Alligator fished out of Franklinville Lake

[Pat Battle-ship]

Are we in NJ of FL? 70 degree late November days and now someone hooks a gator :banana:

Alligator fished out of Franklinville Lake (http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2011/11/alligator_fished_out_of_frankl.html)

Wonder if he got his lure back?

[first2wins]

I will tell you how it got there…it outgrew someone’s fish tank and was released.

[Dirtman]

NJ's laws on reptiles are pretty relaxed so gators are insanely easy to get as pets. We've had 4 or 5 small gators and caiman turn up in local ponds this year. I'm still waiting to hear of one making it to the Delaware and surviving indefinitely, It' really quite possible.

[Dirtman]

Took a while to find the article...

This little fella was captured by yours truly and my friend Dennis from the state exotic species task force after the ridiculous attempts by local animal control failed.

http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2009/08/19/news/doc4a8b821f8282d927380751.txt

The funny story behind this is... When I was 18 I owned this black rape van (you know the type). Well I had "NJ gator rescue service" painted on the side, strapped a bunch of nets to the roof, had a big orange flashing light, and that was litterally what i drove every day. It was a joke at the time but one day someone actually called me and told me they had a gator lose in their basement. Well I showed up in my van about the same time an animal control officer did... I was certain this guy was going to tell me to get the hell out of here but the animal control officer was so scared he said "its all yours buddy". I went down in the basement and found a 4 foot black caiman that broke out of a cage. I grabbed it, taped its mouth, put it in a bag crocodile hunter style and walked outside. I handed it to the animal control officer and said here you go. He asked me what the charge was and i was pretty baffled that a state official was asking for a price but I said no charge. Anyway... ever since, even though my "mock" business is gone I still get calls from F&G, DEP, and even state police when there is a "GATOR ON THE LOSE!". I've caught 3 by myself, helped with 3, and been called for at least 6 others.

I have even funnier stories involving rattlesnakes but I feel thats off topic.. :arol:

[SlaughterOnTheWater]

D-man, you really need to write a memoir.

[Tom Sawyer]

EPIC Dirtman, just hysterical:darkbeer:

[Pat Battle-ship]

That's great Dirtman

Anyone know if they ever caught the Silver Lake python in Point Pleasant?

[Dirtman]

Anyone know if they ever caught the Silver Lake python in Point Pleasant?

I went down twice and never saw it and had serious doubts it was actually a python. Pythons aren't aquatic enough to be only sighted in the lake, and at 15 foot it could only be a retic. Considering the "sightings" fizzled out after a couple months I'm betting the whole story was over hyped sightings of large carp tailing in the shallows. :arol:

[fishon]

We need Dirtman and Lconn to get together and put their adventures into a book, or more likely a series of books. That right there would be some damn good reading.

[Pat Battle-ship]

I went down twice and never saw it and had serious doubts it was actually a python. Pythons aren't aquatic enough to be only sighted in the lake, and at 15 foot it could only be a retic. Considering the "sightings" fizzled out after a couple months I'm betting the whole story was over hyped sightings of large carp tailing in the shallows. :arol:


Yeah thats what I was thinking. I think they were saying it was a Burmese, the same kind plaguing FL. Read a article on the invasion and they have been sighted miles out to sea so wouldnt it be cool if it made it across the road into the ocean up the inlet and into Allaire & found a mate :arol::sm: . They were worried about them moving North and did a study in SC, saying that their first year is what determines their tolerance to cold, & its likely they could live as far north as DC. Hey the shores weather isnt to far off temp wise from DC :scratch: