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Are you afraid of alligators?


Randomguy

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Alligators are not a big concern in Pennsylvania. When we went swimming in a lake in Louisiana when we were visiting our son I asked him if there were alligators in the lake. He said there are a few but they stay on the other side of the lake............mostly. 
:runcirclsmiley:

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Nah. I have had a couple of them hiss at me, but just back off and give them space.

Taken at different times but about the same place. Obviously using a telephoto lens ('short' 200mm) for the closeup but was standing at the road edge, squatting down for ground level. Never even hissed. Talking to a ranger out there, while they do have the idiots the take selfies despite warnings, to control the population, they hire a specialized group to trespasses on the gator nest and collect eggs. Ah, no thanks.

That first photo, thinking of making a facemask out of it.

 

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Worst think we have in the lakes around here are a few pissed off geese and the occasional snapping turtle. 
You can get on top of one of those kayaks for a bit. I will usually do a “sprint”at the end of my lake time.

Not sure how fast an alligator can swim, but one chasing me would be all the inspiration I need to go a little faster than it!

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Here, I was in a small 10' rental kayak and you can see the width of the stream...with people unable to read signs. About 40' upstream, this was sunning on the shore, and no telling what was in the water. One of the best photographs I have seen was in the Sunday paper where the diver/photographer was in a deep spot (probably a gator hole) looking up and the silhouette with strong sunlight of a couple gators above, at or near the surface. Further downstream where transitions from a State Park to a commercial drinking/swimming/party time establishment there have been a couple deaths a year where a person was mauled by a gator. 

Honestly, I am more concerned and watching out for water moccasins or copperheads than gators.    

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3 hours ago, Further said:

He leaves like he want's to be home already.

Been there. I found out the reverse thrusters on my kayak work really, really well after trying to pull a fishing lure out of a tree....and then noticing the wasp nest on the branch next to the lure....

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1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

I did not know that a kayak could get up on step like that.  I wonder if there was a rooster tail.

To paraphrase Richard Pryor, alligators should be allowed in the Olympics for the kayaking competitions. In Richard's case it was catching himself on fire and the 100 yard dash.

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1 hour ago, groupw said:

Worst think we have in the lakes around here are a few pissed off geese and the occasional snapping turtle. 
You can get on top of one of those kayaks for a bit. I will usually do a “sprint”at the end of my lake time.

Not sure how fast an alligator can swim, but one chasing me would be all the inspiration I need to go a little faster than it!

Pissed off swans will kill you

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When I was a kid my uncle lived on Fripp Island, SC. That island was covered in them. They were on the golf course, on the bike paths, everywhere. The one on the bike path was cool. He had his spot in a drainage ditch creek kinda thing that ran along the path. He’d hiss at you. We used to throw our leftover lunch at him, and he’d lumber up and eat it. 

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I haven't seen any in my yard, so no.  But you'd never catch me kayaking in that region. I'd be terrified of the alligators and even if the alligators didn't get me, I'd be eaten alive by bugs.

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And this is Farley. He lived in a pond down the ways a bit. I’ve heard the DNR removed him recently. I’m not sure. 
https://www.facebook.com/Farley-the-Alligator-1198867716791820/

edit: I checked in with my redneck sources. Some dumb ass took their dog down there and he ran into the water and got eaten. They threw a Karen and the DNR declared Farley dangerous and shot him. 

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And then there was the time my dad traded some dental work for a bucket of five baby alligators. 
Best show and tell day ever. 
He put them in the garden room in the fountain pool. Didn’t exactly  please my  mother.  They lasted about three days inside before being banished to the pond. Saw them for two years along the banks thereafter, slowly disappearing one by one. 

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