Santee Gator

[Bud Kennedy]

Just caught on Lake Moultrie on Santee.  The gator is 12'7" and was caught by a 37 year old woman who is only 4'7" tall .  They are going to eat this gator over the coming year.  She stated they don't hunt gators for anything but eating.  They are not trophy hunters and do not plan on doing anything with the hide.

[Wizard]

B  I  G  Boy! I've seen gators as far north as Kiowa Island. I don't know how far north of Charleston they extend.

[Pacific NW Ron]

That's a monster.
Ron

[Oldfart9999]

Must have escaped from one of our sewers!
Rodney

[Wizard]

I used to think that was urban folklore, Rodney. They found one about 12 ft in NYC living in the sewers. He kept warm with his nest built near some steam pipes and lived on rats. At least that was what the magazine I read while in line at the store said.   

[SteveTX]

I would like to have seen the entire story unfold of this 37 year old woman who is only 4'7" tall. Excuse me for not just believing the headlines. I just have seen so much fabricated BS over the years where some were given credit for others work. Seems to be a trend to push a little extra BS these days when pushing for an agenda. 

If completely true where she went out and caught that 12'7" gator, killed it, and then got it back to where ever they take them then I guess the story is correct. And she then can be the one listed as the hunter and congratulations to her.   

The flip side I see "they" mentioned several times after she was given credit for catching the gator.  Somehow I just don't see that 90lb woman getting that gator in a boat. Maybe she set the bait, maybe she took the shot who knows. But I see the story much more similar to this one https://www.upi.com/Mississippi-womans-massive-alligator-beats-hunting-record-by-18-inch/1131472500354/ where several people were given credit.

[Bud Kennedy]

Well since you asked.  The newspaper article does have a lot  of information.  She was part of ten folks on this hunt.  Her husband is an experienced gator hunter.  They had failed to get this gator on the first try and had to stalk him for about two hours.  The finally got three hooks in him and the group wrestled him to the boat where the wife shot the gator three times with a .38

I just posted the picture to show a big gator and did not give any thought towards who got credit for what. so now you know the story.  The hunters in now way were looking to credit anyone with anything.  And if you are curious they were in small boats.  The lady was in a 16' boat and wanted to be dang sure the gator was dead before the team loaded it into her boat.

[kadas]

Well since you asked.  The newspaper article does have a lot  of information.  She was part of ten folks on this hunt.  Her husband is an experienced gator hunter.  They had failed to get this gator on the first try and had to stalk him for about two hours.  The finally got three hooks in him and the group wrestled him to the boat where the wife shot the gator three times with a .38

I just posted the picture to show a big gator and did not give any thought towards who got credit for what. so now you know the story.  The hunters in now way were looking to credit anyone with anything.  And if you are curious they were in small boats.  The lady was in a 16' boat and wanted to be dang sure the gator was dead before the team loaded it into her boat.

Bud I certainly understand her wanting to make sure the 12+foot gator was dead before putting it in her 16 foot boat. I would want to make sure it was dead before putting it in any boat I was in no matter the size of boat!

[Bud Kennedy]

One thing for sure we have some big gators here.  Especially down around the Santee Lakes and the Cooper River and I am sure other places.  While a 12 footer is a big gator it certainly is not rare.  I seen many around that size.  For sure I don't stick around were they are.  I tend to give them their space.   

[SteveTX]

Well since you asked.  The newspaper article does have a lot  of information.  She was part of ten folks on this hunt.  Her husband is an experienced gator hunter.  They had failed to get this gator on the first try and had to stalk him for about two hours.  The finally got three hooks in him and the group wrestled him to the boat where the wife shot the gator three times with a .38

I just posted the picture to show a big gator and did not give any thought towards who got credit for what. so now you know the story.  The hunters in now way were looking to credit anyone with anything.  And if you are curious they were in small boats.  The lady was in a 16' boat and wanted to be dang sure the gator was dead before the team loaded it into her boat.

Ahh and that makes since. Thanks for the explanation.

Hey how's the yak movement around the Santee Lakes and the Cooper River?   

[SteelHorseCowboy]

If they're not planning to do anything with the hide, that's just a waste. They could send it to me, I'd make the most kick azz leather jacket out of it, and some boots to go with it!

[Smallie_Stalker]

Must have escaped from one of our sewers!
Rodney

Back about 3 or 4 years ago we started seeing 4' - 6' foot gators on the banks of the Charles River north of the Boston area. Some people speculated they came from the sewers. As polluted as it may be, to the best of my knowledge sewers do not dump into the Charles River. Wildlife officials believe since there was a time when sale of baby gators as pets was legal here that they are most likely from illegal dumping of the gators directly into the river once they got too big to keep as pets. There were some people who did flush the baby gators and others who dropped them into the sewer though.

They have plenty of variety to feed on in that river so I wouldn't be surprised if we see them grow bigger and more abundant over the next decade or so.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Wouldn't they die off or migrate from that far north?

[FloridaFishinFool]

Wouldn't they die off or migrate from that far north?

My thoughts too. Our gators and manatee can not survive freezing winters for long. Move or die for them.

Our Florida biologists usually will not go after a gator up north, but they do track and rescue manatee who swim up north before the cold kills them.

[Bud Kennedy]

We had manatee here this year.  I have never heard about them in our waters before.  Extremely unusual.  Hopefully they are on their way back home. We have had a few things this year that have not been common here.  For the first time we were getting some love bugs.  Didn't usually see them  until we got down to southern Georgia close to the Florida line.  Just wonder if the hurricanes had anything to do with these sightings.

[Smallie_Stalker]

Wouldn't they die off or migrate from that far north?

I would think so but so far Masswildlife verifies sightings each year. I certainly don't have all the answers. It's only been a few ears since the first sightings so maybe it's just a matter of time?