I found a gator's nest!!

[RutnNStrutn]

I was out scouting yesterday at a WMA that I have an upcoming hunt on, and went down to check out a cypress pond. When I approached the pond I heard the unmistakable sound of baby gators calling to their mother. If you've heard the sound, you'll never forget it. If you've never heard it, here's a link to the sound.

http://www.sound-effect.com/sounds1/animal/baligator2.wav

I slowly eased up to the pond, being careful because there was high grass around it, and it blocked my view of the shoreline where mama might have been waiting. I made my way down to the shore and spotted several baby gators swimming around. Looking around for mama, I instead found the nest where they had been hatched. How cool is that? I've never found one in the wild like that before. I've seen them from my jon boat with mama on guard, and I've seen babies in the water with mama, but I've never found a hidden away nest like this one.
While I was admiring the nest and taking pictures, a big splash in the water on the far side of the pond got my attention rather abruptly. :laughing3 I guess mama had made her entrance in response to the incessant calling of her babies. I finished taking pictures and backed out of there. What a cool interlude to my scouting that was.
I've included some pics. The first one is of some egg shells.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/GatorEggs1.jpg

The second is of the nest.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/GatorNest1.jpg

The third is of the nest with the pond in the background.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/GatorPond1.jpg

The last one is of the far shoreline of the pond. If you look close, you can see mama with just the top of her head sticking out of the water, and just beyond that you will see the striped tail of one of her babies up in the vegetation.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Gators-mombaby1.jpg

[Randy Clark]

pretty cool but isnt the timing off i thought it was supposed to be spring time for baby gators

[RutnNStrutn]

I think the breeding season is in the spring, but there are lots of small babies around in the fall.
This was cool too in that it was in the middle of the deer and turkey woods. The nearest creek, which she had to have come down when the water was higher, is now pretty much dried up. She had to have traveled several hundred yards to find this water hole. How could she have known? I was quite surprised while scouting in such a dry area to come upon a gator nest hidden away. I was going to put a deer stand there. :icon_smil

[Randy Clark]

i think they can smell the water. a left over memory from pbs shows on the crocidiles and when the dry season hits the sarangetti plains. but i could have it confused with alot of other left over memories. hey at least you found before you put your tree stand up instead of that morning when you got turned around a little bit and stepped in on mom and the younguns

[RutnNStrutn]

Yeah brother, you got that right. Can you imagine walking in, hearing the gator hiss at you, turn that way with your flashlight and see the eyes shining back at you??? :eek:

[Keith Yates]

From deep in the memory banks. One day while fishing on the Johns way back. I was in a panic to find some place to use the little boys room outside the boat as I didn't want to freek out my date. I pulled the boat up to the bank and wouldn't you know it there was this nice little trail all ready open so I could slip back a few yards from the waters edge behind some cover. I won't tell you what I screamed but it ain't to funny when you are squating face to face with a ****ed off momma gator and your breaches down around you ankles.

[Randy Clark]

From deep in the memory banks. One day while fishing on the Johns way back. I was in a panic to find some place to use the little boys room outside the boat as I didn't want to freek out my date. I pulled the boat up to the bank and wouldn't you know it there was this nice little trail all ready open so I could slip back a few yards from the waters edge behind some cover. I won't tell you what I screamed but it ain't to funny when you are squating face to face with a ****ed off momma gator and your breaches down around you ankles.

well heck sheryl and i got a good laugh out of it what did your date say?

[RutnNStrutn]

I won't tell you what I screamed but it ain't to funny when you are squating face to face with a ****ed off momma gator and your breaches down around you ankles.
Well, I hate to tell ya Keith, but while it may not have been funny for you at the time, it was exceedingly funny for me to read right now!!!! :icon_smil :icon_twis :laughing1 :toothy9: :laughing9 :toothy12:

[Randy Clark]

just rereading it made me chuckle thanks for the laughs kieth

[David B]

I have found nests that are hundreds of yards from the water on many occassions when harvesting eggs (legally). It all depends on the materials available and the water levels. Keith all I ever find in those trails are moccassins and that makes one want to do the same with his pants up.
It would be so cool to see the opened eggs and then find the hatchlings nearby.
Great story with cool pictures. Thanks for posting it up!!!

[RutnNStrutn]

David, I've checked out numerous cypress heads in the middle of a dry area while scouting for deer or wood ducks over the years, but I've never found a gator's nest in one, until now. You're right, it was pretty cool. I'll probably go back by there the last day just to check it out again.

[David B]

If I can get my computer to like the UWF website. I will post up some pics of the nests and a few mad mothers over the years. The adreneline rush is unbelievable.

[RutnNStrutn]

Please do, those would be cool to see. :)

[brightlights]

[QUOTE=Randy Clark;34660]i think they can smell the water. a left over memory from pbs shows on the crocidiles and when the dry season hits the sarangetti plains. but i could have it confused with alot of other left over memories. QUOTE]


What's a left over memory?

[Randy Clark]

[QUOTE=Randy Clark;34660]i think they can smell the water. a left over memory from pbs shows on the crocidiles and when the dry season hits the sarangetti plains. but i could have it confused with alot of other left over memories. QUOTE]


What's a left over memory?

its what's left over i my brain seem to remember but cant be quite sure. therefore i cant really call it a memory or that i could remember it. but what the heck.maybe its the beer, old age, or drugs of youth.

[ibfishin]

One January afternoon on Istokpoga I was crouched down on my knees in a shallow honeyhole that was loaded with ducks and only one small piece of thick cover. We shot a few ducks and decided to leave them for the following morning. We got in the same spot at 5:00am the next morning to find @1 dozen gator hatchlings in the same cover I was kneeling in the day before. Then big momma slams into the boat without warning. She has her head and front legs in the boat spinning us like a top because my hunting buddy, who is screaming like a little girl, had jumped in the back of the boat burying the skeg in the mud. The boat finally slid out from under her and I was able to get my buddy to the front of the boat so we could float. She attacked again, same scenario. Finally got out of there and did't hunt that spot again that season.

[Randy Clark]

that would sure wake you up in a hurry.