Unbelievable! Oh well,....

Since I am not a parent I will proably be criticized for this, but I am sure glad my old man didn't evlaute minimal risks the same way. Many of my best memories as a kid are from the lakes and bays of Texas and various outdoor activities, all of which carry some level of associated risk. I would not have grown up the way I am or be able to respect and enjoy the outdoor activities I love today had he prevented me from enjoying them as a child out of fear. Not to say my dad didn't care, he is very cautious....I would encourage you to use sound judgement about your surroundings, but let your kids have fun and develop an appreciation for the outdoors, something impossible at the neighborhood pool or backyard.

I've seen quite a few by my lake house on rayburn They run away most of the time But I did have one about I'm guessing about 14-15 foot kinda sit and look at me when I was coming out of a creek we were at a mexican stand-off the creek was too narrow to go around so for about 15 minutes we just sat there and looked at one another until he lost interest and left I guess me in my little 15 foot jon boat may have looked a little more inviting than my Triton

FYI to all who have stated seeing 15-16 foot alligators. The largest alligator ever verified in any state was less that 15 foot long. They look a lot longer than they really are. It has been my experience that most people who see a 8 ft. alligator think its at least 12-14 ft.