Thursday, March 25, 2010

Grabbing Gators: Back to My Usual Shenanigans!

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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When you have a gator by the tail...

Two guys enjoying a private laugh!

Caught this lost and wandering little fellow just moments before a big ol' red shouldered hawk was going to make him dinner!

I was bicycling through the local industrial park, doing a little scouting, when I spotted this young alligator heading towards the main drag.  University Blvd is heavily trafficked, is eight lanes wide, with high, wide, landscaped dividing medians between the two sides. He would have been a definite alligator pancake roadkill if I hadn't happened upon him or if that hawk had gotten to him first!  A quick hop, skip, and jump, and I had him pinned down. The closest lake from where he was wandering, is about 700 - 800 yards away. That was a long walk on his short little legs. So we hopped on my bike and pedaled over to the lake.

Lettin' go is hard to do...

Once we got there though, the leathery little ingrate started doing that baby gator chirp that they do. I was all eyes and ears as I approached the lake.  I certainly didn't want to end up being some mama gator's evening repast!

The release was fortunately, uneventful, and with a splash, the little fellow swam away, muttering deprecations under his decidedly fishy breath!


Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Kandahar Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Way to go Albert, hate to see anything get hurt for no reason. That just goes to show that hunter's are humane also.

murphyfish said...

Hey Albert, great save my man, just hope that in a few years time that he remembers you and your kindness when your skinny dippin.......
Regards,
John

SimplyOutdoors said...

Now that is pretty cool. I'm glad to see that no four-legged swamp creatures answered his baby cries.

Holly Heyser said...

Ah, Florida. Most of us don't get to see gators crossing the road while we're bicycling about town!

Stephen said...

Long time lurker Albert, but I have to say, YOU ARE A SOFTIE! Your Mother probably tucked you in at night with a cute little stuffed Gator. Good for you.

Bob said...

A trick you can pull with a gator that small is to flip it on its back and stroke its belly, which will cause it to lose consciousness for a short period; I saw this demonstrated in Gainesville when I was a teenager by the late Ross Allen and his son Tom.

Albert A Rasch said...

Thanks everyone!

Stephan, my mother tucked me in with concertina and a nice but well worn 1911!LOL! But I sure do love animals, and go out of my way to help animals. Occasionally I help them right into my kitchen too!

Pirate BoB! Now that's something I am going to have to try next time I catch me a gator! Thanks!

Albert