Mysterious disappearances of calves lead hunter to 13-foot alligator in Florida lake

About 15 years ago I had this buddy. He played football for Guilford college, center. Not overly tall, but squat and muscular. Man knew no fear. Only stopped playing ball because he broke his back in a game after a blindside hit after a play.

Anyway, this guy made up for brains by being tougher than rawhide. He would fight a chainsaw, and probably win. Problem was, some of his stories he would tell just wouldn’t pan out in the “that makes sense” and he seemed to stretch the truth at times to make things a bit more than they were.

So he and his wife move down to Florida, and now this is before Facebook was really around so I kinda lost contact with him. We chat on the phone at times, but only here and there. Well he calls me up one day and starts telling me another whopper. About how he messed up his hand fighting a gator, his wife buster her knee getting hit by its tail; and his dog lost its leg to it.

I listened and put in my usual “wows” and “that’s crazies”. But figured it probably wasn’t all it cracked up to be.

So a few months later he comes back to NC to visit and we are all over at my folks house and he whips out a VHS tape. He says it’s the local news article about it.

And he was 100% telling the truth. He had stopped along the road to fish in a pond. He had waded out in the water a bit, his dog was playing in the water around him, and his wife had gone in a little as well, about up to her knees. Suddenly his dog yelped and disappeared. So my friend dove in the direction he saw his dog vanish and grabbed him. When he pulled up he said he just saw a scaled belly, so he started punching it as hard as he could. The gator thrashed around and it’s tail smacked his wife in the leg. After punching and punching (remember, this guy is build like a midgets brick poop house) the gator let go briefly and he grabbed his dog and took off for shore. They drove to the vets office and his dog lost a leg. They had footage of his scuffed and bloody knuckles.

Local wildlife officers went out and hunted and caught a 10-12 foot gator in the same pond.

Yes, it was completely stupid to just randomly jump in a pond in Florida and start fishing. But that’s the kind of stuff this guy would do.


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"It was about 321 yards away when he fireda single shot, striking it just above the eyes, according a Facebook post."

Hell of a shot at 963 feet.

The kill spot is very small.
 
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Years back in Florida there was a gator in the middle of a Pompano Beach street that just decided he liked it there and was going to nap. A Pompano LEO responded and tried to “nudge” the 7 to 8 foot gator along with his front bumper (I think they had Caprices then) and the gator just got mad and bit the front bumper leaving maybe a half dozen holes from his teeth. It took a couple animal control officers with catch poles to secure the gator and then a wildlife specialist to haul him off. All total that road was closed down for about 2 hours … for just a 7 to 8 foot gator who just wanted to take nap.
 
NCFubar said:
Years back in Florida there was a gator in the middle of a Pompano Beach street that just decided he liked it there and was going to nap. A Pompano LEO responded and tried to “nudge” the 7 to 8 foot gator along with his front bumper (I think they had Caprices then) and the gator just got mad and bit the front bumper leaving maybe a half dozen holes from his teeth. It took a couple animal control officers with catch poles to secure the gator and then a wildlife specialist to haul him off. All total that road was closed down for about 2 hours … for just a 7 to 8 foot gator who just wanted to take nap.
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A 6-7 foot gator tried occupying the road at NPTU, Charleston while I was on shore duty (as they often did). Unfortunately for that particular one, one of the drivers in a big ole pickup truck decided he didn't have who-knows-how-long-of-a-wait to spare. So he ran him over.

I don't know what happened to the gator afterwards, live or die.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
A 6-7 foot gator tried occupying the road at NPTU, Charleston while I was on shore duty (as they often did). Unfortunately for that particular one, one of the drivers in a big ole pickup truck decided he didn't have who-knows-how-long-of-a-wait to spare. So he ran him over.

I don't know what happened to the gator afterwards, live or die.
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By the letter of Wildlife Fish and Game Laws that would be a felony with major fines … might be hard to prove but I’ve seen an individual shrimping 1 hour to early get fined and community service. Hell, if you mess with (throw golf balls or such) gators in certain areas they will charge you with harassing wildlife (which is a misdemeanor only) and fine you $200 …
 
I live in a golf course community in Florida years ago.
When the small dogs started disappearing around a pond they would go take out the local gator.
Things would go back to normal until the next one in line started to get big.
 
B00ger said:
About 15 years ago I had this buddy. He played football for Guilford college, center. Not overly tall, but squat and muscular. Man knew no fear. Only stopped playing ball because he broke his back in a game after a blindside hit after a play.

Anyway, this guy made up for brains by being tougher than rawhide. He would fight a chainsaw, and probably win. Problem was, some of his stories he would tell just wouldn’t pan out in the “that makes sense” and he seemed to stretch the truth at times to make things a bit more than they were.

So he and his wife move down to Florida, and now this is before Facebook was really around so I kinda lost contact with him. We chat on the phone at times, but only here and there. Well he calls me up one day and starts telling me another whopper. About how he messed up his hand fighting a gator, his wife buster her knee getting hit by its tail; and his dog lost its leg to it.

I listened and put in my usual “wows” and “that’s crazies”. But figured it probably wasn’t all it cracked up to be.

So a few months later he comes back to NC to visit and we are all over at my folks house and he whips out a VHS tape. He says it’s the local news article about it.

And he was 100% telling the truth. He had stopped along the road to fish in a pond. He had waded out in the water a bit, his dog was playing in the water around him, and his wife had gone in a little as well, about up to her knees. Suddenly his dog yelped and disappeared. So my friend dove in the direction he saw his dog vanish and grabbed him. When he pulled up he said he just saw a scaled belly, so he started punching it as hard as he could. The gator thrashed around and it’s tail smacked his wife in the leg. After punching and punching (remember, this guy is build like a midgets brick poop house) the gator let go briefly and he grabbed his dog and took off for shore. They drove to the vets office and his dog lost a leg. They had footage of his scuffed and bloody knuckles.

Local wildlife officers went out and hunted and caught a 10-12 foot gator in the same pond.

Yes, it was completely stupid to just randomly jump in a pond in Florida and start fishing. But that’s the kind of stuff this guy would do.


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#FloridaMan
 
I didn't read the entire article but that is a good sized gator. I grew up just north of there and have dozens of Gator stories. We lived on a small lake and we would find them sunning on the back patio. Dogs in the neighborhood disappearing, many close calls etc. About once a year they would find one about that size in the intercoastal waterway, they head to salt/brackish water when sick.

The smaller 6'-7' gators are actually more dangerous, faster, more aggressive. At least to humans. I've seen one in the Neuse up near Raleigh believe it or not.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
A 6-7 foot gator tried occupying the road at NPTU, Charleston while I was on shore duty (as they often did). Unfortunately for that particular one, one of the drivers in a big ole pickup truck decided he didn't have who-knows-how-long-of-a-wait to spare. So he ran him over.

I don't know what happened to the gator afterwards, live or die.
Click to expand...

I saw a 6-7 footer get run over by a fully loaded log truck. I watched the drivers side wheels go over its head. We went back to see if it was dead. By the time we got back to the spot, the gator was on the other side of the road. Grandpa being the joker he always was, told me to reach down and grab the gator that he should be dead by now.

Well, it wasn't. He didn't want to be touched and let out a great big hiss as he swung his head over in my direction. I was only about 6 feet away but I think I jump 6ft high and about 12 ft back. Grandpa got a great laugh about it. I did to once I calmed down.
 
cold1 said:
I saw a 6-7 footer get run over by a fully loaded log truck. I watched the drivers side wheels go over its head. We went back to see if it was dead. By the time we got back to the spot, the gator was on the other side of the road. Grandpa being the joker he always was, told me to reach down and grab the gator that he should be dead by now.

Well, it wasn't. He didn't want to be touched and let out a great big hiss as he swung his head over in my direction. I was only about 6 feet away but I think I jump 6ft high and about 12 ft back. Grandpa got a great laugh about it. I did to once I calmed down.
Click to expand...

Sounds like something my Grandpa woulda done.
 
This stuff always amazes me, when creatures get so big like this. And still a foot or so less than the state record. Insane. Also, awesome.
 
Charlie the alligator at Joint Base Charleston Naval Weapons Station, SC was 12' 2" long and about 600 pounds 5 years ago. He's been there since about the late 60s/early 70s.

So he's right up there with this critter.

I used to go see him when I was stationed in Charleston while in the Navy.

www.live5news.com

Joint Base Charleston 600-pound gator drawing visitors daily

Charleston's historic homes and beautiful battery, draw visitors from across the world. Add one more thing to list of things to see
www.live5news.com www.live5news.com
 
Being from Florida Ive had more then a few run ins with Alligators. Used to fish in many ponds in the West Palm beach area and while wade fishing the Alligators ( being very curious, especially the 6 footers and less) would swim up to you and stay away about 5-6 feet away and just watch. Used to take my fishing pole and wack them on the head to chase them off. We had more problems with rattlesnakes then alligators
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