No hunting license

[Evil Queen]

Sorry if this is a repeat article posted somewhere else.

This is unbelievable to me. She got a citation for hunting with no license?? No hunting license

 

[Cool-Beans]

I saw this too. WTH?!! It'd be funny if it weren't true!

Sometimes I think people have absolutely no sense.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

She got a warning citation, not a citation citation.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It is probably what they had to charge her with since the authorities were involved.

 

[Cool-Beans]

My gosh, if an alligator were in MY house, you'd hear the screams for miles around.

I'm not sure why she had to be charged with anything.

If an alligator is in your house, attacking you or a pet, you shouldn't be charged (or threatened with being charged) with anything for defending yourself. That's my opinion.

 

[Evil Queen]

I'd be trying to kill it too. Like one poster said it was only a warning citation.

We can use self defense in and even outside our homes, if we feel threatened, but I guess that only applies to the human threats.

 

[Virgo10]

Alligator hysteria is running wild down here. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken a shot at one in the Animal Kingdom because, gee, ya just never know.

The thing was 3, yup, 3 feet long. They had it outside and then this dingbat decides to pump it full of lead. Never mind that, and I quote, "I was running on so much adrenaline," she could have fired wildly and hit a person.

I think a warning was appropriate seeing how you can't get ticketed for stupidity. There are numbers you can call to get help removing wild animals down here. Too bad she didn't have the brains to call one before she acted so recklessly.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Reminds me of the 3 foot gator we had in our reservoir up here last fall. Yes, in Richmond, Virginia! The authorities wanted to trap it but a drunk fisherman got it caught in his line and beat the life out of it with the paddle to his boat. Not sure if he was fined or not.

Although I do have to say, any animal that attacks one of my dogs or any person is open season for me. We had a redtail hawk take up residence in our yard last year. The wildlife people told us that there was only a small possibility he would mess with our dogs (smallish - 10 lbs to 17 lbs) and just to stay in the yard with them when they went out. If that hawk had messed with any of my dogs - he would have been history. I don't care what fine I would have faced.

 

[wdwmom2]

Although I do have to say, any animal that attacks one of my dogs or any person is open season for me. We had a redtail hawk take up residence in our yard last year. The wildlife people told us that there was only a small possibility he would mess with our dogs (smallish - 10 lbs to 17 lbs) and just to stay in the yard with them when they went out. If that hawk had messed with any of my dogs - he would have been history. I don't care what fine I would have faced.

Amen brother!!!! Not only would he have been in no condition to put back in the lake, he would have been in my closet posing as a new pair of shoes and a purse to match !!!!

 

[Hannathy]

3 foot! excuse me but a three foot gator could do real damage to someone let alone an animal or small child. If a 3 foot alligator came in my house and I had a gun it would be a purse. It isn't like they are near extinction or can't be breed in captivity. I don't know the specifics but she shouldn't have shot it if it was being controled by another person outside that is dangerous but if it was in her house she has every right.

I agree with the hawk, I chased one with a shovel once and my DH said I could be fined. I guess I would have said I was really chasing one of my kids since that is less of a fine!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Isn't it Florida that has that scary shoot first ask questions later law for people? (yes, I know I am being a little over the top in my description here)- and yet this woman was defending her pet, DD, and self from a dangerous animal in her own home and gets a warning? I agree, WTH!!!

I always though it was OK to hunt and fish on your own property without such permits - no expert as I do neither..... I could see it if she was on public property - but in her own home? Weird.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a lanai?

 

[Evil Queen]

I believe they got the gator outside, back through the doggy dog, but who's to say it wouldn't had come back in.

And yes, in Florida if you feel your life is threatened, on or off your property you can shot, but that's only human beings.

FWC says they will look into a story for a gator 4 feet and a nuisance, and more or less see if if they would do something about it.

So to me, that means, I'm trapped in my house for who knows how long, I have to block my doggy door and HOPE it hold the gator from coming back in. Then call the police, cause the wildlife folks ain't a coming due to it's only a "small" gator, and hope the police can handle it.

Nah, I'm going for my gun too, regardless where it is on my property.

 

[Virgo10]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a lanai?

The Florida version of a porch.

 

[Beth76]

I too don't see how this is "hunting".

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So if it were a person trying to murder her it would be self defense.

But a gator in her home and she gets a warning for hunting without a license.

I always thought hunting was when you sought out game to kill it...not the game seeking out you to kill you.

 

[ozarkmom]

She was not hunting and that is just totally stupid. No the authorities do not have to charge you with anything. If it had been more than a warning I think I would be fighting it.

 

[brerrabbit]

I hunt and fish a lot and while I am not up on Florida Fish and Game Laws I can tell you about Texas Laws which are similar.

First, if you or your pet are truely threatened by an animal that enters your house and you dispatch it by any means, gun, knife, etc. In the end you will not get in any trouble over the issue. She got a warning because people have a tendency to use situations like this to justify shooting or killing anything that happens to wander into their yard. ( A total aside but if you have ever watched Southpark there is an episode where Jimbo and Uncle Ned take the boys hunting with assault weapons, rocket launchers, and hand gernades. Right before they kill any animal from a bear to a little rabbit, they yell, "He's coming right for us!". This justifies killing the animal. Stupid humor but alas very close to the truth) Because of this the Game Wardens have to issue some form of warning.

Second, no you can't hunt on your own property without a licsense. Most states will let you fish in your own county without a licsense but you have to use a cane pole and no reel. Silly but still the law. Using a weapon of any kind to kill an animal of any kind requires the licsense.

Third, I would really like to know what she shot it with four times being it was only three feet long and she did little or no damage to him. I have hunted alligator several times and the weapon of choice for dispatching alligators that have ranged from 8 to 12 feet is a .44 magnum hand gun. True they have hard heads but a 3 foot gator is a baby and unless your using a .22 or a .25 four shots should have killed it.

Bottom line is the authorities are just trying to keep half of Florida from taking potshots at alligators that are swimming in the lake behind their house because it "might" threaten them or their pets.

 

[Virgo10]

Bottom line is the authorities are just trying to keep half of Florida from taking potshots at alligators that are swimming in the lake behind their house because it "might" threaten them or their pets.

Thank you. Yes, there have been 3 tragic occurrences of alligators killing people. That's a fact. Well maybe 2 as the third one of finding a woman in a canal is still not a fact. She may have already been deceased. At any rate, the kill it and ask questions later attitude is starting to remind me of what happened after the movie Jaws came out. If she wasn't too afraid to get it out of her house, why did she then feel the need to discharge a weapon in a residential neighborhood? Oh wait... maybe it's the 15 seconds of fame syndrome.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Bottom line is the authorities are just trying to keep half of Florida from taking potshots at alligators that are swimming in the lake behind their house because it "might" threaten them or their pets.

A woman has shot an alligator that came into her home and attacked her dog.

The alligator was only 3 feet long, but Candy Frey wasn't taking any chances. When the reptile came into the lanai of her home east of Bradenton Saturday and attacked her golden retriever, Frey went and got her gun.

After Frey and her daughter managed to push the gator out of the lanai through the dog door, she blasted away at it four times.

I don't quite see where she went down to the lake and shot it.

Or where it "might" threaten her or her pets b/c it already did.

The part missing from the story is whether or not the gator tried to reenter her home/lanai.

If it were me--I probably woudln't touch the gator--but I'd probably grab the nearest thing and poke or stab at it so that my animal could escape.

While the officials are probably trying to protect gators---this worries me that people will think they are NOT permitted to protect themselves if being attacked.

I don't think she was going for her 15 minutes of fame...rather....the officials just had to slap down the law at the moment to show who's boss.