Millwood Gator Gets Deer

[BassinHawg]

Kind of long but it needs to be to tell the story.

My Son and I went to Millwood today to do a little Bass fishing and we saw something we will

never forget.

We had been catching a few small schooling fish but with the water being about two feet high

the fishing wasn't all that great.  While trying to chase the schooling fish from one bank to

another we noticed a Big alligator (about 10 feet long) hanging around where the fish were

schooling.  At one time we were within 30 feet of it, after a few minutes it started get

uncomfortable with our casting and swam away.

About 10 minutes later we saw another boat with two men and one woman a little ways down the

bank fishing towards us and another boat with one man fishing down the bank across from us.

When the boat with the 3 people in it saw us they pulled up their trolling motor started their

big motor to idle past us.  Just after their boat passed ours I heard the lady start hollering

and I told my son that she probably had just seen the Big alligator.  When I turned to look

and see we too saw the gator and he was swimming at top speed.  It was then that we noticed a

pretty good sized Doe deer swimming across the lake too, needless to say, she did not make it

to the other side.  It was the biggest top water explosion of the day.  We could not believe

how fast the gator closed the distance, the gator grabbed the deer from behind and after about

5 seconds of splashing the gator took the deer under and did not resurface for about 8

minutes. When the gator did come back up it had the deer in it's mouth and was swimming

towards the bank.  I kicked the trolling motor on high and got close enough to take a few

pictures.

While waiting for the gator to come back up we visited with the people in the other boat and

they said at first they were watching the gator and didn't really notice the deer until the

gator took off after it. They too were shocked.

I don't know how often an event like this takes place but I don't think I will ever get the

chance to see it again and I don't know if I want to.  It was really spooky and reminded us of

watching a National Geographic show.

We always see alligators at Millwood and always joke about it not being a good time to fall

out of the boat, especially when it's a big one.  It's really not such a joke now.

[HuntnHog]

That's awesome.  You're lucky to have witnessed something like that.  You never know what nature has in store for you. 

[spit]

holy cow that's pretty cool, and sure wouldn't fall out of the boat.  in fact i don't think i would even fish near one of those things.  i've never seen one out in a boat. 

where could i go closest to little rock to a public lake with good ramp, and be guaranteed to see atleast one gator while fishing?

[SultanofSwine]

That is too cool to have seen that take place.

[HogBreath]

holy cow that's pretty cool, and sure wouldn't fall out of the boat.  in fact i don't think i would even fish near one of those things.  i've never seen one out in a boat. 

where could i go closest to little rock to a public lake with good ramp, and be guaranteed to see atleast one gator while fishing?

About anywhere along the Little River channnel in Millwood oughta work, especially at nite, we normally see 15-20 a nite.  They're real heavy around Horseshoe Lake down river from White Cliff, Mud Lake has a bunch, as does McGuire Lake, and they're also pretty thick at the hwy. 71 bridge.

But good grief, to watch one take out a doe would be such a rush.  Probably scare the fire out of me.  I normally take my Schnauzer fishing with me, he likes to stand on the front deck, I saw a Gator one day eye balling the dog, the dog never knew the gator was around.

[earlenehawg]

Every time that I have fished at Millwood, I have seen a gator.  I have never seen one that big nor have I seen one do anything but lay around in the sun.  That would have scared the crapola out of me for sure.

[dunnhead]

where could i go closest to little rock to a public lake with good ramp, and be guaranteed to see atleast one gator while fishing?

I don't know if it's the closest, but there's a small lake on Petit Jean WMA called Kingfisher that has gators.  It's a small lake and there's an island that they like to sun on.  It's pretty unique to see gators in the river valley.

[gersh]

I wish you had something to scale the gator against.  But, if that is a good sized deer, I'd guess that gator to be bigger than 10 feet.  Either way, that's a good sized gator.

I've fished Millwood every spring for the last 10 years, and my dad has gone for around 30 years.  Year before last, we were going through the south cut through out of Mud Lake and saw the biggest gator he'd seen in 30 years, and likely the biggest one I'll ever see.  I was every bit of 14 feet long, but the width and girth of it were astounding.







This past spring, we were fishing in one of the corners of mud lake and saw a diving duck surface about 2 feet in front of a gator's head.  I was hoping I'd get to see feeding time, but I guess it was too cold for the gator to go after it

Also, what part of the lake were you fishing when all this took place?

[HogBreath]

I wish you had something to scale the gator against.  But, if that is a good sized deer, I'd guess that gator to be bigger than 10 feet.  Either way, that's a good sized gator.

I've fished Millwood every spring for the last to years, and my dad has gone for around 30 years.  Year before last, we were going through the south cut through out of Mud Lake and saw the biggest gator he'd seen in 30 years, and likely the biggest one I'll ever see.  I was every bit of 14 feet long, but the width and girth of it were astounding.







This past spring, we were fishing in one of the corners of mud lake and saw a diving duck surface about 2 feet in front of a gator's head.  I was hoping I'd get to see feeding time, but I guess it was too cold for the gator to go after it

Also, what part of the lake were you fishing when all this took place?

Great googly moogly, what a Gator.  The biggest Gator I've seen was actually on Beard's lake, below the dam at Millwood.  Odd you mentioned the duck near the gator, the big one we were watching on Beard's Lake, went under going after a duck, but we never saw it resurface.  I would estimate him at 12 feet or so, maybe less, maybe more.

[BassinHawg]

This happened back in the middle of Horseshoe, earlier in the morning you could hear three different gators growling back and forth at each other.

Everytime we would try to get closer the gator would go back under so it was hard to get better pictures of the deer.  Here is one when he was swimming away:



I think that I have seen the same Gator that Gersh is talking about, it was actually just inside of Mud Lake and I too think it was a 14 footer +.  Here is a pic:



Here are some more pics that I took in Mud Lake, the first one was used by AGFC for the Alligator Season Web Page last year:







We have been talking about this all day and it still gives us the Willies. Again, it was amazing how fast this gator caught up to the deer.  He must have watched the deer and let it go by him until it was out in the middle so it would not have a chance to get back on the bank.

[hawgfan_18]

how and why are there alligators at this particular lake in arkansas?

[Chuck Boarris]

how and why are there alligators at this particular lake in arkansas?

If I'm not mistaken I think they were brought in to help control the beaver population.  This isnt the only lake in Arkansas that has gators either.  I read last year that over 50 counties have gators. 

[gutshot]

If Acorn Hog is reading, Is that (Horseshoe) where I fell out of the boat before daylight a few years back?

[Hawgon]

how and why are there alligators at this particular lake in arkansas?

They've always been there.  Millwood and Little River are well within the traditional range of alligators.  Sure, there didn't used to be as many of them, but they have always been there.  A 12 foot gator may be 75 years old.  Some of them could be as much as 100 years old and being reptiles, they grow until they die.

[Hawgon]

If Acorn Hog is reading, Is that (Horseshoe) where I fell out of the boat before daylight a few years back?

I duck hunt back in there, and I am always nervous wading around out there in early season.  I fact, I really don't get out there until the end of December and into January nowadays.  I've seen alligators out there that looked as long as the 18 foot boat I was in.  I know they probably weren't, but heck, they had to be at least 12 feet long.  That is plenty big enough.

[gutshot]

I duck hunt back in there, and I am always nervous wading around out there in early season.  I fact, I really don't get out there until the end of December and into January nowadays.  I've seen alligators out there that looked as long as the 18 foot boat I was in.  I know they probably weren't, but heck, they had to be at least 12 feet long.  That is plenty big enough.

We saw 3 one morning when there was ice on the front of the boat from where the dog climbed in.  Don't know what they were doing out and about when it was that cold.

[Hawgon]

We saw 3 one morning when there was ice on the front of the boat from where the dog climbed in.  Don't know what they were doing out and about when it was that cold.

At least when it is that cold, I know they'll be slow.  I don't think Gators ever hibernate, so on those cold days, they'll be out trying to soak up as much sun as they can. 

The best time for seeing them is in late February or March when they'll always be out trying to get warm on those first sunny days.

[Acorn hog]

Saw one in hurricane creek on Millwood the 2ND week of Duck season that was as long as my 15 foot boat it was much  bigger around than a 55 gallon drum. I got 10 feet from it and it layed the length of my boat. It was 3 feet from its nose to its eyeballs. It was solid white from the dried mud. It disappeared in the creek after about 5 minutes of me staring at it. My dog was tied up or  she would have jumped out of the boat and been killed. It was in the 40s on that day several years back. Have seen them numerous times over the 35 years I have hunted there even on the coldest days with below freezing temps. I dont recommend using a dog early season although I did for years. There seems to be a population increase since we cant hunt them.

[HogBreath]

Wow!  What a chance in a lifetime observance there, BassinHawg! 

I don't believe I'd do much fishing or duck hunt wading there...I'd rather read the stories and look at your photos...lol.

Heck, a couple of years ago, we saw some dude water skiing right down the big middle of Little River, right there at Horseshoe Lake.

[010HogFan]

Heck, a couple of years ago, we saw some dude water skiing right down the big middle of Little River, right there at Horseshoe Lake.

CHOMP. lol

[cal34]

There are several of them in Maumelle creek around Pinnacle mountain.  Stop at the visitor center and they will tell you all about them.  We saw one from the bridge on Pinnacle valley road a few weeks ago.  Alot of people kayak in there so I guess they steer clear of people.

[DeltaBoy]

That is some great pics and a super site you got to see.  We have gators in Monroe County they were brought in back in the mid 1970's for Beaver control.   Never saw one that big in person outside of LA.

[Mitch C]

I used to be a porn star until I took a whiz in Milwood from my boat.

[DeltaBoy]

I used to be a porn star until I took a whiz in Milwood from my boat.

So your saying you are like Amos Moses the Gator done chomped it Off??