Hunter bitten by alligator identified

By LISA J. HURIASH

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL |

NOV 10, 2019 | 2:57 PM

A hunter was bit on the leg Saturday by a gator.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-ne-alligator-attack-martin-county-20191109-2t25dpsukjbhpdjx6aeni4j624-story.html

An alligator bit a hunter in the leg on Saturday morning in the DuPuis Management Area in western Martin County.

On Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials identified the injured man as James Boyce, 46, of Palm Beach Gardens.

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Christine Christofek Weiss, the spokeswoman for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the call for help in the swampy area, about 11 miles north of Pahokee, came 11 a.m. and it was a “pretty substantial bite.”

She said the alligator might have been as big as 10 feet long, according to witnesses.

The Palm Beach Post reported the hunter was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach after another man in a swamp buggy was able to pull the victim to safety and call for help on a cellphone. But it took authorities a while to find the men in the wilderness area, which stretches 21,875 acres — about 34 square miles — in northwestern Palm Beach and southwestern Martin counties.

A LifeStar helicopter then flew the victim to St. Mary’s, authorities said.

Tennessee police say viral ‘meth-gators’ warning was a joke

1 hour ago

By Stephen Sorace | Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/us/tennessee-police-viral-meth-gators-warning-joke

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Tennessee police warn against flushing meth down toilet to avoid creating meth alligators

Tennessee police advised locals against disposing drugs down sewage lines in order to prevent animals from consuming harmful substances.

Drug-addled alligators were a myth all along.

A Tennessee police department on Friday clarified that its viral post from earlier this month asking citizens not to flush their drugs down the toilet for fear of creating “meth-gators” was just a joke.

CHICAGO ALLIGATOR REPORTEDLY MOVING TO FLORIDA: ‘CHANCE THE SNAPPER’ WILL ‘BE LIVING IN LUXURY’

“Let us be perfectly clear: the meth gator was a humorous illustration used to highlight the dangers of flushing drugs and other substances down your toilet,” the Loretto Police wrote on Facebook. “Alas, the meth-gator is not real. Let’s say that again: THE METH GATOR IS NOT (at this time) REAL.”

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The department’s dry humor caught the attention of news media around the world and even prompted calls from “professionals fearing we actually had a meth influenced gator in our custody,” the department added.

ALLIGATOR SPOTTED IN CONNECTICUT LAKE PROMPTS SAFETY WARNING

The “meth-gator” tale hatched after Loretto police wrote about the arrest of a man on drug-related charges and his alleged attempt to flush methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia down the toilet of his home.

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Police wrote they are trying to direct the humorous confusion into a positive ending for the community by creating apparel featuring the “meth-gator” and other department jokes to raise money for local charities that help children affected by drug use.

The department previously advised that citizens getting rid of drugs, including prescription medication, should avoid flushing them and instead call police so they can be disposed of properly.

Florida man found with live alligator during traffic stop, deputies say

https://www.abc15.com/news/national/florida-man-found-with-live-alligator-during-traffic-stop-deputies-say

Posted: 2:11 PM, Jul 05, 2019

Updated: 2:17 PM, Jul 05, 2019

By: WFTS Staff

HARDEE COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies arrested a man Thursday after he was pulled over with drugs and a live alligator in his car during a traffic stop.

According to the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies searched Anthony Richardson’s car after they pulled over Thursday and found a live alligator in a bag in the front seat.

Richardson told deputies he had the gator in his front seat before they searched the vehicle.

Richardson told deputies he didn’t have an alligator trapping/hunting license but said he came into possession of the gator through a friend. According to deputies, he said he planned to release it into a river.

Deputies called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and released the gator into the Peace River after speaking with a wildlife officer.

Richardson was booked into the Hardee County Jail for multiple drug charges and illegally possessing or capturing an alligator.

This story was originally published by WFTS in Tampa, Florida.

11-foot gator breaks into Florida home by crashing through window

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/11-foot-gator-breaks-into-florida-home-by-crashing-through-window/

BY CAITLIN O’KANE

UPDATED ON: MAY 31, 2019 / 12:41 PM / CBS NEWS

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, walking into the kitchen to get a midnight snack — and then almost becoming a snack yourself. That’s what happened to one family in Clearwater, Florida, when they woke up in the middle of the night to find an alligator in their kitchen.

The 11-foot gator broke into the family’s home through a low window in the kitchen, the Clearwater Police Department said on Facebook. The homeowner immediately called the police and a trapper responded to the scene to remove the gator.

An 11-foot alligator broke through a window, at left, into a Florida family’s kitchen.CLEARWATER POLICE DEPARTMENT

The beastly reptile was captured and there were no injuries, the police said. The department shared several photos of the unwanted visitor on Facebook. One shows the gator sticking its head through the broken glass window. Another photo shows the mess he made in the kitchen, knocking over a table and chairs.

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It’s unclear what drew the gator inside the family’s kitchen. It seems he wanted in so badly, he was willing to smash through glass.

In 2017, a Florida golf course made headlines after a massive 800-pound alligator moseyed across the green. Last year, a gator was spotted walking across the tarmac at Orlando International Airport. Luckily, passengers who spotted the creature were safely inside the plane, although they were briefly delayed, as the gator prevented the plane from taxiing to its gate.

While burglars are usually not gators, Florida has seen more than its fair share of gators in odd places. Last month in Sarasota, Florida, another family had a middle-of-the-night encounter with an 11-foot gator. It didn’t break into their kitchen, but it did take a dip in their pool. 

If you happen to encounter a gator in the wild — or in your kitchen — your safest option is to keep your distance. Jack Hanna, director emeritus of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, advises staying at least 40 to 50 feet away from any potential alligator hazard. At 20 feet, Hanna says an alligator could “outrun any human.”

But if you can’t get away, wildlife experts recommend you fight back. If an alligator bites you, make a commotion by hitting or kicking it or poking it in the eyes. Gators will retreat from prey they can’t easily overwhelm.

ALLIGATOR HUNTING IS NOW LEGAL IN PARTS OF NC. BUT THIS TOWN WANTS TO PROTECT ITS GATOR

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article205886869.html

BY ABBIE BENNETT

March 19, 2018 04:25 PM

BELVILLE 

Alligator hunting is now legal in some parts of North Carolina, after a 44-year ban. But not all towns eligible are opting to allow gator hunting.

Worried about a decline in its alligator population, Belville decided to ban hunting of the animals in town limits.

In a resolution passed Saturday, town leaders said they were concerned that hunting female alligators could lead to a decline in the overall gator population. The town wanted to see further research to ensure the alligators would not be hunted into scarcity.

Until then, the Belville Board of Commissioners voted not to pursue the option to allow alligator hunting, effectively continuing the ban in town limits.

 A North Carolina “swamp park” has posted a video explaining how alligators survive in a frozen pond and it’s both creepy and bizarre. The cold-blooded devils essentially allow themselves to be frozen in place, with their noses just above the surfa Shallotte River Swamp Park

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission approved a N.C. Alligator Management Plan with goals of alligator conservation, education and research, and also to “provide opportunities for public enjoyment of alligators through hunting and wildlife viewing.”

The commission later established a one-month hunting season for gators — from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1.

Alligators at The Shallotte River Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, had a chance to thaw out and sun themselves after temperatures rose above freezing on January 9. The American alligators survived the freeze by staying in the water Youtube/Shallotte River Swamp Park via Storyful

Alligator hunting in North Carolina is by permit only and each permit holder is allowed only one alligator kill per season.

Alligator hunting was illegal in the United States from the time Congress passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 until populations rebounded and alligators were removed from the endangered species list, in 1987. Alligator hunting in North Carolina, however, had been outlawed since 1973.

Alligator forced to drink beer; 2 men charged

http://komonews.com/news/nation-world/alligator-forced-to-drink-beer-2-men-charged

by Gary Detman, CBS12Saturday, May 27th 2017

Two men were charged with harassment of wildlife after posting photos of beer being forced down the throat of an alligator. (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources via CNN Newsource)

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JASPER COUNTY, S.C. (WPEC) – Two men in South Carolina are facing criminal charges for forcing beer down the throat of a young alligator, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Investigators said the men posted a photo of the alligator chugging the beer to social media. A short time later, the SCDNR started getting calls, messages and screenshots related to the incident.

Authorities said the two men, after forcing the juvenile gator to drink the beer, released the reptile back into a pond and watched it swim away.
Wildlife investigators went out to a dirt road near Hardeeville in Jasper County and caught up with the two men. Both admitted to harassing the alligator after seeing it cross the road.
Joseph Andrew Floyd Jr., 20, and Zachary Lloyd Brown, 21, are facing a misdemeanor charge of harassing wildlife.
“Wildlife conservation is a big part of what SCDNR officers do each day,” SCDNR 1st Sgt. Earl Pope said. “This case is a good example of why we strive to educate people about wildlife in hopes that they will respect it.”
The men face a maximum fine of $300.

Gators beware, SC hunters are coming for you this fall

http://www.thestate.com/news/state/article147585844.html#storylink=cpy

Gators beware, SC hunters are coming for you this fall. Here’s how you can hunt.

BY SARAH ELLIS

COLUMBIA, SC

You can apply for a permit to hunt alligators in South Carolina this fall starting Monday.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources will accept gator hunting permit applications online from May 1 through June 15 for the season that runs from Sept. 9 through Oct. 14.

A random computer drawing will award a select number of permits, with notifications being sent out in July. Selected hunters must then go back online to purchase their permit and a tag for $100. Non-SC residents will have to pay an additional $200 fee.

Each selected applicant may harvest only one alligator and may hunt only in the area they are selected for.

Permit applicants must be 16 or older at the time of the hunt, but hunters of any age may participate with the hunter selected for a permit.

Each selected hunter can have as many helpers with them as they like, as long as each person in the boat has a South Carolina hunting license.

If you’re already getting excited about bagging a gator this fall – or want to stay far away but are curious about what it’s like – here are a few technique tips the DNR provides:

▪ Alligators are usually hunted after dark, although some hunters use snatchhooks on animals during day and twilight hours.

▪ Alligators are located at night by their reflective eye shine, which has a characteristic red glow.

▪ Alligators should be approached quietly keeping the beam of the spotlight directly in or just above their eyes.

▪ Do not shoot an alligator between the eyes or on the top of the skull. The skull is very thick and a bullet may ricochet off of the skull. To humanely kill an alligator, a shot must be directed to the portion of the neck/head juncture where the neck meets the top of the skull plate and angled slightly toward the skull.

▪ Never assume any alligator is dead.

For more information about alligator hunting in SC and applying for permits, visit www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/alligator.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/state/article147585844.html#storylink=cpy

Time to Say, “Enough!”

…it took two hours after hooking the alligator using a crossbow before they could shoot it with a shotgun. It took four hours more to get it into the boat, but Brockman said it was too heavy to do with just the three of them, so they just waited in the middle of the river for the sun to rise. “We killed the alligator at 4 a.m.,” he said.

How is this shit even legal? Don’t non-humans have any rights at all? It’s time to reign in hunter behavior and say, “Enough!”

And why is NBC “News” glorifying it?…

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/02/20294992-we-chased-him-for-about-two-hours-mississippi-hunters-catch-record-breaking-gators?lite

Mississippi hunters catch record-breaking ‘gators

By Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC News

It’s only been three days since the start of Mississippi’s alligator hunting season, yet a pair of parties have already submitted two record-breaking ‘gators, state wildlife officials announced Monday.

Dustin Brockman of Vicksburg, Miss., ventured with his brother and friend into the Mississippi River by motorboat early Saturday night and emerged with a 727-pound record breaker that was 13 feet, 4.5 inches long.

The previous weight record was 697.5 pounds, according to Ricky Flynt, program coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

“We chased him for about two hours,” Brockman said. “Then we got a shot on him.”

Brockman said that it took two hours after hooking the alligator using a crossbow before they could shoot it with a shotgun. It took four hours more to get it into the boat, but Brockman said it was too heavy to do with just the three of them, so they just waited in the middle of the river for the sun to rise.

“We killed the alligator at 4 a.m.,” he said. “We waited until 6:30 (a.m.) before I called three or four more guys to help us load it into the boat.”

And just one hour prior to Brockman’s epic catch, a hunting party led by Beth Trammell of Madison, Miss., hooked a 13-foot, 5.5-inch alligator near Redwood.

The Trammell party, which included six people, broke the previous weight record with their 723.5-pound catch and held the markbefore Brockman broke it 60 minutes later.

“It took about four hours to get it in the boat,” said Trammell. “We had to flag another boat down to help us out it was so big.”

Trammell said that when they had the hefty alligator hooked, their poles were bent like “candy canes.”

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks

Dustin Bockman of Vicksburg, Miss., and his team pose with the alligator they caught near the Big Black River in Claiborne County. The alligator is 13-feet and 4.5 inches in length and weighs 727 pounds.

The current length record, which has yet to be broken, is 13 feet, 6.5 inches. That alligator was captured on the Pascagoula River in 2008, according to the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks department.

Brockman, who had never hunted alligator before this weekend, said the majority of the hunting occurs at night when it’s easier to spot the reptiles’ eyes with a flashlight.

“It’s a lot easier to find them because their eyes reflect,” he said. “In the daytime, if they’re lying on a bank underneath the tree, you ain’t going to see them.”

Brockman said he plans to use the gator’s skin for a gun strap and a picture frame and will eat the meat after providing some to his friends.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks

Beth Trammell of Madison, Miss., and her team pose with their catch Sept 1. The alligator is 13-feet and 5.5 inches and weighs 723.5 pounds. It broke the previous record of 697.5 pounds.

“We’re going to cook it for sure,” he said. “I got a bunch of people who want some, and there’s plenty for me and everybody else.”

Trammell said she plans to get the meat back from the processor as early as Friday.

“We’ll eat the meat,” she added. “I think my brother in law is going to get the head mounted.”

And the Trammell party will be back out on the water this weekend, hoping to catch another record breaker…

Texas Teen Kills His Elder

By now you’ve probably read, or heard on the news, something to the effect of “Texas teen ‘bags’ an 800-pound record alligator.” The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say the alligator was between 30 and 50 years old. [That’s right, the animal was older and wiser than the young human who hooked and shot him.]

Typical of the media’s coverage of the atrocity is the following article from the Seattle Times:

A Houston-area high school senior has bagged a 14-foot, 800 pound alligator – the heaviest ever certified in Texas – on his first alligator hunt. [Great, he’s a trophy hunter for life now, no doubt.]

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials say 18-year-old Braxton Bielski bagged [“BAGGED”? Here the press are being about as disrespectful of the animal as the murderous kid] the record gator last week at Choke Canyon State Park, about 90 miles south of San Antonio.

The agency says in a statement that Braxton shot the giant reptile after hooking it on a line using raw chicken as bait. [They call it a “hunt” but the poor animal was hooked in the water like a fish, only later to be shot by the mighty human “hunter.”]

Bielski’s father, Troy Bielski, won a Parks and Wildlife drawing for a five-day permit to hunt in the Daughtry Wildlife Management Area. The Houston police officer says his son had been dreaming of hunting alligators for years. [Serial killers fantasize for years before murdering their victims too.]

I posted this article to my Facebook page yesterday; it received these fitting comments:

“For absolutely no significant purpose whatsoever. Sickening. This is what young people are taught through so many societal avenues – that no other living creature matters, except them and those like them. Not even other human beings. Humans are raising a whole bunch of Sociopaths and Psychopaths. Very Frightening.”

“Sick–go into its habitat–bait a hook–then shoot it from a boat when it comes up…”

“Wow, this is something to be proud of? There will probably never be an 800 lb alligator on this planet again, so good for this little asshole, he got the last one. I’m sure the killer of the last wolf, bear, cougar….will be just as proud of himself.”

Need I say more?

It’s not so surprising to hear about Syrian rebel leaders eating human hearts when this kind of treatment of other living things is taught to today’s youth.