Florida lakes and gators

[Redfred1]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Sounds like somebody is tired of their locale; and is looking for the "Land of Paradise." I think you guys have changed his mind. I've vacationed in Florida; enjoyed it; met and saw some good people there. However; my hang up with your State is hurricanes. We have the same critters over here in Texas; except maybe not the pythons. (Fire ants and cockroaches love them). Hope he doesn't move here either. He won't like the heat. If you come here; you will see the sign: "Welcome To Texas; Don't Stay Long." RF

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey. So, anywhere on the coast is vulerable I guess. Redred - You have tornados in TX, those scare me because they happen quickly.

 

[DrDecay]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

The Harris chain of lakes and the St. John River are some of the best and most "wild" areas of Florida. You'll see lots of wildlife, but they are 'harmless'!!! Nice thing, after Labor Day, people generally put away their boats! Some of the best boating here is during the fall and spring seasons.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Florida lakes and gators



"here kitty, kitty, kitty...:lol:

 

[DrDecay]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

tazrig, in response to your last post... Watch this!

 

[tazrig]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

tazrig, in response to your last post... Watch this!

Wasn't a fair fight I tell yah! That was a professional "hit" cat they brought in from New York! :lol:

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Cypress Gardens reference, now that's old school!!!! Gotta love those pyramids and old glassers with fins!

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Thank you for posting that video. That was awesome! I haven't seen that one.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

In fairness, I think the cat in the clip is from NOLA, but a swamp kitty none the less.

 

[nlain]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

^^^ Little fella's ^^^^! :faint2: :lol: Hey, They got those things in Georgia too !

Yes we do, I have hooked one longer than the boat I was in, I cut the line and went back to fishing.

 

[TD_Maker]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

View attachment 219694 I would not worry too much about the Gators, but these Cottonmouths may be a different story.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

I wouldn't worry about those cottonmouth's .. They look pretty dead to me .. It's the live one's that will get ya !

 

[IraRat]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

The Burmese Python problem is, I think, HIGHLY exaggerated. Just my opinion, but hear me out:

The Florida FWC rarely gets it right, and after the latest hunts where hundreds of hunters went out and came back with a just a handful of snakes total, there is no way that tens of thousands of them are out there like they claim there to be. What's more, they don't even allow you to HUNT them 99% of the year, or 100% of the year in the actual Everglades National Park system itself--where they're claimed to be so numerous.

They're guessing Burmese populations based on the demise of OTHER populations (coons, turkey, possum, etc.), blaming it all on these snakes--as if overdevelopment, bad water and other ecological imbalances have nothing to do with it at all. What's more, we haven't had a real deep freeze in South Florida for a number of years (around 5 years, right?), and the FWC claims that a deep freeze wouldn't hurt them--but they just don't know for sure. (And by deep freeze, I hardly mean a TRUE deep freeze.)

As for the gators, when I was younger and stupider, I used to feed them marshmallows--they LOVE marshmallows. Now, I carry a 22 magnum to shoot in the air if one gets too close, but a hand-held air horn would do the same thing. They truly are more afraid of you than you should be of them.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Hopefully, this cold snap will help put some of the invasives (Yankees included) in check.....hopefully. We're still python-free up here in N.FL thanks to the little bit of winter we get.

 

[IraRat]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Hopefully, this cold snap will help put some of the invasives (Yankees included) in check.....hopefully. We're still python-free up here in N.FL thanks to the little bit of winter we get.

That's the thing:

The FWC is claiming freezing temps won't kill the Burmese because they burrow, but they don't have any reason to claim that. The damn things still have to come out to EAT though, right? And as you say, you don't have them in Northern Florida, with your limited cold snaps. And we haven't HAD any cold snaps at all in South Florida in a few years.

Our yesterday's low of 48 was considered FREEZING, and it only lasted a few hours.

 

[CJ River Rider]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

This posting is great! If my wife ever gets the idea to retire to Florida in the future, I'll show her this!

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Yeah, if the snakes can burrow and/or hide under a warm house they can overwinter. It's been nice and cold for a while now, so hopefully that will at least slow them down a bit. Hopefully, the cold has at least put the freeze on some of the iguanas a tearing p the dunes in S. FL. They'll fall right out of the trees if it gets clod enough.

 

[cribber]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

On the Harris Chain we fish the shorelines and play in the middle of the lakes for fun.

 

[IraRat]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

This posting is great! If my wife ever gets the idea to retire to Florida in the future, I'll show her this!

Seriously:

Gators are like zero danger in 99.9% of the territory, and they're more sheepish and afraid of you than just about any animal out there, ANYWHERE in the country. They always run away if you get too close.

Burmese pythons you'll never see.

And the Bull Sharks are a rare occurrence. Nowadays, I think the main danger from them, if at all, is in certain canals in the upper Keys.