another fills it’s place. It’s the same with trapping. What I take out, another eventually moves in. 
Wasn’t being smart, just trying to understand your reasoning and how you expect a water source not to have gators.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Aug 1, 2019)

Mark K said:


> Yeah I’ll play then.
> Have you ever seen a pond lose water?? What happens to all the fish?
> Go on, guess???
> Yes, that’s right, they all get concentrated in one little area. And I’d be willing to bet that makes it a whole lot easier for their predators to catch them.
> ...



I'm gonna be gracious here, and just assume you skimmed over my posts,  because there's no way you fully comprehended them and then drew these conclusions about me from them:



> You do realize that’s probably not the only gator in the river.





> how you expect a water source not to have gators.


.  

It's just not possible.


----------



## Budda (Aug 3, 2019)

Gator just doing what gators do.  Eat.  Aweful glad yall made it and all but just remember its all groovy being on top of the food chain but being lower then that aint so much fun.  Be careful out there.  Gators generally will leave you alone but if its you or starving, sorry son, but you are gonna be the food.


----------



## hambone76 (Aug 26, 2019)

Glad that you and your children are ok. Good job keeping your wits and thinking of the best way out of there.


----------



## fireman32 (Aug 27, 2019)

Glad y’all are safe.  We have gators here in Dooly co. With plenty of water for them to be anywhere.  Even had a four footer show up in my shop and another 5 footer by my mail box.  It pays to be aware of your surroundings.


----------



## Cool Hand Luke (Aug 27, 2019)

Glad you and your sons made it out ok!!! Got to tell a story.
Lived in Florida for a couple years in high school in the early 80's. Buddy's parents owned some property on the Little Wekiva river. Beautiful undeveloped place with white sand, crystal clear water, palm tree's, elephant ears and palmettos. River about 20ft wide so best way to fish was wade and we did non-stop. Bag of rubber worms, hooks & bullet weights under your hat and a bait caster. Took my cousin once who was not an outdoorsman at all. Proceeded to wade upstream and casted into a hole I knew was full of roots and got snagged. Waded up to unsnag my worm and reached down to see I was snagged on the back leg of about a 6 ft gator. I had seen many gators so didn't really affect me so backed up, bit my line and turned to see my cousin literally walk on water back to the shore. Have very fond memories of that river but amazed none of us ever got chewed on. Several oxbows we would have to put our rod between our teeth and swim through deep holes. Wouldn't do it today.


----------



## Mark K (Aug 27, 2019)

If you’ve ever been to the beach, you’ve swam with sharks.
If you’ve ever swam in a river, you’ve swam with gators. 
If you’ve waded a swamp, you’ve waded with gators.


----------



## SemperFiDawg (Aug 28, 2019)

Cool Hand Luke said:


> Glad you and your sons made it out ok!!! Got to tell a story.
> Lived in Florida for a couple years in high school in the early 80's. Buddy's parents owned some property on the Little Wekiva river. Beautiful undeveloped place with white sand, crystal clear water, palm tree's, elephant ears and palmettos. River about 20ft wide so best way to fish was wade and we did non-stop. Bag of rubber worms, hooks & bullet weights under your hat and a bait caster. Took my cousin once who was not an outdoorsman at all. Proceeded to wade upstream and casted into a hole I knew was full of roots and got snagged. Waded up to unsnag my worm and reached down to see I was snagged on the back leg of about a 6 ft gator. I had seen many gators so didn't really affect me so backed up, bit my line and turned to see my cousin literally walk on water back to the shore. Have very fond memories of that river but amazed none of us ever got chewed on. Several oxbows we would have to put our rod between our teeth and swim through deep holes. Wouldn't do it today.



Oh that brought back a memory.  WAs doing the same thing one time with my cousin.  Up to our necks traversing a bend in a creek, Hands over our heads, crickets in one, spinner in the other, fish stringer in our teeth and a huge cottonmouth came around the bend and swam right between us and my cousin was already about in my back pocket because he was nervous to start with.  If I remember correctly he called it quits very shortly after making shore.  Didn’t bother me.  I had the creek all to myself after that.


----------



## Browning Slayer (Aug 28, 2019)

Yeah, I'm not sure I would have called the Warden. I would have taken care of the nuisance gator after getting the boys back to the truck.

Glad it turned out good for you guys. Could have been a lot worse.


----------



## mattech (Sep 12, 2019)

Man, having a son that just turned 13, and just took him gator hunting for the first time a few weeks ago, it definitely makes me scared for ya. I've been in some wild places in the middle of the night, and only had one gator ever charge me. I was in a boat though, and was getting ready to hook it when it finally dove under. I've walked up on Gators on land and had them his at me, but never with my kids. I've also seam in that river not far from that area, and although knew Gators where there, didn't stress it. All animals are different, 99.9% of the time they will try and get away, but all it takes is that .1% of the time.


----------



## Dep6 (Sep 17, 2019)

Very glad yall had a good outcome. I have had the boat bitten, harpoon shaft chewed up, even had the line on a treble hook get cut on a Gator's tooth over the years. Like so many have said, Apex predator, size being the key factor most times in the danger to humans, but remember a 5-6 footer will try to take a dog if it is hungry!!


----------

