Ochloknee river state campground Fl.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Badbart56

This is my hometown. The sprawling metropolis of Sopchoppy! It's the best of all places to raise a family. Low crime (I was a sheriff's deputy here), excellent school system, quiet and only about 33K people in the whole county. It's a well kept secret. Much to like! And yes, the fishing is great! And home to the best oysters in the world!

And, I (and Susan) agree. We love the town, the grocery, the park and just the "feel". Been looking for a spot to buy for "hanging out" down here.

[UKLimey]

Originally Posted by Hankster

We solved the water issues, it was the screens/diffusers. Unfortunately they're not threaded in like your kitchen faucet at home, they're apparently justa plastic pieces pressed in tight fit. I might look at replacing the 2 sink faucets with something a little nicer. I imagine you can get an inexpensive house type for less than $50 for the lav faucet. Not so sure on the kitchen only had one hole that it mounts to the counter.

I replaced my bathroom faucet with this one. I needed a taller one so I could wash my hair! It works great. I did go into the screw on filter and open up the hole a bit to get a better flow as it, and the original one, caused my pump to pulse and it was annoying!. Overall, worth the money.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Badbart56

This is my hometown. The sprawling metropolis of Sopchoppy! It's the best of all places to raise a family. Low crime (I was a sheriff's deputy here), excellent school system, quiet and only about 33K people in the whole county. It's a well kept secret. Much to like! And yes, the fishing is great! And home to the best oysters in the world!

Heck, now I gotta go visit! I live in FL so it would be a snap to drive to.

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Heck, now I gotta go visit! I live in FL so it would be a snap to drive to.

https://www.visitwakulla.com/

Here is a website for the county.

[Bill-2020]

Thank you. Crazy, how we can get so busy with life and seeing other places, we sometimes do see where we live. I’m 15 minutes from the beach, and we never go, just to watch the waves (we’re not sunbathers by any stretch).

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Thank you. Crazy, how we can get so busy with life and seeing other places, we sometimes do see where we live. I’m 15 minutes from the beach, and we never go, just to watch the waves (we’re not sunbathers by any stretch).

Man, the last time I went sunbathing it turned tragic. I heard some people yelling and they began pushing me around. I think the guy with shirt that said "save the whales" the ring leader.

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by bjasin1

What’s the situation with alligators in some of these inland water parks? I’ve pretty much always stuck to the keys and once at Disney as far as camping.. my wife loves to hike and kayak and paddle board. She is always off the beaten path exploring and taking pictures of nature.. something that crossed my mind when planning

If there’s water, there likely be alligators there. Central Florida is lousy with alligators. St John’s river is home for a few thousand, too. Go south around the big lake and you get crocs. They’re meaner than ‘gators.

[adeakins]

Gators are lazy. Generally don’t go after anything over 35 lbs. There have been exceptions, so I wouldn’t tease any of them.

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by Badbart56

This is my hometown. The sprawling metropolis of Sopchoppy! It's the best of all places to raise a family. Low crime (I was a sheriff's deputy here), excellent school system, quiet and only about 33K people in the whole county. It's a well kept secret. Much to like! And yes, the fishing is great! And home to the best oysters in the world!

If there’s water, there likely be alligators there. Central Florida is lousy with alligators. St John’s river is home for a few thousand, too. Go south around the big lake and you get crocs. They’re meaner than ‘gators.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by adeakins

Gators are lazy. Generally don’t go after anything over 35 lbs. There have been exceptions, so I wouldn’t tease any of them.

Exceptions include those who have lost arms and legs by dangling them off a dock. Also that little boy, well over 35 pounds, at a Disney resort only a few years ago. He didn’t survive the attack. I don’t trust any of them- especially the ones you don’t notice in the tall reeds and grass along the banks.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Exceptions include those who have lost arms and legs by dangling them off a dock. Also that little boy, well over 35 pounds, at a Disney resort only a few years ago. He didn’t survive the attack. I don’t trust any of them- especially the ones you don’t notice in the tall reeds and grass along the banks.

I figure gators are like most anything else; given the right time and circumstance, and depending on its disposition anything might happen.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a gator, back when I was maybe 20 or so. Took a trip along the S coastline from TX to LA/MS/AL. Driving down one of those small roads along the lower coast (seems like MS?) saw some boys on the left side of the road throwing a big rope out into the water with something on the end. On the right side some women were sitting in chairs dangling little lines in the water with buckets beside them. I stopped to see what was going on.

Those boys (3 in what looked like their 20s) were hauling that rope back in then throwing it back out. Looked like a chicken was tied to the end. They let it sit there for a bit then the one holding the rope hollered. The other 2 came over and grabbed the rope with him and they began tugging. I thought "this is really bizarre". They kept tugging and backing up the suddenly this huge gator popped out of the water tugging back against those guys. They kept pulling, he kept tugging and it was almost at a standstill when the gator opened his mouth and that chicken come flying out back toward the guys - gator just disappeared below the water.

Well, I thought, after seeing that first I figured I'd see what the women were doing....they were catching crabs. Little lengths of stick with a string on it then I suppose some kind of bait. I watched them pull a couple out of the water and drop them in a bucket. Hmmm I'm thinking. Looking into the water I could see the crabs along the edge under the water. Found a stick with a string attached to it but had no idea about bait. Figured I'd just just drop that string in the water and dangle it around one or those crabs....so I did. I was intently watching the crab and my little string when I saw "something" coming up through, and then out of, the water. I jumped straight up as a gator about 4' long come jumping out of the water straight at my face and his jaws went "whack" right in front of me.

I figured I'd had enough "gator" for one day and made my way back to the desert of W TX. That gator might have only been 4' long but he sure didn't appear to be lazy and from 8-10" away even the teeth on that little gator sure looked big to me. They don't bother me these days but I give them their space - I figure the teeth on the "big boys" are probably even more "impressive" than those on the little fellow.

[Badbart56]

Back when I was a deputy down there I got dispatched on a call one night in reference to a security alarm going off at a residence in the zone I was working. When I arrived at the house I noted it was built up on stilts and it appeared that no one was home, no vehicles there, no lights were on.

So I Got out of my patrol car and climbed over the locked gate and made my way to the steps at the front of the house with my flashlight. I climbed to the top of the stairs and knocked on the door, looking in the windows while listening for movement.

I was fairly satisfied that it was a false alarm and that no one was on the premises. so I started back down the stairs and as I turned around I saw two yellowish red eyes about 6 inches apart about 12 feet in front of the steps that I had just ascended!

Apparently there was a small pond in the front of the house and I had walked by it when I approached from the driveway, not realizing that the pond was there, let alone that a rather large gator was lying on the bank of it. I had walked probably about 8 or 10 feet from him when I went to the stairs without knowing it. I trained my Glock 21 on his head as I slowly went down the stairs and then backed down the driveway to where I had climbed over the gate.

I radioed in that it was a false alarm and had them put in the notes that these folks didn't really need a security system and if there ever was a burglar out there, he may need rescuing!

Another deputy that retired soon after I did is now the state certified nuisance alligator trapper in this region. He also sells gator meat if you're interested Danny.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I figure gators are like most anything else; given the right time and circumstance, and depending on its disposition anything might happen.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a gator, back when I was maybe 20 or so. Took a trip along the S coastline from TX to LA/MS/AL. Driving down one of those small roads along the lower coast (seems like MS?) saw some boys on the left side of the road throwing a big rope out into the water with something on the end. On the right side some women were sitting in chairs dangling little lines in the water with buckets beside them. I stopped to see what was going on.

Those boys (3 in what looked like their 20s) were hauling that rope back in then throwing it back out. Looked like a chicken was tied to the end. They let it sit there for a bit then the one holding the rope hollered. The other 2 came over and grabbed the rope with him and they began tugging. I thought "this is really bizarre". They kept tugging and backing up the suddenly this huge gator popped out of the water tugging back against those guys. They kept pulling, he kept tugging and it was almost at a standstill when the gator opened his mouth and that chicken come flying out back toward the guys - gator just disappeared below the water.

Well, I thought, after seeing that first I figured I'd see what the women were doing....they were catching crabs. Little lengths of stick with a string on it then I suppose some kind of bait. I watched them pull a couple out of the water and drop them in a bucket. Hmmm I'm thinking. Looking into the water I could see the crabs along the edge under the water. Found a stick with a string attached to it but had no idea about bait. Figured I'd just just drop that string in the water and dangle it around one or those crabs....so I did. I was intently watching the crab and my little string when I saw "something" coming up through, and then out of, the water. I jumped straight up as a gator about 4' long come jumping out of the water straight at my face and his jaws went "whack" right in front of me.

I figured I'd had enough "gator" for one day and made my way back to the desert of W TX. That gator might have only been 4' long but he sure didn't appear to be lazy and from 8-10" away even the teeth on that little gator sure looked big to me. They don't bother me these days but I give them their space - I figure the teeth on the "big boys" are probably even more "impressive" than those on the little fellow.

We think we live in such modern world but can still be eaten by a great white 20’ off the beach in cape cod,attacked and killed by a bear in New Jersey or devoured by a alligator in disneyworld Gotta respect nature

[sourdough]

When I was young a gator was an "unknown". The trip I mentioned was my first exposure and between all the stories you hear etc.....from a desert country, they seemed pretty intimidating. Now, after all these years staying in coastal areas they are just part of the "scenery"; we actually search them out just to look at them. More or less prehistoric beings hanging in with the modern world - we like, but respect, them. I know a fellow that owns a seafood market that is also a licensed gator "harvester". He sells gator meat at the store, and I love it (used to have it flown in back in the day), but down here my preferences are shrimp, stone crab claws and grouper. DW loves shrimp....and shrimp, oh.....and shrimp.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by sourdough

When I was young a gator was an "unknown". The trip I mentioned was my first exposure and between all the stories you hear etc.....from a desert country, they seemed pretty intimidating. Now, after all these years staying in coastal areas they are just part of the "scenery"; we actually search them out just to look at them. More or less prehistoric beings hanging in with the modern world - we like, but respect, them. I know a fellow that owns a seafood market that is also a licensed gator "harvester". He sells gator meat at the store, and I love it (used to have it flown in back in the day), but down here my preferences are shrimp, stone crab claws and grouper. DW loves shrimp....and shrimp, oh.....and shrimp.

Throw some scallops in and you have my kind of meal!

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Exceptions include those who have lost arms and legs by dangling them off a dock. Also that little boy, well over 35 pounds, at a Disney resort only a few years ago. He didn’t survive the attack. I don’t trust any of them- especially the ones you don’t notice in the tall reeds and grass along the banks.

As a rule , those incidents occur in areas where people - tourists- feed the gators … and then they don’t. They don’t take disappointment well. Gators, while not terribly bright, form habits quickly. I used to watch guys fishing from the shore near Sanford, FL. As soon as their line hit the water, a gator would appear. It would wait for the catch and then race to take it from the line. Walk behind the fisherman and you’d see gator eyes staring back from the water.

[flybouy]

Gator story reminds me of my first deer hunt with a bow. I was 20, thought I'd try bow hunting. Spent all summer practicing and getting proficient. Went in to WV and was tracking a deer in the fresh snow. I was tracking the deer along the ridge of a mountain.

After about 5 miles the deer tracks crossed my tracks only there was additional tracks now. That of a large bear. Now the bear shouldn't be out and about that time of year. So I thought OK, he's obviously very hungry or he's PO'd in either case I don't want to meet with only 5 Brodhead arrows. That's the year I bought my first large caliber pistol. I carried that 44 magnum with m on every bow hunt after that.

[Bill-2020]

Fly fishing in NM, late 80’s, young and didn’t know much about handguns. I was chased downstream by someone’s very large dog that was camping near the trout stream All
I had was the 9 foot 5 weight rod as a whip for defense - and to stand in the middle of the cold stream. After that I went to a local gun shop, asked to see a .22 pistol and explained why. The shop owner, a retired police officer, said a .22 would only piss off that dog, or a large wild animal. I bought a Rosi .357 revolver and carried it in a waist pack each time after that.

[jasin1]

My wife kayaks and paddle boards from our house by herself a lot of the times. It’s gonna be a challenge keeping her out of the little marsh’s and tidal areas in Florida. I guess I will have to be with her and bring some alligator “spray” in case one gets out of line.

[roadglide]

There’s not much meat on a 500 lbs gator but it’s good meat with 100s of recipes. It takes a lot of hide to cover 1 motorcycle seat. I’ll be watching for feral pigs and huge lizards while exploring Florida.