Originally posted by Sunil:
1) What is the geographic span for gators? Is it the entire Gulf Coast region?
Texas to Florida and Up to SC,NC maybe?
Originally posted by Sunil:
2) If you are in gator country, do you ever swim in your pond?
Yes. The wind blew my boat about 40-50 yards across the lake. I had to swim to retrieve it. There are gators in the lake, but none that are 5 ft or more, so no big worries. I normally swim in my gator-free pool.
Living in FL all my life, especially since they have become so protected and boomed in population you have to live with them. I have waterskied, snorkled, swam, etc. in some places that have gators, some big. Never once have I had a run in with them. Mocassins, on the other hand, are what I am most cautious of.
Florida really should make gator hunting more available. The quota system now is expensive to get only 1 or 2 permits, and then you have to hunt them in a setting where they are not a threat to human population (i.e. secluded areas where nobody would swim like Kissimmee, Okeechobee, Everglades, etc.). The threats are almost always where they have adapted to nearby residences. That is where they should be eliminated.
Between this and the hurricanes, do you think it will reduce people moving to Florida? I hope so.
