Gator Boys from Animal Planet

[Grandpaw]

I went over today and took some pictures of the Paul & Jimmy "The Gator Boys" from Animal Planet. It was a very small location and dealing with the spectators and the crew filming from Animal Planet was a real challenge trying to get a picture. I quickly picked out a few to post. Don't let the guy in between Paul and Jimmy scare you, that's me. It was so hot I was working on a heat stroke so I only stayed for one show and left. Jeff

[Liz]

Great job with the shots, Jeff. It's a good thing you just stayed for one show. I don't think I would have lasted that long. If the heat didn't chase me away, the alligators would! Scarry stuff there!

All of the images are nice and sharp with good color - and excellent composition.

I hope you're keeping cool. Most of the country is in the 3 digits. :blush2:

Liz

[Grandpaw]

Just adding a couple more photos. Jeff

I might add that they did not bring these gators with them, they are ones that have been recently captured in Mississippi so they are not familiar with these particular gators.

[Frog]

Have watched them a few times.
Don't know how they manage to do something so physical in that heat.

Good shots, Jeff.

[Grandpaw]

I went back today and shot some more. The first two gators didn't want anything to do with being in a demonstration. This one actually jumped up at Jimmy, the closest one to the gator, and actually left the ground with his front end as he tried to bite Jimmy. As the men backed up the gator ran over and jumped back into the water.

Just so you know these are recently captured gators from Mississippi and are not gators that the Gator Boys brought with them for the show. In the pool there are about a dozen gators and one crock. The water is dirty due to having recently put in freshly caught gators.

When Jimmy goes in to the pool to locate a gator for the show he is in shorts and bare footed just like you see him in the pictures. The first person in the picture with a brown big rimmed hat on is Jimmy and the one in the middle is Paul which are the two you will see on the show on Animal Planet. Jeff

[Greg McCary]

Stay cool Jeff. My car temp gauge hit 111 at about 2:00pm. It came a nice windy storm at the lake. It sure felt good to get wet.

[Frog]

Can't be all that easy to move fast in that sand.
I think they should get you in the show.

[Grandpaw]

Thanks Liz, frog, and Greg for taking a look and leaving a comment. The picture with me in in the original post was taken shortly after I arrived. You should have seen me an hour and a half later after the show was finished. It was difficult to get clear shots like I posted earlier because the area wasn't that big and between me and the action, most of the time, there was a crew of five or six from Animal Planet filming everything. This is the view I had most of the time. Crew on one side of the action, people against the fence on the other side and the people viewing from the stands in between. I am happy with the shots I did get considering the challenges it took to get them. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Good job getting those shots, for sure. Getting around crowds, walls, and fences is something I fight at racing venues all the time.

On the other hand, fences, schmences.... come down to Panama City and I'll take you out to my state park to visit them in their own habitat:











Even though I go to this park quite frequently, I would not do what those Animal Planet guys are doing!!!

[Grandpaw]

wfooshee, HERE is a few I have taken! Some of these are in a park, some are from when I was in a boat going for a ride and some were from just walking around where I live. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Nice!!! I've watched them watch the birds along the edge of their lake, but I've never caught one snapping.

My most unexpected encounter was on a golf course. A ball I'd mis-hit (what other kind is there?) rolled down a slop towards the water, and when I got there it was sitting against a gator's side. My playing partner allowed me a free drop....

I'm really amazed that you don't hear horror stories all the time about children (or adults) being snatched up by giant leathery eating machines, because these things are all over the place! It's fortunate that they're actually rather timid when not directly threatened.

[armando_m]

Good shots Grandpaw

[Grandpaw]

Nice!!! I've watched them watch the birds along the edge of their lake, but I've never caught one snapping.
.

I actually didn't know the alligator that I got with his mouth open in my gallery was even there. I was about 7 or 8ft away from me and tried to get a bird that I was taking pictures of when it sounded like a M80 went off and this gator game from under the water to get the bird I was taking pictures of. Fortunately I had fast enough reactions to snap a picture. From the time he arrived until he was gone was less than a second and the whole thing was over. In case you are wondering the bird got away. Jeff

Armando thanks for your comment. Jeff

[Frog]

I'm glad WE don't have gators swimming in our rivers and lakes but like to look at the pics anyway.