NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Does every story have to have a trashy side to it? Writer Johnson, a transplant from Michigan, is more appalled by the state of this creek than by the alligator.
NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Does every story have to have a trashy side to it? Writer Johnson, a transplant from Michigan, is more appalled by the state of this creek than by the alligator.
NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Does every story have to have a trashy side to it? Writer Johnson, a transplant from Michigan, is more appalled by the state of this creek than by the alligator.
NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Does every story have to have a trashy side to it? Writer Johnson, a transplant from Michigan, is more appalled by the state of this creek than by the alligator.
NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Does every story have to have a trashy side to it? Writer Johnson, a transplant from Michigan, is more appalled by the state of this creek than by the alligator.
BUSHVILLE – On Monday, April 27, shortly after 4 p.m, I noticed a small crowd just down the road from where we live. Traffic, including a school bus with a load of kids, was stopped dead.
I also noticed something quite large in the road. I went out to see what was going on and found there was a big alligator in the middle of the road.
At first we thought it was dead because it was quite still. The kids had thrown some small sticks at it but it didn’t stir. Eventually, someone called the St. Martin Sheriff’s Office, and a little while later a deputy showed up.
Just prior to his arrival, the gator – acting like it knew it was in trouble now – got up, turned around, and headed for the creek.
After the officer showed up, he called in the matter, and said help was on the way. We figured there would be three or four more officers with waders and weapons, but a lone man showed up in his pickup truck, carrying a long bamboo pole with wire on it.
There was a loop on the end of the wire with which he attempted to secure the gator’s mouth. The gator became quite agitated and started doing his “death roll.” After three or four tries, this Cajun Crocodile Dundee hooked the gator around the top portion of the mouth and he and the officer were able to force it up onto the road again.
We spectators scattered pretty quickly!
The alligator hunter then tossed a sack over its eyes, secured the animal, and wrapped its snout with black tape. He tied it up good, then he and a few of the guys loaded him in the back of the truck.
He promised me he was going to drop it off probably at the Atchafalaya Basin.
We were shocked and amazed by this one man’s bravery and ability to secure this eight-foot-plus monster! Turns out his name is Chad Mead and he’s a commercial fisherman by trade, capturing alligators as a side job. He average 50 per year!
Of course, me, being a Yankee (Michigan), am still trying to comprehend this. I’ve never had an alligator in the middle of my road before. It’s an experience I will not soon forget!
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