[huntin fool]

Originally Posted by Swamp Critter

Alligators, especially young ones like these, have been grabbing bait lines at this spot for years. It's not like it's in a neighborhood subdivision where someone will report it as a nuisance gator. Nor is it in a state park where people go swimming, canoeing, water skiing, etc. It's well known that there's alligators there and I'm not the first one to do this, nor will I be the last. And look, I "get it" about feeding alligators. I know it's a bad idea and yes, some people actually do feed them there. That's not what we were doing. We were crabbing, and the gators were getting at our bait anyway, so we just had fun with it. And as far as game wardens and fines, yes, I could have been fined for handling a gator. But what was I supposed to do? Leave it tangled like it was? I only pulled it up there to free it from the bait lines, get some good video up close, and let it go unharmed. I can't see anything wrong with that.

There isn't any harm in it. But it is the law. And the last thing I would have done is posted this on Youtube, and on a Outdoor Forum. I would have had my fun and just left it at that.