Alligator Pictures from last Thursday

These are two pictures I took last Thursday when I went out on the boat. I headed about 6 miles north of where I usually run. I haven't been up there in a long time. This is largely due to the distance, and also because the conditions are more risky. Not due to wildlife, but the narrowness of the waterways, and submerged rocks, etc.

What really suprised me about this particular alligator's behavior was that it allowed me to get so close to it. I was no farther than 10 feet from it and it didn't submerge, or explode.

This has only happened twice in over 3 years of being around these creatures. 99.9% of the time they are frustratingly shy, and require you to use camoflague, motionless or concealment. What truly amazed me was once I came home and uploaded the shots I realized that it was swimming along with it's eyelids CLOSED!

I was floored! I have NEVER seen that behaviour in wild alligators in their natural habitat. Not while actively swimming.

On the boat I was too busy controlling the boat and trying to shoot to notice this fully. I thought that it simply had it's protective membrane up over the eye. ( which i still thought as odd )

This may indicate that this old chap is the Alpha in this particular stretch of river, or is very desensitized to human contact. ( which wouldn't surprise me as I found him swimming within 100 meters of a boat ramp.. I killed both of my 05 alligators within 75 metre of a ramp also ) While not a "trophy" dinosaur he would definitely be worth hunting this fall if I'm lucky enough to draw that particular hunting unit.