BIG A$$ GATOR

[Alex M.]

This picture was taken by a KTBS helicopter
flying over Lake Wiess about 90 miles north of Birmingham , Alabama.

The helicopter pilot and the game warden were in communication via radio. here is a transcript of their conversation:

'Air1 have you a visual on the gator, over'
'Approaching inlet now, over'
'Roger Air1'
'Gator sighted…. Looks like it has a small animal in its mouth..moving in, over'
'Roger Air1'
'Holy Crap it's a Deer!'
'confirm Air1.. did you say Deer?, Over'
'Roger.. a Deer in its mouth... looks like a full sized buck.. that's a big gator, were gonna need more men, Over'
'Roger Air1..can you give me a idea on size of animal, over'
'Its big 25 feet at least, please advise Gator is heading to inlet.. do I pursue?, over'

<img alt="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/303 ... ca46_o.jpg" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/303 ... ca46_o.jpg">

That has to be a HUGE gator to have a whole deer in its mouth!
The deer was later found to be a mature Stag and was measured at 11feet!
Are you ready to go skiing on Lake Wiess? If you ski at the west end of the lake, try not to fall.

<img alt="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/303 ... 8b1e_o.jpg" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/303 ... 8b1e_o.jpg">


This alligator was found between Centre and Leesburg , Alabama near a house!
Game wardens were forced to shoot the alligator. Guess he wouldn't cooperate...

Anita and Charlie Rogers could hear the bellowing in the night. Their neighbors had been telling them that they had seen a mammoth alligator in the waterway that runs behind their house, but they dismissed the stories as exaggerations. 'I didn't believe it,' Charles Rogers said, but they realized the stories were, if anything, understated.

<img alt="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/303 ... efa7_o.jpg" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/303 ... efa7_o.jpg">


Alabama Parks and Wildlife game wardens had to shoot the beast. Joe Goff, 6'5' tall, a game warden, walks past the 28-foot, 1-inch alligator he shot and killed in their back yard.

[rexford]

Actually that was posted a few years ago. Although he never
took credit, it was decided that monster was landed by angler
Rob Belloni using his "drowning deer" swimbait.

[BassTramp]

For the record 2004 pic some details false:


Pictures of Alligator Swimming with Dead Deer in Its Mouth-Truth!


Summary of the eRumor
Pictures of an alligator swimming in a lake with a dead deer in its mouth.
The text says the picture was taken by a media helicopter from KTBS over Lake George in Ocla, Florida.







The Truth
The pictures are authentic, but the explanatory information is incorrect.
We're not sure what lake the email is referring to.
Perhaps Georges Lake, which is about 60 miles from Ocala, not in Ocala.
Also, these pictures were not taken by the KTBS helicopter.
KTBS is in Shreveport, Louisiana, which is more than 800 miles away.
KTBS tells us that this picture did not come from their helicopter, which crashed in 1992 and has not been replaced.

The facts are that these pictures were taken in 2004 by Terri Jenkins, an officer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service over the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge about 40 miles South of Savannah, Georgia.
According to a news release, she was aboard a helicopter that was igniting prescribed fires in the refuge when the 12 to 13-foot alligator was spotted swimming with the full-grown deer in its mouth.

[Alex M.]

Was forwarded to me, thought it was pretty interesting, and passed it along...

Who really cares where this was, that's a HUGE friggin' gator....

[Brian]

Two different story's





http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/gatordeer.asp



http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/wcgator.asp

[Alex M.]

I wonder what the real scoop is??? So many conflicting stories...

[tunaman]

The real story is....










...as you said - that is a BIG A$$ GATOR!!!
Don't particularly care about the specifics, but that monster (or monsters if they aren't the same critter) is something I only want to see a photo of... wouldn't want to be within several miles of anything that big with that set of dentures!!!

Roger

[Alex M.]

The real story is....










...as you said - that is a BIG A$$ GATOR!!!
Don't particularly care about the specifics, but that monster (or monsters if they aren't the same critter) is something I only want to see a photo of... wouldn't want to be within several miles of anything that big with that set of dentures!!!

Roger

Imagine having that thing blow up on a Lunker Punker with 80lb braid, and foul hooking that thing....What the hell would the outcome be?
What would break first? Rod? Braid? Hooks Straightened? Would you lip it at the side of the boat or just net it...LOL?

[tunaman]

44 mag, and foot to the floor!!!

[outdoorsman]

Ooohhh sh*t. Even if the guy walking by is a midget that gator is massive. Looks easily 20ft. Not going there.

Why do you think they make full size trophy mounts. Different underground fishing

[keithcant]

Someone needs to edit the picture and location to our favorite bass holes....and the PWC yahoos could become a distant memory.

A few years back a couple of small gators were found in Lake Mead. Something like this would keep half the boats off the lake.
It would be the November crowds , ......but in April, May or June.

[sTony]

When I first read the title of this post I thought it might have something to do with our BIG A$$ WEBMASTER. I was wrong My bad.

sTony

[rich mendoza]

how old is a gator that big?

[ash]

Well I think Gators about 37 but I am not positive, he fishes like he's in his fifties and NEVER posts on here anymore!

[sTony]

how old is a gator that big?

The gator was actually 13'1" and the size in the photo is what has been termed as an optical illusion.

I found one spot that claims an alligator that long was likely between 60 and 70 years old.

sTony

Ash, our Gator just turned 40 if my failing memory serves.

[tunaman]

The photo is indeed misleading, as it was cropped from an image taken with a wide-angle lense which will distort perspective. In this case, you can see that the head is closer to the focal plane, and thus appears large in relation to the body, and the trooper is further away, accentuating the size of the gator's body in relation to a familiar reference (a "normal-sized human). Good example of skewed perspective.

Regardless, that is still one big dinosaur that I wouldn't personally want to tangle with!

Roger

[tunaman]

I'd also say that the trooper is either pretty short, or might have even been merged in to the picture, as he isn't that far away from the gator and his size doesn't really match up to the bed of the truck, which appears to be on a similar plane.

Roger

[sTony]

The trooper who is pictured and shot the gator is reportedly 6'5" tall.

sTony

[Gator]

I am gettin ready to ban all of you!!! The boss being first - I have been in Florida chasing Bambi - one down and hopefully many to go - so I haven't been on here as much.............

Yes, I just turned 40 - and Ash I'll outifsh you any day of the week. You name the body of water and it's on - but it has to be the Delta or Clearlake.

[Tin Can]

Someone photoshop a mustache on that gator pic.

[sTony]

I am gettin ready to ban all of you!!! The boss being first - I have been in Florida chasing Bambi - one down and hopefully many to go - so I haven't been on here as much.............

Yes, I just turned 40 - and Ash I'll outifsh you any day of the week. You name the body of water and it's on - but it has to be the Delta or Clearlake.

Wait a second, I thought you said you'd let Ash name the body of water. He'd likely pick one of his favorite SoCal haunts that you've never even been on buddy.

As for banning me, I think I could figure out how to lift that ban but I'm not daring you!

sTony

[ash]

haha I take the delta this weekend I am actaully on fish out there! To bad your in Florida. My second is Berry third Cashtaic bring it on ole man.

Hope you are having fun bagging Bambi!

[Gator]

One more in the cooler tonight with 6 days to go - I may be brigning a ton of meat home.........

And Tony - see if you can login