Alligators, boar, in Freeport??? Help a newbie

The coyotes will eat the cat.

Will the coyotes eat my dog?

Bigfoot might. :funn:

Bigfoot might. :funn:

You mean skunkapes. And yes, coyotes will eat anything they can kill, as will bobcats. Cats are faster than snakes but I don't know how good they are at repelling them. I wouldn't worry about gators in the bay too much.

When we moved to Freeport, our neighbors (in an established bayfront neighborhood) told us quite honestly that they had seen alligators come up into the bayou and creek. Since we moved to Sowal, we learned the hard way about coyotes and pets.

And as for the snakes....well, that's just a given. That's not just a problem around here, we had them in Georgia, too. They'll get in the garage, the screen porch, up under the deck. Just be careful, and learn which ones are the really harmful ones. It's not like you have to walk around with a .22 or anything, just be alert.

It's also just not a good idea to let any pet run wild. Cats get eaten by coyotes, dogs get into fights with other wild animals (or, if they are cute or valuable, get stolen) and all of them live longer when they are protected. It's easy to forget that we are part of a wildlife corridor that stretches unbroken pretty much to Alabama. The east end of the bay is a really unpopulated, and to the north is Eglin which is 700,000 acres of little but woods.

Scary looking things! I saw a pic on wikipedia... let's hope it stays in the Everglades :leaving:

The boars are much more likely to trash your landscaping than to want to interact with humans in any way.

Worry more about car accidents.

Alligators are shy, especially the ones in SoWal. Unless someone has been feeding them, then they lose their fear of people and animals. But then again, they aren't a problem until the feeding stops and they get hungry.

Boars and snakes also don't like people and will go the other way unless you drop out of a tree on top of them then they might bite.

You're right about Ohio - nothing to fear there, especially Buckeyes. 😀

Don't reach your hand into the bushes, don't feed or irritate wildlife, and keep a general eye on your pets and children and you'll be just fine.

The coyotes will eat the cat.

Last night, I saw a Coyote which was about the size of a big cat. They are fairly small around here.

Worry more about car accidents.



Boars and snakes also don't like people and will go the other way unless you drop out of a tree on top of them then they might bite.

I have at least two snakes living in my yard (or, maybe I'm living in their yard -- I'm not sure about which is correct) and they speed off every morning when I get near them.

Kurt is right -- worry about getting into a crash. Don't drive and text message at the same time.

Kurt is right -- worry about getting into a crash. Don't drive and text message at the same time.

Just wait until guys are rushing to the store for more beer while watching sports on their phones and their team fumbles the ball or the batter strikes out. It will be worse than women driving while talking on their cell phones and applying makeup. 😱

I tell my landscaping clients to get a cat to help with snakes.

Cats will kill snakes in a pinch, and are usually smart enough to stay away from the sharp end. They usually only get bitten when the cat & snake surprise each other.

The benefit of a cat (one that is kept indoors at night) is that they eat the snakes' food. If the cat is keeping the mouse/mole/chipmunk/rat population thin, the snakes won't linger.

If you see any sort of non-poisonous black snake hanging around, let it stay. They're territorial. You won't have a black snake on the same property as a rattlesnake, copperhead, moccasin, etc..

Oh, what about bears? A lady at the airport told my husband that a bear has been going through her fence and eating her trash every night? 😱 Gators and boars and bears, oh my!!

There are a fair number of black bears in the area because there's a lot of very good bear habitat. But for the most part, they stay away from populated areas. The ones that get dubbed 'nuisance bears' for chronically causing problems with the humans get trapped, drugged, and taken the the national forest over by Appalachicola because they're less likely to continue to mix with humans over there.

I tell my landscaping clients to get a cat to help with snakes.

Cats will kill snakes in a pinch, and are usually smart enough to stay away from the sharp end. They usually only get bitten when the cat & snake surprise each other.

The benefit of a cat (one that is kept indoors at night) is that they eat the snakes' food. If the cat is keeping the mouse/mole/chipmunk/rat population thin, the snakes won't linger.

If you see any sort of non-poisonous black snake hanging around, let it stay. They're territorial. You won't have a black snake on the same property as a rattlesnake, copperhead, moccasin, etc..

and the good thing about the cat is if it gets killed by the snake, you can always get another kitty for free from someone. :yikes::funn:

The Garter Snake and the black snakes (I cannot tell if it is an Indigo or a Racer -- he is too fast at slithering away) in my yard stay a good 15 yards apart from each other.

Oh, what about bears? A lady at the airport told my husband that a bear has been going through her fence and eating her trash every night? 😱 Gators and boars and bears, oh my!!

Again, keep it in perspective. We've had several people die on the short stretch of Hwy 331 between hwy 98 and hwy 20 in the last 5 years, in vehicle crashes, but not one reported Bear, Boar, or Gator bite (attack) in Walton County during the same period. You might also be more likely to get killed by a dog bite, according to statistics.

😱 OMG! I don't think y'all are making her feel any safer. ;-)

😱 OMG! I don't think y'all are making her feel any safer. ;-)

I guess it has been a while since you have driven in Atlanta. We may have had some auto deaths over the years, but not nearly what they have in Atlanta. Same for dog attacks.