Beaver ponds and gators. Thoughts please

[ElectricVette]

I've got several beaver ponds on my property. I noticed a gator has taken up residence. Is there any real danger to the the beavers?

Should I be glad he's here or ask him to move along?

Thanks,

EV

[tn_junk]

My experience is that gators will eat anything they can get in their mouths. This includes stray dogs, and most likely beavers. When we get gators in our pond we call the local game warden to take them out. That is, unless we accidently catch it on a limb line set, and have barbecued gator tail.

[Old Vet]

One reason that a gator took up residence in that pond is the availably of fresh food. As long as it can catch beavers and such there is no reason for him to move on. Unless you are in the hill's beaver are a nuisance. I would name him and keep him until the beaver are gone then either call the game warden or have a fish fry.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Let him clean your beaver out, then clean him out!

[mnn2501]

Gators are not something I want around, especially if you have: children, dogs, cats or small livestock. I'd certainly require him to move along

[Backwoods Momma]

Gators will climb fences, too. We had one when we lived in Florida that was climbing the fence into our back yard. At the time I had little ones. We had to call the game warden. They came out and shot it with a bang stick.

Shoot I could have done that and had some gator myself. Oh, Well. Be careful of them things they are sneaky and quick.

[the mama]

Gators are never welcome here. Sneaky, unpredictable, and unstoppable in an attack. Have horribly dirty mouths. Bites are sure to get infected, often leading to more amputation than the injury. Yes they can climb fences and trees. They can be conditioned but never tamed, they aren't smart enough. SSS And yes I love all critters, but I love gators behind large fences at the zoo.

[jen74145]

I'm all for letting apex predators be, but if you have kids around it's a different story. But if you have a pond and abundance of food, where there's one gator, won't there eventually be more?

Check the legal issues first if you decide to remove him yourself.

Oh GAH. What if he is a she? How big is it?

[texican]

I'd worry more about the beaver. I thought they were the cutest things when they first showed up in this part of Texas, twenty years ago, after an absence of 150 years. Then they started destroying dams, then killing timber... bad beavers!!!

[Bearman405]

I have never had to deal with "gators", but have had dealings with crocs in OZ. Some of them bastards get to 15' to 20' long and weight in at 1T to 1 1/2T.

Remenber the first time I went camping in NT, the guy I was with showed me how to get water from the local river. Tie a 6-8 ft piece of rope onto a pail and stand back from the water edge and throw the pail in. Crocs have been known to lie just under the water and await lunch.

If I had a choice between gators or beavers............ a beaver wins out every time! Around here a beaver skin is worth between $50 to $100.

Besides..............any beaver is a good beaver..............

Being a life long Floridian the gator wouldn't bother me any. We've been coexisting with them from the beginning. Beavers on the other hand are destructive as all get out. Feed them to the gator.

.....Alan.

[quietstar]

Lucky for East Texas lake owners that Gators are are available and love to eat Beaver and Nuteria. I personally love to hear the Bulls singing to their ladies in the spring...Glen