Dallas Morning News from 6/28/07:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062907dnmetrocgator.2cd0af5.html

Dallas Morning News from 1/6/10, read comments at the bottom:
http://rockwallrowlettblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/01/cold-weather-alligator-in-lake.html

I have fished Ray Hubbard & Rowlett Creek since i was a kid & have never seen a gator. But if you have ever been in the river you know that there has to be some up there. Makes me wonder about all the times I have wade fished in that lake.

Well daggum it. I might have to rethink my spring fishing... or call this guy:

Im afraid that my wade fishing days would have just ended after reading that story.

Ive seen them all over including cedar creek while wade fishing for crappie in the spring off of 175. Actually stepped on him that morning. Only time there ive seen him but told the wife a few days earlier looked to be alligator runs in that cove lol. Luckily i got somewhat used to them fishing in florida and they didnt bother me much after ytou get used to them. They are for the most part not agressive unless you are around one of their nest then you better watch out. The one at cc was only about 4-5ft so he was pretty small. Dont get me wrong it shaked me up a bit especially when at the time didnt know there was any in there for sure. Asked my father in law about it and also has a in law that grew up down there since the 50s no more then a mile from that spot and still lives there, and used to hunt that area before cc was built and trot lined it off of 175 and said back in the 50s-60 they used to see them in there all the time. Most dont see tehm now he said since he thinks after the lake wasa built most died or went back up in the creek and the flooded areas where most people dont go. I know at one point years ago we used to camp at sunny glen before it got bad there and in the bait shop was a pic of a guy that came in with a gator on his boat dead and said he found it that way. I doubt it was dead when he found it but what can you do
Gators are everywhere around this area its just most are never seen

never seen 1, but there are gators all over NE TX.. in most all of our lakes and tributaries. leroys bait shop has that 1 in the back that was caught in the river below lavon...so if theyre there im sure theyre in the creek. Fork and Twak i know for sure have HEALTHY POPULATIONS of sizeable gators..ive spent enough time in the swampy north ends of both those lakes to have seen my fair share of em...so if a healthy population exist just a stones throw east...theyre here too

If you can get Michael J. Dundee to come help you... See if you can get Ms. Sue (Linda Kozlowski) to tag along.. I would like to meet her in person!!!!

About a year ago the local paper carried a photo of a huge gator (12 ft as I recall) that was caught in a stock pond near the north end of Cedar Creek Lake. Henderson county has a healthy popoulation of gators and I'm sure the other counties around do as well.

Never seen any on that side of the lake but have seen one bout 7 ft below lavon. Our family leased land in Garland off RC back in the late 70's and have never have seen any sign then or since. Back in 79-80 we rode our horses from castle rd all the way to wynne joyce boat ramp and all the way up above 78 and up spring creek The creek has changed alot since then, a whole lot more water flows into it now as well more TRASH! Had a lot of fun in in that creek. There is also a spring that flows out into the creek bed above pleasant valley.

Not being seen is their specialty. I have seen them in Fork, Cooper, Palestine, Tawakoni, Texoma, and Pat Mayse. I'm sure that all the major lakes have them. What do you think happens when people buy them as pet at 3"-4", and then they get to be 1'-2'ers. They just take them to a local creek ot lake and release their pet.

As a Duck Hunter they are easier found since we hunt in the same areas they live. People usually don't have any worries, but hunting dogs, and dogs taken down to the water while camping. They are at much greater risk, although a 10'er might get me to pay closer attention. Not that they won't be in places that fisherman hang, but not normally hanging in deeper water. Food source is places where smaller animals will wade water to cross a flat 1'-2' deep, or out of the way creeks. Several Hunting Dogs lost to them every year, and they get more numerous the farther East you go.

Again, they are in ALL the lakes, just not in places that people hang out, or places where they are easily seen. I've seen some good'un in these lakes while duck hunting, but the only 10'er I have ever seen was in Lake Huntville State Park. Seen a 10'-12' & an 8'-9'er swimming together.

keith

Quick summary - I wouldn't worry about gators or change my fishing unless I was wading through way back shallow swamps or had small kids or dogs with me. Even then I would just be more carefull.

Just moved here from south Florida after 20yrs. Spent lots of time with the gators. It was nothing to be wade fishing with 3 or 4 floating around. Shine a light at night and there would be dozens of sets of eyes looking back.Only once did we have a problem, we left the canoe on the beach near a nest, and mama didn't like us coming back to get it.

Only a couple of people get hurt each year by gators. given there are millions of gators, that says it all.

Gators aren't mean or aggressive unless mating, which occurs April-May, or defending their nest, which will probably be well away from the trails. In both cases they want to own the spot where they are, and accept you backing away as end to the problem.

They are really only dangerous when fed, or you're small (kids, dogs). When fed they learn people = food. People with no food become food. If hungry, they might try to eat you if you're small. A dog is a big meal for most gators they eat a lot less than we do. They judge size by height - to them a 6" man standing up is a 72" long gator. When they see a man they think - holy $#!+ that monster could eat me!

Just watch for them - which takes a little practice. When you see them, remember they have a brain the size of your thumb and a simple program. they think about a few things:
I want to sleep (most of the time)
I want to eat (usually snails and small fish)
I want to mate (Apr-May)
I want to protect my nest (July-Aug)

Because they are simple - watching them will tell you where their program runs. They aren't sneaky, and don't ambush. The clostest they come to ambushing is learning a spot where food shows up, and waiting there. With all of the people walking the banks around here, we would hear if there was such a spot.

Basically - if they are interested they will approach you and you should leave the vicinity.

Also remember that almost all gator attacks on humans are cases of mistakes where the gators misjudged size. Bending down to fill a bucket, sticking your hand down in the water from a boat. They know something about fishing, like if I see a bobber I can wait here then a fish will show up and swim very slowly (as in hooked and fighting) to the bank. They'll follow the fish to the shallows and get it there.

Gator mistakes rarely happen - takes a lot of gators to add up to one mistake. North Texas has a very very small gator population. In the everglades - I would see 20-200 a day. I've only seen a couple here, further south. I'm sure they are here - just in small numbers. Since there are so few, there isn't any competition for the good hiding spots away from the 72" long humans.

I have seen a couple of alligators on Lake Lewisville of 3-5 ft. in length. Both were in the same area swimming/floating around the individually owned boathouses at Tower Bay Marina.

Jeff

Great info Vern Thanks for sharing.