Don’t pet the alligators

I’ve been hungry several times, but never hungry enough to wrestle an alligator for a dead nutria. I came upon this ’gator on a pond at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, off Texas Highway 35 northeast of Rockport. It seemed possessive about its prey and raised it and slammed it down hard on the bank to warn me. I was probably too close, but she couldn’t grab me without dropping her dinner. COURTESY/John Jefferson

Quick! Call the cops! There’s an alligator in Floresville’s River Park!

Whoa! Hold your horses! According to the Wilson County News, the splendid Floresville newspaper, ’gators have been seen there before — just not since 2018.

People forget. And newcomers might not expect it.

Floresville is a delightful city on Highway 181 just downriver from the city of San Antonio.

Although nobody has been attacked by the ’gator, the city has ordered signs alerting people to the alligator’s residence. Good idea.

The Floresville article by Rachel Draper reported that Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) biologist Audry Naughton confirmed that Wilson County is near the upper edge of alligators’ range. Throughout much of Texas east and south of Floresville, alligators are often seen. Staying 30 feet away from one is safe. Any closer is risky.

The biologist cautions that feeding or harassing alligators is illegal. They were endangered species from 1967 to 1987, during which time they made a heckuva comeback!

John Jefferson is a lifelong outdoorsman, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. hunting and fishing regulations coordinator and director, 20- year editor of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, author of two hunting books, and recipient of numerous awards for writing and photography.

Reports of alligators attacking humans in Texas are rare. Most aggressive incidents occur when humans get too close or the amphibian wants a fallen duck or a stringer of fish somebody has. A few involved people taunting a ’gator.

As an adventurous high school guy, I waded all through a large coastal pond gathering ducks we had shot and never saw the alligators others claimed were there.

An extensive study by TPWD biologists found that alligators seem to be preferring fresher water than that in their more traditional sites nearer the coast. Increased salinity (saltiness) in coastal areas may be the result of droughts in Texas causing less fresh rainwater runoff coming downstream.

As the lakes and bays along the coast become saltier, it could cause ’gators to seek less salty waters upstream. Like the San Antonio River. Hunting alligators is strictly regulated. See the full-page regulations on page 56 of the free 2024-2025 Texas Outdoor Annual available at sporting goods stores and at TPWD offices.

Alligators are most active in late spring through early summer. They can be aggressive then.

We were fishing near Rockport in kayaks one windy May afternoon. My wife paddled into a cove somewhat protected from the wind, about a hundred yards away from me. Shortly afterwards, she paddled over with this story.

She had moved into the cove and made a cast. Just then, she heard aggressive footsteps splashing water as it charged her. She dropped her rod onto the kayak’s floor and immediately began backpaddling as fast as she could without even looking to see what was charging her. She knew it was trouble.

Being a strong paddler, she outdistanced a large alligator into open water. I asked how big it was. She answered with, “You tell me! It’s still guarding the cove.” A 10 or 12-foot ’gator had followed her into the open water and just laid there on the surface — apparently a female guarding her nest. It’s a natural motherhood thing.

That’s common in May and June. So, keep up your guard!