Tuesday, November 9, 2010

There Goes The Water Skiing...!


Water sports are a really fun way to spend some time, especially if the temps are up in the 80's or 90's.

However, seeing one of these big boys in the area where you and your family are swimming or splashing around could really ruin your day!

I have a feeling that if I was in the water and ran across this guy or one of his relatives...I might learn real quick just how to walk on water! My movement would probably be more like running instead of walking, though!



Boat-towing gator sets record for Fla.'s longest
© 2010 The Associated Press
Nov. 8, 2010, 4:06PM

In this Nov. 1, 2010 photo provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Orlando-area nurse Robert "Tres" Ammerman poses for a photo with the new state-record alligator in Orlando, Fla. Ammerman set the new record while hunting Nov. 1, the last day of the state's alligator harvest. The alligator was caught in the Lake Washington area of the St. Johns River in Brevard County. The alligator measures 14 feet, 3 1/2 inches long and weighs 654 pounds. (AP Photo/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A man who trapped and killed an alligator so big it pulled his boat around a lake has snared what authorities say is Florida's longest gator on record, exceeding 14 feet.

Wildlife officials say the gator caught by Robert Ammerman, a nurse who traps gators as a hobby, weighed 654 pounds and measured 14 feet, 3 1/2 inches. It was caught Nov. 1, the last day of Florida's alligator harvest, in Lake Washington near Melbourne.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the previous record was a 14-foot, 5/8-inch alligator trapped in 1997. The state's heaviest gator on record was taken in 1989, weighing 1,043 pounds.

Ammerman said the gator thrashed and pulled his boat for about 45 minutes after being harpooned and took two hours to tow to dock.

Any way you look at it, this is a BIG gator! I mean, I've seen some gators about 3 feet or so and they were big enough for me. Only way I'm gonna go out and try to catch one is if there is a reward...and I mean a BIG reward!

That critter is ugly enough to be twins with my ex-mother in law! Believe me, that's bad!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! OK?

16 comments:

Catman said...

That's another thing, after TSHTF, wildlife will indeed be very wild.

HermitJim said...

Hey Catman...
Certainly wild enough for me, but after the SHTF, we are going to get used to eating some things we never did before!

Of course, that means that we want to make sure that we are NOT the ones being eaten! Now that would ruin your day!

Thanks, buddy, for coming by today!

Ben in Texas said...

That thing almost sounds like an Urban legend or a hoax,, Good golly, think of all the alligator sauce-piquant you could make with that tail alone!!
Good eating AND at leas one pair of boots out of it! :-)

Sixbears said...

And to think my wife and I paddled a canoe in that area some years ago.

Ben's right though, gater tail is good eating.

Momlady said...

'Gator tail.....yum.

Mayberry said...

Krikey, what a beauty!

HermitJim said...

Hey Ben...
I would imagine you could feed several folks with a tail that size! I've never tried any gator, but everyone tells me it's pretty good!

Hey, always good to know where the big food hangs out, right?

Thanks, buddy, for coming by today!


Hey Sixbears...
Makes you think twice about dragging your feet in the water, doesn't it?

I guess it all really goes back to knowing your environment! Always try and know what's out there!

I appreciate the visit today!


Hey Momlady...
Sounds pretty good, does it? Have you ever fixed it? It looks like chunks of fish when skinned according to what I saw on the show "Swamp People".

Never had it myself!

Hey, thanks for coming by today!


Hey Mayberry...
Bet in a pinch, we could find lots of uses for that critter, huh?

It would make a lot of cut bait!

Thanks, buddy, for dropping by today!

Anonymous said...

An impressive beast, we used to get fair-sized cayman (South American alligators) up to the 3 metre (9 foot) mark around the tourist camps in the Pantanal.

Scared the crap out of the tourists, but they only came around for the scraps from the kitchen and once fed, they just wanted to sleep by the lagoon.

AV

HermitJim said...

Hey AV...
Things like that are what tourists live for! Probably really good for business!

Eat and sleep...sounds like a good plan to me!

Thanks for the visit today!

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One,
Oh my gosh! that is huge. Between those gators and the sharks I think I will stick with a pool anyday. Of course in Fl. they seem to not be that safe either, gators have visited folks yards. Of course here we have rattle snakes, but I guess we have to live somewhere.
Since I am so late today is there any coffee left? :)

HermitJim said...

Hey JoJo...
Guess it's like the old joke about "where does a 600 lb. gator sleep? Anywhere he wants to!"

I'm not going to argue with one of 'em! That's for sure!

Thanks, sweetie, for coming by today!

Ken said...

...as mentioned,good eatin' for sure...and that could be said from both ways i'm certain...i've seen 4'ers,maybe 5'ers,caught a couple 3'ers...but thats scary,reminds me of that one you posted from Texas a while bake...these guys are gatorzillas...

Marjie said...

Your twins comment reminds me of an auto reviewer who used to work for our local paper. He'd rate the trunks of cars as big enough to hold a mother=in-law comfortably. I'd always laugh.

And I'm staying with you well away from the gators. There's no reward big enough for me to go near those suckers.

HermitJim said...

Hey Ken...
A kill shot with a gun has to be made in the area about the size of a tennis ball, or they just get mad!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to do anything to make these bad boys mad!

Hey, thanks for coming by, my friend!


Hey Marjie...
Hadn't heard that description of a trunk size before! Pretty good!

Seems to me that away from them is the best place to be!Don't think I need the money that bad!

I appreciate the visit today!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Sure glad we don't have any gators in our part of the woods,, make that water. After looking at the photo I wondered how the heck did this guy get the gator to where he was shown with it?

HermitJim said...

Hey Beatrice...
I'm not volunteering my truck to haul him in!

I'd be watching him all the time, if it were me!

Thanks for coming by today!