Called the boss, packed my tent and canoe..

[hushnel]

my buddy showed up with a boar spear for protection

That's funny, you could use it to pick him out of the gators teeth

How was the fishing?

Not bad, saw a few get hooked, I didn't catch anything but I wasn't too serious about it, I never am in fresh water, it's more of a recreational thing.

 

[OwenM]

Awesome. Love all the pics with the canoe in them. The 'gator, too. I haven't seen one up close in the wild since I was a kid.

 

[VictGerbSogCamill]

Nice pics thanks. I love critters in the outdoors too, but alligators Sleeping that close to the water and being in the canoe knowing they could be right under you Maybe its because Ive only seen them on TV or in zoos. I guess if you've been exposed to them no big deal but I think I would like my chances with a bear than to be in a gators mouth. Loved your pics, good to know I'm not alone. I took my canoe out last week, didn't catch anything but had a great time.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Looks like a really incredible place to kick back and relax but I too could do without the gator.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[hushnel]

Looks like a really incredible place to kick back and relax but I too could do without the gator.

It's Florida, and it's beautiful. The Alligators have been here a very long time, so have the rattlers, moccasins, panthers, coral snakes and mosquitoes. You pretty much can't go anywhere without running into them, except for the panther, they are getting rare, I haven't seen one since I was a kid living outside of Mayport. More people have been killed by the mosquito than all the other critters combined.

I was diving for lobster back in the 70s down in the Keys when this really huge Mako took an unhealthy interest in me, he circled me with barely any daylight between his nose and tail. I was a bit concerned as to it's intentions when it was gone as fast as it came. Nothing quite focuses the mind like being sized up for dinner

Come on we're wilderness guys, its wild, I'd rather find myself crossing a canal with a few gators about or even sharks for that matter than find myself standing in a line waiting to ride Dumbo at Ratworld

Usually if you don't mess with them they'll leave you alone, this is Brian in Skin and Tracy's back yard, showing how not to play with gators.

Same gator, she lived about 25 feet behind Skin and Tracy's place, did you know that dogs attract alligators?

 

[scotchleaf]

Looks so clean, not one piece of trash. Unlike the Chattahoochee nature center I visited yesterday

 

[sodak]

Ya'all a bit nervous around these lizard are ya, it ain't like there Outback or Nile Crocs, as far as these critters go though they can be pretty dangerous, mostly because they are familiar with humans and some of the idiots feed them. I picked a spot that had a fair bunch of rocks between camp and the creek. See the first picture.

Do rocks stop them? I'll take our Colorado bears any day...

 

[hushnel]

Do rocks stop them?

Depends on how big and how many they got to crawl over to get to you If you are talking about throwing rocks they would probably catch them and eat them. The gator in the above picture had a 1911 unloaded into her by the previous owner of this property, she took off for about a year then returned, I've always considered the 1911 more effective than a rock and though she lost an eye to the pistol she is still one tough reptile.

The scutes or ridges that run down their backs are actually solid calcium, like bone. I'll cut a strip down the back ridge of scutes and grind down the scutes, a pattern develops, then make a belt out of it. I'll try to take a few pictures when I get home.

The concho like thing on this sheath I made is one of these back scutes.

This is the same as the belt but done with a thinner strip that are on the sides near the belly, used as a hatband on this hat I felted.

I've made quite a few things out of gator, they should have more fear of me than I of them

 

[Loosearrow]

Depends on how big and how many they got to crawl over to get to you If you are talking about throwing rocks they would probably catch them and eat them. The gator in the above picture had a 1911 unloaded into her by the previous owner of this property, she took off for about a year then returned, I've always considered the 1911 more effective than a rock and though she lost an eye to the pistol she is still one tough reptile.

The scutes or ridges that run down their backs are actually solid calcium, like bone. I'll cut a strip down the back ridge of scutes and grind down the scutes, a pattern develops, then make a belt out of it. I'll try to take a few pictures when I get home.

The concho like thing on this sheath I made is one of these back scutes.

This is the same as the belt but done with a thinner strip that are on the sides near the belly, used as a hatband on this hat I felted.

I've made quite a few things out of gator, they should have more fear of me than I of them

Nice sheath. Did you made your rivets out of copper wire?

 

[Minnesota]

hushnel, do you carry a rifle or handgun when your camping down there in gator country?

 

[hushnel]

Nice sheath. Did you made your rivets out of copper wire?

Thanks, no they are copper tacks.

hushnel, do you carry a rifle or handgun when your camping down there in gator country?

I don't worry about the gators, or the snakes for that matter. Fisheating Creek is a State Park so while I had a .380 I didn't carry it. When in the National Park or just out and about it's an older S&W Model 10-8, Snake Shot is the first shot then .38 specials following, alligators can be avoided and snakes can be convinced to move on with a good walking stick but you never know.