Record gator caught in southwest Arkansas

Looks like the anti-hunting nut-jobs came out of the woodwork again. I guess we, as human beings, should step aside and let the rest of nature rule this world with their advanced higher order cognitive skills and superior decision making abilities. As members of the species at the top of the food chain, and the only animals on this planet with the ability to use logic, it is imperative that we properly manage the remaining species in a respectful manner. Unfortunately, this means that we must keep populations in line with habitat availability and location. So, those people seeking to let all animals co-exist as our equals might as well return to their chateaus and continue sipping their lattes and having tickle fights while the rest of us face the fact that the absence of action will bring greater harm and destruction to these species and our own in the form of starvation, disease, and violent encounters (e.g., car accidents).

TheLastHuman, You are spot on, too many folks out there these days don’t understand the difference between preservation and conservation. Rob2tall, You are crazy if you think that gator even weighs 1300 lbs. I can show you 3 that were killed in MS this year that are very near in size and measurements, and only come in at 650-700 lbs, and there is no way a gator that is just a few inches longer and similar girth measurements would weigh 2 times what these do. All 3 of these were taken in MS this season. 13’ 1.5” – 65” belly girth 45” tail girth – 697.5 lbs (Official MS Record) 12' 10.5" - 65" belly girth 45" tail girth – 680 lbs 12' 11.5" - 63" belly girth 46" tail girth – 660 lbs

Hunting of all species is as much of a necessity as the existence of the species being hunted. Hunting not only helps with the prevention of over population but also starvation and suffering. Conservation requires a fine balance and that is why hunting is regulated. ;)

sorry about the over post? No idea why that popped up 3 times? The site manager can delete the other 2

sorry about the over post? No idea why that popped up 3 times? The site manager can delete the other 2

The similar nature of the beaver here is that beavers are dam builders-they dont eat the nutria-so I ought to have edited first. Both Beavers and giant Alligators are considered pests to us in part because we are illiterate as to what value any creature has to man

The similar nature of the beaver here is that beavers are dam builders-they dont eat the nutria-so I ought to have edited first. Both Beavers and giant Alligators are considered pests to us in part because we are illiterate as to what value any creature has to man

For those of you less educated about alligators I added this from Wikipedia and will note to you also that like the Beaver-the alligator is an essential creature to protect wetlands from over population of nutria,and rats~as well as like an engineer in nature ( Beavers ) alligators create dams and sumps that retain water which in turn helps may species survive in droughts-and attracts a free meal at the same time~ American alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as in brackish environments[7]. When they construct gator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and also provide habitat for other animals during drought periods[8]. They are therefore considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands[9]. Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by nutria and muskrat are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers

For those of you less educated about alligators I added this from Wikipedia and will note to you also that like the Beaver-the alligator is an essential creature to protect wetlands from over population of nutria,and rats~as well as like an engineer in nature ( Beavers ) alligators create dams and sumps that retain water which in turn helps may species survive in droughts-and attracts a free meal at the same time~ American alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as in brackish environments[7]. When they construct gator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and also provide habitat for other animals during drought periods[8]. They are therefore considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands[9]. Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by nutria and muskrat are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers

For those of you less educated about alligators I added this from Wikipedia and will note to you also that like the Beaver-the alligator is an essential creature to protect wetlands from over population of nutria,and rats~as well as like an engineer in nature ( Beavers ) alligators create dams and sumps that retain water which in turn helps may species survive in droughts-and attracts a free meal at the same time~ American alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as in brackish environments[7]. When they construct gator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and also provide habitat for other animals during drought periods[8]. They are therefore considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands[9]. Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by nutria and muskrat are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers