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Those pesky Ohio Crocodiles

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  • Those pesky Ohio Crocodiles

    Not sure if any of you saw this but it caught my attention considering I mostly hunt creeks and it wasn't that far from me. It's a good reminder to keep your head up from time to time and be aware of your surroundings. I used to worry about cottonmouths, unleashed dogs and meth heads. Looks like I have to add crocs to my list. .
    Central Ohio

  • #2
    A friend of mine who lives up there got to see that thing first hand. How in the heck did that get up there?
    "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

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    • flintguy
      flintguy commented
      Editing a comment
      I was wondering that myself. This thing was big. I would guess it would take at least two people to wrestle it down to the water. It looked pretty healthy, well fed. Very irresponsible of someone to do that. If it was kept as a pet, they had it for years.

  • #3
    Wow! That could have turned ugly quick! Glad the children got out of the water. There are a few gators around here in ponds.
    South Carolina

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    • #4
      The only thing those critters are good for is their leather IMO..
      We could be seeing more of them because of global warming and the gators ability to adapt

      If the women don\'t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

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      • flintguy
        flintguy commented
        Editing a comment
        I think this was a saltwater croc. Way less likely it made its way up here on its own, if it was a gator, I would have wondered a little. You are right though, southern animals are definitely moving north now.

    • #5
      I for one appreciate this post flint guy. I have a muddy creek . I am pretty sure it’s a rejected pet . Let lose years ago and lived well off of fish and animals getting close to water . Makes ya think .
      Last edited by Tam; 08-18-2019, 05:21 PM.

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      • #6
        We still have the 11 foot gator in one of the creeks I look in game wardens say it moves around a lot and they never know where it is but once in a while someone will spot it. I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve waded in that creek waist high many times but not lately I can tell you that. Never know
        NW Georgia,

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        • #7
          I wouldn't have the nerve. I used to swim in the ocean with no fear, then one time I had a 7 reef shark hanging out with me, circling until I kicked at it. It shot off, never saw it again but I don't go in any water more then knee deep now. Just can't do it anymore. Maybe fresh water in Ohio, but after this croc story, I would have to think it over.
          Central Ohio

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          • Josie
            Josie commented
            Editing a comment
            When I was a teenager, I spent much of the Summer in Panama City Beach, really it was in Walton County just past Phillips Inlet. It was not commercialized and the most beautiful place. We used to swim out to a sandbar and it was pretty far out but was a great place to find sand dollars. Once when I was swimming back to shore, I stopped and looked and a large shark was between me and the shore. It was a very dark shadow in the water..I just about panicked. Watched it swim off and I made it back to shore I've never been back to the sandbar. As matter of fact, I don't go much further than my knees.

          • flintguy
            flintguy commented
            Editing a comment
            SurfaceHunter, I've never ran into a gator close up. I've seen a few from boats but not too close. Sounds like a close call there.

            Josie, I hear the sharks like to cruise those sandbars, hunting grounds for them. I wish I could go back to swimming in the ocean but haven't been able to yet. It was years ago now.

          • Josie
            Josie commented
            Editing a comment
            That was about 35 years ago for me but the experience had a lasting effect on me. I have gone diving since then but I don't care to dive anymore either. I must be getting old, lol.

        • #8
          Well I was swimming in the ocean today greattt.
          we see fins and stay out .
          My brother was surfing in Cal and saw a fin . Was calm and not worried till he saw the tail about 10 ft behind that first fin him . He said it was about 15 ft and he never paddled so fast in his life .

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          • flintguy
            flintguy commented
            Editing a comment
            I'm sure that would have been a great white that size and that location. Scary. My friend surfs there all the time. Has for years. Probably an unfounded fear on my part.

        • #9
          They ID'd as a Saltwater Croc, but it could be some other more common species kept as exotic pets. I don't think any of them could have survived a winter in Ohio; I believe the American alligator is the only species that can tolerate freezes for short periods of time. (They do that neat trick where they leave their snout up in the air and freeze their head in the ice.)
          Hong Kong, but from Indiana/Florida

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          • flintguy
            flintguy commented
            Editing a comment
            Yeah, like I said, being a saltwater croc it had to be someone's pet. No crocs or alligators could last more than a summer up here. No known instances of them occurring naturally this far north.

        • #10
          I’ve always wondered if these gator types can’t swim under ground like in the aquifer maybe there is caves and tunnels underground that we don’t know about. I would imagine there are fish they could eat. Maybe it’s far fetched idk I really don’t know much as to how the aquifer works.
          NW Georgia,

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          • flintguy
            flintguy commented
            Editing a comment
            Yeah, that's the thing, how does one that size get that far up? You would need a couple men and a big truck at least.

          • flintguy
            flintguy commented
            Editing a comment
            Have you seen any gator tracks there? Any belly slides where they like to enter the water?

          • SurfaceHunter
            SurfaceHunter commented
            Editing a comment
            Hard to tell cause we have beaver slides. Owner told me there is copperhead and rattle snakes all over I haven’t seen a one. Gators love to eat snakes

        • #11
          Alligators are not usually aggressive but I heard the crocodile is more like a gator on meth and mad at the world. We have gators all over down here and some are HUGE but they tend to ignore ya as long as you aren’t threatening them. My favorite fishing hole is surrounded by them and I have not been bitten yet anyway. It is an eerie feeling when ya see a 12-14 ft dinosaur looking creature go underwater directly in front of ya when you are reeling a fish in standing in waist deep water with chest waders on. One day I was coming back out of the water and stepped between 2 trees on the bank of the bayou and heard a very loud huffing sound. I realized that the grass was laid down and there was a mama gator nesting. I knew by the large open mouth that I was not welcome. I tried to turn around and run on water to get away from that thing but unfortunately that didn’t work very well in real life. I did set record time wading (running in water)to get out of that spot. If ya happen to run across a crocodile then I would suggest learning how to run on water and hope it works better than my attempt. The cottonmouth snakes are what you have to really watch out for in these parts. Those things are short,fat,ugly,nasty,stinky,poisonous,sneaky, and very mean creatures. Did I mention they are aggressive on top of all that lol! You gotta be careful where ya step and stay safe!
          SE ARKANSAS

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          • #12
            Thanks Arti. Good story. You guys in the south have it a lot harder...heat, bigger animals. I've heard the alligators aren't too aggressive. Crocs are a little more of a concern. My sister saw a black bear in her property last month, I guess I have to add that to my list. They aren't really aggressive either, but I still don't want to run into one.
            Central Ohio

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            • SurfaceHunter
              SurfaceHunter commented
              Editing a comment
              I’ve seen mostly bear tracks so I know they are here. I haven’t really seen any yet but thought I saw one once got closer and it was gone. I really don’t want to see them anyway. I’m up early tell asleep early. Getting older sure is fun, not

            • flintguy
              flintguy commented
              Editing a comment
              I hear you on the getting older part. I fall asleep earlier and earlier these days. Then when I do wake up, I swear I can here my bones creaking. Spent my whole life being active but I think father time is gaining on me.
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