# Something attacked the decoy



## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

I had something attack a decoy on a river in SE GA. I heard a THWACK! then I turned to see my decoy come popping back up. I do not know for sure what it was, but I will tell you that something tried to eat my GWT deek.  It was in a pool off the current in about 4-5 feet deep water. I was thinking it was a a gator, but I really do not know. The scary thing is that I had my pup out there too. What are everybody's thoughts? Has anybody else seen anything like this?


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

i think its still to hot to be letting a dog in the rivers around se ga. it would be a bad day to lose your buddy to one of them big lizzards. if you are going to let him/her retrieve i wold make sure i kept a close eye on the surroundings while its in the water.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

Sea dawg1978 said:


> i think its still to hot to be letting a dog in the rivers around se ga. it would be a bad day to lose your buddy to one of them big lizzards. if you are going to let him/her retrieve i wold make sure i kept a close eye on the surroundings while its in the water.



Agreed. To be honest I did not even think about gators in that part of the river until it happened. I made sure the dog stayed out after that.


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

another thing to concider depending on what river and where on that river is the current. closer to the coast we have some pretty strong tides so if you let your dog out in that keep that in mind too especially as it gets colder.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

this was the first time i ever hunted this river and i did not realize how swift it really was until i waded out into the current. luckily there was a sandbar that kinjda broke it up in that spot so my dog had no real trouble. BUT it was just kinda crazy to see that decoy come popping back up after something hit it. i just dont see what else could have done that????


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## gdaagent (Nov 21, 2011)

We were scouting the Chattahoochee around Mead last Tuesday and came up on about a twelve footer resting on the bank. Still too hot to be messin around some of these creeks. Saw lots of 5-6 footers. Some wild hogs. A couple of deer. And a bald eagle. That was a sight. Flew beside the boat for about a half mile.

Be careful with the dog. My dog is like a child. I would be crushed as I'm sure you would be too.


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## GABASSMAN (Nov 21, 2011)

Could have been a hawk


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

what river where you in?


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## nickf11 (Nov 21, 2011)

GABASSMAN said:


> Could have been a hawk



Yup, I once watched a hawk try to attack my dove decoys, multiple times.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

ogeechee


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

dont think it was a bird...i watched the decoy come back up. it was completely submerged.


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## 12mcrebel (Nov 21, 2011)

was there any damage to the decoy? teeth marks?


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

ThunderRoad said:


> ogeechee



yeah the current in the ogeechee is rediculous, especially closer to the mouth around ft mcallister.


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## dawg2 (Nov 21, 2011)

12mcrebel said:


> was there any damage to the decoy? teeth marks?



If not something may have gotten tangled in the line like a big fish or a turtle.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

the keel was damaged, but i cant see any teeth marks. but something obviously grabbed it and brought it under. like i said, i do not know what could have done it or how it was pulled under. but the sound of it getting hit was aggressive and when i looked over it came back to the surface. at first i thought it may have been just a huge catfish or something. but the more i thought about it the more i believe it may have been a small gator. the little teal decoys had some great movement in a little slack water pool off the main current. they really looked real. i could see where a gator would hit one, especially in that stained water from all the cypress trees.


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## GABASSMAN (Nov 21, 2011)

well you said you heard a THWACK and I've had a hawk do the same thing to my decoys on the river as well.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

Sea dawg1978 said:


> yeah the current in the ogeechee is rediculous, especially closer to the mouth around ft mcallister.



buddy that was the first time i ever hunted to ogeechee. we hunted the evening and ended up having to go down stream about half a mile back to the truck IN THE DARK!!! All I had was a headlamp, and I am suprised I made it back. We had 2 grown men, a dog, 3 batteries, and all of our gear. We were barely floating in the first place and when we got sideways on a downed tree in the middle I am suprised we did not get flipped. It could have gotten very ugly in waders too. It was very surreal and I will never do that again. The 5-6 ducks we saw were not worth it.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

GABASSMAN said:


> well you said you heard a THWACK and I've had a hawk do the same thing to my decoys on the river as well.



I mean maybe it was a bird, but I had my eye on the sky the whole time. Who knows though anything is possible. We were in the middle of nowhere on this river...


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## Golden BB (Nov 21, 2011)

Otter


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## southgabowhunter (Nov 21, 2011)

BIG bass


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## reelsouthern1220 (Nov 21, 2011)

Could have been an owl maybe??...I had one try to pick one of mine up the last day of the season last year


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## castandblast (Nov 21, 2011)

reelsouthern1220 said:


> Could have been an owl maybe??...I had one try to pick one of mine up the last day of the season last year



Yea it could have been an owl or a hawk. I had an owl attack my turkey decoy last year. I had a hawk pick up a fluke minnow while fishing before. I never saw either before they attacked them. 

But a gator shouldn't be ruled out either.... But if it didn't leave teath marks its probably not a gator.


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## vowell462 (Nov 21, 2011)

Ive had Nutria rats attack my decoys on South Arkansas. That was kinda weird. Never anything in Ga though, but I  have seen gators out this time of year.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

castandblast said:


> Yea it could have been an owl or a hawk. I had an owl attack my turkey decoy last year. I had a hawk pick up a fluke minnow while fishing before. I never saw either before they attacked them.
> 
> But a gator shouldn't be ruled out either.... But if it didn't leave teath marks its probably not a gator.



I am going to check the decoy again. Maybe it was beat up more than I think. I did pick it up at dark...


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## castandblast (Nov 21, 2011)

it was a bigfoot! no no... black panther


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 21, 2011)

castandblast said:


> it was a bigfoot! no no... black panther



panther maybe...but not black  and everybody knows that a bigfoot dont like the swamps...it could have been a skunk ape though!! lol


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

copper moccosin


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## Nicodemus (Nov 21, 2011)

I took this picture Saturday. Look close.


If a gator hit your decoy, there should be tooth marks in. As stated, something could have tangled in the line. I`m not sayin` one won`t, but I have never seen evidence of an otter takin` a duck.


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## Hooked On Quack (Nov 21, 2011)

Beaver could of slapped the decoy with his tail??


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## radams1228 (Nov 21, 2011)

Hooked On Quack said:


> Beaver could of slapped the decoy with his tail??



X2..... I've had them tangle in the decoys and bunch them all up in a wad.....there are gators in the Ogeechee.....but my money would be on a beaver swimming thru and tangling the lines.


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## folded77 (Nov 21, 2011)

I dont know anything about that river, but if it goes to the coast.I do know that bull sharks can travel far up fresh water rivers  and use them as a nursury for the little ones


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 21, 2011)

folded77 said:


> I dont know anything about that river, but if it goes to the coast.I do know that bull sharks can travel far up fresh water rivers  and use them as a nursury for the little ones



it does go to the coast but i have never heard of any one seeing a bull shark in any of the rivers along the coast of ga. not saying that it couldnt be but i think its highly unlikely.


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## gsubo (Nov 21, 2011)

Probably a longnose gar...

and i wouldnt advise sending a dog just yet in big rivers in these areas. Saw plenty of gators this weekend..


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## Wing Nut (Nov 21, 2011)

i had one do somthing like that saturday mornin in savannah river.... threw it in and a few winutes later it start movin all around and the rest wernt movin...we were set up in a pot hole with no current... figured iut to be a catfish or a gar two other boys were with me so i know im not to crazy unless we all are! lol


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## creekrocket (Nov 21, 2011)

Sea dawg1978 said:


> it does go to the coast but i have never heard of any one seeing a bull shark in any of the rivers along the coast of ga. not saying that it couldnt be but i think its highly unlikely.



Friend of mine caught one in Savannah River before.

Where at on the Ogeechee were you?


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## gooseslayer26 (Nov 21, 2011)

snappin turtle...


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## Deadduck (Nov 22, 2011)

I was hunting the ogeechee last weekend, I did see a small gator. Also saw a couple of river otters they could also be your culprit.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 22, 2011)

creekrocket said:


> Friend of mine caught one in Savannah River before.
> 
> Where at on the Ogeechee were you?



Very close to Midland.


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## king killer delete (Nov 22, 2011)

*Thats why when I hunt.*

I use SEADAWG to retreive my ducks. I do let him use a dip net. LOL /LOL/LOL/


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## vowell462 (Nov 22, 2011)

Nicodemus said:


> I took this picture Saturday. Look close.
> 
> 
> If a gator hit your decoy, there should be tooth marks in. As stated, something could have tangled in the line. I`m not sayin` one won`t, but I have never seen evidence of an otter takin` a duck.



That looks like a pretty big gator. Seminole?


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## Nicodemus (Nov 22, 2011)

vowell462 said:


> That looks like a pretty big gator. Seminole?





Yea, and he was about 10 feet. Just a fair size lizard.


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## ThunderRoad (Nov 22, 2011)

Nicodemus said:


> Yea, and he was about 10 feet. Just a fair size lizard.



fair size...hahahaha. You crack me up Nic. In my book, thats a BIG gator!


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## Nicodemus (Nov 22, 2011)

ThunderRoad said:


> fair size...hahahaha. You crack me up Nic. In my book, thats a BIG gator!





Come with me next spring. I`ll show you some sho-nuff big ones. I ain`t kiddin`.


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 22, 2011)

creekrocket said:


> Friend of mine caught one in Savannah River before.
> 
> Where at on the Ogeechee were you?



around ft mac, like i said its not impossible just unlikely, i dont know exactly where he was hunting but it sounds like it was way north.


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## little rascal (Nov 22, 2011)

*ditto, what he said*



> Probably a longnose gar...


bet it was swimming up river feeding and nipped the line.
or a nice size submerged limb or logged traveling downstream may have bumped the line.


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## brobi9 (Nov 22, 2011)

ThunderRoad said:


> It could have gotten very ugly in waders too.


 
Lost my best friend in January cause he was wearin waders in the boat.. take em off man, its not worth it. The same with a HSS harness in the tree


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## Sea dawg1978 (Nov 22, 2011)

brobi9 said:


> Lost my best friend in January cause he was wearin waders in the boat.. take em off man, its not worth it. The same with a HSS harness in the tree



i heard about that man, sorry for your loss. it really hits home when you hear of something like that happening doing something that you love to do.

i agree no waders in the boat for me either, dont care how cold it is..


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## florida boy (Nov 23, 2011)

Golden BB said:


> Otter



While deer hunting last season I watched an otter catch a hen woodrow that was floating down the creek . After killing her he swam back to his spot under the roots on the bank to eat his meal .


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## brad2727 (Nov 23, 2011)

Nicodemus said:


> I took this picture Saturday. Look close.
> 
> 
> If a gator hit your decoy, there should be tooth marks in. As stated, something could have tangled in the line. I`m not sayin` one won`t, but I have never seen evidence of an otter takin` a duck.



they will......otter eat a hen wood duck last year on the ocmulgee....watched him take her....she was dead of course our....but they will get em!


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## BigSwole (Nov 23, 2011)

I had an otter take a drake woodie last year. Watched it happen. Then 30 minutes latwr i had another/same ottee come up and gran a decoy and let go of it. So it could of been an otter. I believe a gator would have left teeth marks and a bird would have left at least some scratch marks.


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## brobi9 (Nov 23, 2011)

Sea dawg1978 said:


> i heard about that man, sorry for your loss. it really hits home when you hear of something like that happening doing something that you love to do.
> 
> i agree no waders in the boat for me either, dont care how cold it is..



Just an extra under armour and long jons for those really cold mornins


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## Lukikus2 (Nov 23, 2011)

Never can tell.....


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## brobi9 (Nov 23, 2011)

^^^^^^^ thats crazy


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