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Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my)
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  2010-03-18 11:01 AM |
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| 2010-03-18 11:03 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
Champion 16743      Somewhere I can be nekidd | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) I am not an alligator expert and I don't play one on TV. I don't think they are known to run down and attack people/animals/whatever. I think most attacks come when their target is lingering around the edge of the water. I think the chance that an alligator chases after you is pretty slim. Like I said though, I'm no expert. |
| 2010-03-18 11:04 AM in reply to: #2733497 |
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| 2010-03-18 11:04 AM in reply to: #2733497 |
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| 2010-03-18 11:06 AM in reply to: #2733497 |
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| 2010-03-18 11:08 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
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| 2010-03-18 11:09 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
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| 2010-03-18 11:27 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Expert 774 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) From 1948 - 2005, 17 people were killed by alligators in Florida, and I'm sure some of those were people who had been feeding the alligators. In 2008 alone, 11,000+ people died in the US in alcohol-related accidents. You have a much greater chance of a drunk driver hitting you than an alligator attacking you. |
| 2010-03-18 11:37 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
| New user 76 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) I have scuba dived a lot in the Florida waters where gators are present. They have never really bothered us, but the ones in the water were about 5 feet in lenth. I would not go into the water where a 8, 9 or even 10 ft gator was present. A buddy of mine an I were hiking a trail on Cumberland island (here in GA) and came across a 6 foot gator in the middle of the trail. we tried everything to get it to move so we could continue. (ie throwing sticks, stones etc) It would not move. My buddy picked up a big stick to tap it on its nose... when bang it struck out at him missing his family jewels by inches. I could not believe how fast the dam thing was. We eventialy found out we were blocking his exit into the swamp. When we gave it room it just walked back into the swamp. Lesson learned: we are not the top of the food chain in regards to large gators. A general rule of thumb for gators.... If they are larger than you, they will not fear you................ Where I swim here in GA there are gators around and I am always on the lookout for the large ones.... Hope I see it before it sees me.... Also it is best to run or swim with a buddy just in case. |
| 2010-03-18 11:42 AM in reply to: #2733594 |
| Expert 938 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) jshortman - 2010-03-18 12:37 PM I have scuba dived a lot in the Florida waters where gators are present. They have never really bothered us, but the ones in the water were about 5 feet in lenth. I would not go into the water where a 8, 9 or even 10 ft gator was present. A buddy of mine an I were hiking a trail on Cumberland island (here in GA) and came across a 6 foot gator in the middle of the trail. we tried everything to get it to move so we could continue. (ie throwing sticks, stones etc) It would not move. My buddy picked up a big stick to tap it on its nose... when bang it struck out at him missing his family jewels by inches. I could not believe how fast the dam thing was. We eventialy found out we were blocking his exit into the swamp. When we gave it room it just walked back into the swamp. Lesson learned: we are not the top of the food chain in regards to large gators. A general rule of thumb for gators.... If they are larger than you, they will not fear you................ Where I swim here in GA there are gators around and I am always on the lookout for the large ones.... Hope I see it before it sees me.... Also it is best to run or swim with a slower buddy just in case. There....fixed it for you... |
| 2010-03-18 11:44 AM in reply to: #2733610 |
| New user 76 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) you just gave away my bigest secret...... hope my buddy does not read this post  |
| 2010-03-18 11:50 AM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Member 27 St Augustine, FL | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) I have much experience with these lakes as I have lived on one for many years. They won't mess with you. Actually, they are quite scared of humans. Now, if you were running with a slab of beef or chicken tied to your back, that's another story. One time I did have a gator trail a bass I caught all the way to the shore. He came out of the water and hissed at me like I was going to feed him the bass. Even then, as I got closer to the gator, he quickly retreated to the water. You can always call Florida Fish and Wildlife and they will remove the gator. I would be more on the lookout for venamous snakes. I have run upon pigmy rattlesnakes and water moccasins too many times. |
| 2010-03-18 12:09 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) In 24 years of running and cycling in FL, I've had to dodge snakes, turtles, rats, foxes, otters, opossums, racoons, herons, cats, dogs, vultures, armadillos, some homeless people and many varieties of roadkill, but never a gator. On the other hand I see them all the time on the golf course. Most of the time they're just sunning themselves, minding their own business. It's illegal in FL to "harrass" them meaning you don't poke them with a stick as in a previous post (I won't comment on the stupidity of that). Most of the attacks I can recall have occured along the water's edge where they will lurk to ambush prey. (There was a case last year where a golfer lost his arm to a gator when he was trying to retrieve his ball from the edge of a pond).
Mark
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| 2010-03-18 12:16 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Member 354 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) Re: the gator in the lake that you saw swimming towards the trail. I grew up in Central Fla. and trust me, it's the gator you don't see that you have to worry about. |
| 2010-03-18 12:37 PM in reply to: #2733711 |
| New user 76 | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) We were 5 miles into the trail..... We were not going to hike back 5 miles to take another route because a gator was blocking our way. ( there was no way around him/her/it)...... although we may use a longer stick next time. Gators live in the river out in back of my house. I see them everyday in good weather and they will not usually bother you. However, I have seen 11 ft gators around here that you would never get into the water when they are present..... want to see the pics ??? |
| 2010-03-18 12:46 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Elite 3090 Spokane, WA | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) I think you'll be fine as long as you don't crouch down and take a drink out of the lake. That might trigger a response. |
| 2010-03-18 1:18 PM in reply to: #2733566 |
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| 2010-03-18 1:19 PM in reply to: #2733739 |
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| 2010-03-18 1:20 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
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| 2010-03-18 1:22 PM in reply to: #2733822 |
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| 2010-03-18 1:40 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Expert 1087 Portland | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) Animals are more afraid of you then you are of them! |
| 2010-03-18 1:43 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
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| 2010-03-18 1:52 PM in reply to: #2733977 |
| Expert 1087 Portland | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) Cell phone in a little plastic baggy to keep the sweat off of it will cure that! Have fun but most of all TRAIN SAFE! Ya, pretty big surprise when I go around the corner of the pole barn to take a leak and I hear some rustling.... put my flashlight on him, HUGE wolf! I was just gauging if I would be able to make it into the pole barn before he got me... If all else fails, feed him arms and legs and hope someone comes to save you before you run out of arms and legs Edited by menglo 2010-03-18 1:53 PM |
| 2010-03-18 2:00 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) Very rare indeed to have a gator attack. Was the one attack you mentioned the one in South FL in 2006 when a woman was running along a canal and killed? Kinda like the guy that just died running on the beach being hit by a plane. You cannot dictate when its your time to go. I worry more about dogs than wildlife...
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| 2010-03-18 2:17 PM in reply to: #2733487 |
| Master 1366 PNW | Subject: RE: Florida lakes, running, and alligators (oh my) I was going to suggest that you NOT take your little 15 lb dog with you on a run. They tend to be bait for gators! Other than that, they won't bother you. I lived on lakes like those in the Tampa area for 7 years and never had any issues. Now, it's the flying palmetto bugs and 5 lb multi-colored grasshoppers that you have to worry about...  |
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