South Florida duckin
- Thread starter Ron Smith
- Start date
Robert Stanfield
Active member
nice pictures
Ron, keep the pictures coming. For those of us already done, it extends the season for us. The pictures are much appreciated.
With the limited supply of ducks we have up here, I'd die for some ringers right now!!!
Shoot a few for me!!!!!
Glad you guys in the 'Glades have birds, up here on the northern gulf coast, we have the fewest ducks we've had in 15 years. It's pitiful. Combination of warm weather in the flyway and the lack of grassbeds from the hurricane & following drought. Maybe I need to move farther south?
Shoot a few for me!!!!!
Glad you guys in the 'Glades have birds, up here on the northern gulf coast, we have the fewest ducks we've had in 15 years. It's pitiful. Combination of warm weather in the flyway and the lack of grassbeds from the hurricane & following drought. Maybe I need to move farther south?
Ron Smith
Active member
Scott, There is some coastal hunting in Florida but all my hunting is inland and 99.9% of all my hunting has been in the Everglades.
The dog in the glades question always comes up. The dog belongs to my friend and there is some danger in the retrives. We spotlight the area before we set up (gator eyes glow in the dark). The dog was called off the pursuit of some cripples because they were getting too far away. I personally do not worry about being in the water my self but then I am not reckless about it. I have never lost a duck to an alligator although I had a very aggressive 8 footer take 3 shots accross the bow before he decided to turn and leave. When I slip over the side of the boat at 5:30 am I am thinking more of the 12 foot pythons than I am of alligators. I have always thought I had a reasonable chance to fight fend off a gator attack. The pythons... I am not too sure of.
If you look at the herters foam decoy in the pictures you might be able to make out the alligator bite on it. My friend accidently left it there overnight and the next day a small gator had apparently thought he found an easy meal.
Yesterday, I did have a duck that was laying dead outside the decoys suddenly start to move very rapidly away. The culprit was a 2 foot long mudfish dragging it away. I was able to get to the bird before the mud started to eat it. I have had mudfish and turtles chomp up some ducks.
The dog in the glades question always comes up. The dog belongs to my friend and there is some danger in the retrives. We spotlight the area before we set up (gator eyes glow in the dark). The dog was called off the pursuit of some cripples because they were getting too far away. I personally do not worry about being in the water my self but then I am not reckless about it. I have never lost a duck to an alligator although I had a very aggressive 8 footer take 3 shots accross the bow before he decided to turn and leave. When I slip over the side of the boat at 5:30 am I am thinking more of the 12 foot pythons than I am of alligators. I have always thought I had a reasonable chance to fight fend off a gator attack. The pythons... I am not too sure of.
If you look at the herters foam decoy in the pictures you might be able to make out the alligator bite on it. My friend accidently left it there overnight and the next day a small gator had apparently thought he found an easy meal.
Yesterday, I did have a duck that was laying dead outside the decoys suddenly start to move very rapidly away. The culprit was a 2 foot long mudfish dragging it away. I was able to get to the bird before the mud started to eat it. I have had mudfish and turtles chomp up some ducks.
Hitch
Well-known member
Don't forget to think about those Florida Crocs too. They get huge and are just as aggressive as the ones down under. Just thought I would remind you Ron 
I'm sure the growing population of Crocs in the glades won't be a problem though. What's the chance you'll "run into one". Hmmm, 0530... still pretty dark.
Nice pics Ron.
Hitch
I'm sure the growing population of Crocs in the glades won't be a problem though. What's the chance you'll "run into one". Hmmm, 0530... still pretty dark. Nice pics Ron.
Hitch
Joe Dunleavy
Active member
The non native pythons would scare me more than the gators.
Ed Askew
Well-known member
Gators today are a different animal than they were say 20 years ago, at least in Louisiana. Since they raise so many of them on gator farms until they're too big to be eaten by most predators (2 feet), all the time they're being fed by humans, then release them into the wild, they've lost their natural fear of us. They've become a nuisance. They act very aggressive around our camp. If you're fishing they'll go after the cork with you only a few feet away, to the point where you have no choice but the motor on down the bayou a ways just to continue fishing. As soon as these little gators get big we're going to have a real problem. Right now seems like the bold ones aren't any bigger than 8 feet. When they are 12 footers, look out.
Ed.
Ed.
Robert Stanfield
Active member
Ron ,
I don't like the lizzards or the snakes but see alot more gators in one place we go in is not uncommon to pull up next to a gator bigger then the boat.
You should be covered in teal and ringers this year as they both seemed to pass right over my area this year but we have to beat the mottles off sice there are so many this year.
Do you have a camp down there or just putting in at public ramp?
I don't like the lizzards or the snakes but see alot more gators in one place we go in is not uncommon to pull up next to a gator bigger then the boat.
You should be covered in teal and ringers this year as they both seemed to pass right over my area this year
but we have to beat the mottles off sice there are so many this year.Do you have a camp down there or just putting in at public ramp?
Randy_M
Member
ron and ed. i agree with you both. between the lose of fear, and loss or territory, they are getting to be a pain in the butt. need to find some way to put fear in them. my cousin, carries a 44 mag revolver on him. he had to shoot one, because it attacked his boat.., he told me that he thought that he was dinner....i carry a flare and a his pistol with me for back up, just in case....
i was reading about a florida study by wildlife and fisheries that in the everglades. it started in florida and it stated that florida, mississippi, and now louisiana already has crocs, so now we have to worry about gator and crocs.... crocs, are more aggressive too, they will attack anything that moves.
i wonder where all the ducks are going, now i know....darn illegal import of crocs.. i have a friend that works for la, wlf, and he informed me that they have killed, 2 so far this 2006 year.... now that is alot, in st tammany parish, and washington parish areas....that is bordering mississippi area....
i was reading about a florida study by wildlife and fisheries that in the everglades. it started in florida and it stated that florida, mississippi, and now louisiana already has crocs, so now we have to worry about gator and crocs.... crocs, are more aggressive too, they will attack anything that moves.
i wonder where all the ducks are going, now i know....darn illegal import of crocs.. i have a friend that works for la, wlf, and he informed me that they have killed, 2 so far this 2006 year.... now that is alot, in st tammany parish, and washington parish areas....that is bordering mississippi area....
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