03-11-2019, 05:54 PM
[#0000FF]Gators? I don't worry about them as much as water moccasins. Most gators are smaller than we are so they keep their distance...especially if they are in an area where they are hunted. But if there is a big ol' bull gator...over 10 feet or so...they become territorial and they can get aggressive. But all the stuff you see in the movies is usually overly dramatic. Now if you are talking about big crocodiles...in Africa or the south Pacific...that's another story. They eat people.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]As with all things in life, it pays to use good sense, be cautious and don't take unnecessary chances. I wouldn't go tubing in gator infested waters just to test any theories. But if they are merely a part of the local ecosystem...and are generally not a problem in that area...go ahead and go fishing. Just watch for them to show up on the surface. They will watch you from a distance. If they come toward you, head for the bank and get out. Or at least tell them you have a headache.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]When I lived in Arizona it was not uncommon in the spring...on some lakes...to have rattlesnakes swimming across the water...especially when lake levels were rising and pushing them out of their dens. And it has happened that if they see you they will sometimes swim toward you...seeing you as an island for them to crawl out on and warm up. Also, they sometimes crawl up into flooded trees and when you approach one of those trees they "sing" to you. At least they warn you. Mocassins don't.
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[#0000FF]As with all things in life, it pays to use good sense, be cautious and don't take unnecessary chances. I wouldn't go tubing in gator infested waters just to test any theories. But if they are merely a part of the local ecosystem...and are generally not a problem in that area...go ahead and go fishing. Just watch for them to show up on the surface. They will watch you from a distance. If they come toward you, head for the bank and get out. Or at least tell them you have a headache.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]When I lived in Arizona it was not uncommon in the spring...on some lakes...to have rattlesnakes swimming across the water...especially when lake levels were rising and pushing them out of their dens. And it has happened that if they see you they will sometimes swim toward you...seeing you as an island for them to crawl out on and warm up. Also, they sometimes crawl up into flooded trees and when you approach one of those trees they "sing" to you. At least they warn you. Mocassins don't.
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