Stupidity.

[xina]

THE CROC. WILL GET THE BLAME AGAIN !!!!! Very frustrating when humans do something stupid !
Cheers,
xina.

[Stacky]

Hi Xina,
I gather you might be talking about the missing person at Cooktown.

Apparently he went to check his Crab pot, it's a known fact that crocs sit on them. I feel very sorry for his family that are on holidays it is truly a terrible thing to happen.

I just hope it doesn't turn into beaurocratic B#llsh*t and the government creates more red tape which stops the public having their freedom.

[xina]

I feel sorry for his family too Stacky, but it's very frustrating when people won't use basic common sense, and, like I said, the croc. will get the blame again. Look at how many were shot in the Daintree when Beryl Wruck got taken.
Cheers,
xina.

[Stacky]

This poor old fella probably slipped and rolled into or to close to the water surely being a tourist he would have been extra careful around the water and had a simple accident instead.

Some people definetely do become complacent though, i had been guilty of this myself until i have now had quite a few close encounters.

Last week i took a mob of local kids camping at Chili beach for a few nights. The water is usually crystal clear and the kids have been swimming there through generations.
On those 2 days the water was murky and i told the kids i don't think it's a good idea to go swimming until it clears up. I took them fishing on the rocks instead, when we got back the rest of the kids were in the water swimming, i told the other Carer how i thought it wasn't safe, she said they wouldn't listen. Luckily everything went well until the day after i left them.
I was told that just after the kids got out of the water a Big Croc came up the beach in broad daylight right in front of camp, and then another one was spotted further over at the next camp.

Most of the time the locals are very wairy of crocs so i was surprised when they let the kids swim in water you couldn't see into.

[geoffjy]

I know what you mean Stacky. The Seisia jetty here is a popular place to dive off and swim into the beach. Large crocodiles have been sighted here and even a couple of 13 footers have been vaught there this year. They have been doing this for years and never a problem. Still makes you worry when they jump in though. One day.....

People have no idea about crocodiles. They either think that they will never have an incident or are just plain ol stupid.

[plucker]

I have watched the locals let the kids swim on the deep bend in the Endeavour River while the parents sat happily fishing.
I believe this spot is further upstream on the main channel than the creek that the poor felow was taken.
Having been up to the upper reaches of the Northern and Southern arms of the Endeavour at different parts of the year, I believe it must be one of Queensland more heavily populated croc spots. Some of them are huge!!

Although I have seen the locals swim in the Jardine too but they were always in the wide shallow sections, with the elders on lookout duties.

[geoffjy]

I have been fishing at some of the creek mouths up here and it really surprises me when i see one of the locals wade across the creek mouths with water up around their shoulders chasing crabs with a spear.

You would never see me doing that.

[xina]

Has any-one else noticed that all three newbys have the same little flower under their names? Yet one is? from Jamaica, one from Bermuda, and one from Kenya. I think they're all the same person.
Cheers,
xina.
And now we have another one. This one's from Guyana. Suclicitiosse. ( Home page---Buy Viagra---) 'Nuff said.

[geoffjy]

And hte latest one is Nattejeft who is persistent. This idiot has placed a post on every categroy.

[xina]

I knew it!!! Somebody is advocating a croc. cull again. Some people realise that the croc. was just doing what comes naturally, and if we encroach on his territory we have to accept the risk we are taking.
Wonder who'll prevail this time?
Cheers,
xina.

[Stacky]

I'm a fence sitter on this topic.

I am not keen on the idea of going out and shooting crocs or getting rid of them in other way. They were here long before we came and invaded them and took most of their food source out of the water.

But, I don't like the idea of knowing there is a croc that's anything over the 3m mark sitting in the same vicinity as me while i'm fishing. They are an incredibly smart, patient predator and we (well most) are quite well aware that they are watching and waiting and will take you the moment you become complacent.

Maybe people nead more education and publicity about them again. Like what is happening now in the news. Just before this happened a saw a couple of white fellas sleeping on the beach around those big tides of the new moon. I had just been telling them how crazy they were when they said they saw a croc just off in front of them in the early morning. They did promise not to do it again. Then a day later this incident came on the news.

[ant]

It stands to reason that as the years pass by, more and more crocs will be noticed and they will also spread out to other areas. At this time of year, as they come into their mating/breeding, the crocs will become a lot more active and aggressive. People need to be aware of this and take precautions. These animals are here and are only doing what comes naturally to them.
To say that there are too many and that they need to be culled is like saying that the population of Cairns (or any other area) has reached its' peak and all new people need to be culled/removed.
Let nature take its course.

[geoffjy]

I agree with you 100% there Ant.

I know it sounds mean but there are that many signs and warnings around that if people dont decide to heed them, then they can expect problems. No blame should be brought onto the crocodile as it is only doing its natural thing.

Crocs are also getting more curious too as time goes by. Gone are the days when you could have swum across a river without having to worry about a crocodile. The new generation of crocs were not around in the Croc Shooting era and therefore have no reason to be afraid of humans.

[ant]

Spot on Geoff,
I will always remember an old fella who lives in the Cape told me years ago that it is the smaller, younger crocs that you have to be cautions about. The old ones know about humans and guns. As the years go by, those smaller ones are only going to get bigger too and then we have a new generation of crocs that are not afraid of humans.

With some of the stupid things I have seen people do over the years I am quite surprised that there has not been more attacks.

Each time we go near the water in the Cape, there is a risk. The degree of that risk is totally up to us.

[geoffjy]

Even in recent years i have noticed that the crocs are getting more curious in the Jackey Jackey. I'm not sure whether this is because some idiot has been out there feeding them or it is just because they are curious.

I will be out there fishing and getting plenty of bites then all of a sudden the fish will go quiet. Sure enough, 10mins later a croc pops up not far from the boat. Its not a good feeling.

[campdog]

Whats the chance of standing on a deadly snake,bitten by a spider or gorged by a wild pig.The risks are there no matter what you do.How many people are stung by stingers or attacked by a shark.These creatures didnt come looking for a human to eat or bite.We are responsible for our own actions in their territory.
Thats my opinion anyway.
John

[xina]

Makes me so happy to see you guys understand the realities of the situation.
The "redneck" mob make me so angry. At least the Cull is off thank goodness.
Cheers,
xina.

[highlift80]

What is the latest news with this fellow that went missing up there I heard that they had found some bits of torn clothing or something a few days back but I haven't heard anything since.

[xina]

I haven't heard any more today Highlift. Maybe some-one else has more recent news.
Cheers,
xina.

[highlift80]

I saw some news footage tonight there has been no sign of the missing man they had some footage of a couple of very large crocs that had been trapped in the Endeavour river near where this fellow was last seen. They said tests were going to be conducted on the Crocs.

[Scorcher]

Here's a link to the latest news article on Yahoo

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5059584/crocodiles-examined-mans-remains/

Scorcher

[xina]

Thanks for that Scorcher. Nice to know they don't have to kill them these days to see which one is responsible.
Cheers,
xina.

[plucker]

One from the Olive
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc84/pluckerup/crock.jpg

The local ones around here are a bit timid and hide most of the time.
However they can never resist a good chomp on the crab float through the day.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc84/pluckerup/float2.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc84/pluckerup/float1.jpg

Come night time and they eat the pots instead.
Just another reason to use foam and not milk bottles for floats.

[geoffjy]

Isnt the croc your holding from a croc farm as it is illegal to pick one up in the wild?

[plucker]

To cut a long story short it was attached to my lure and was considered a bycatch. I took the photo of my mate holding it also.

[geoffjy]

Ahh, fair enough. They can be agressive little fellows when they want to be.

[xina]

That's a georgeous baby Plucker. Thanks for letting us see it.
Cheers,
xina.

[Stacky]

Here's my bycatch

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/Stacky74/Fishing/March08fishtrip010.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/Stacky74/Fishing/March08fishtrip006.jpg

I wasn't dragging him in the boat to release him. I managed to persuade him to leave in other ways.

[geoffjy]

The easiest way to tell if a croc is healthy is by how much yellow they have on their belly and tail. It also says alot about their environment as well. The one Plucker is holding is about 2 years old.

[geoffjy]

Aww, come on Stacky. Hold him up for us.

[Stacky]

Yeh it's a good photo that one of him holding it. They don't grow very quick then do they, i would have thought it would have been a hatchling from last season.

[geoffjy]

From when they first hatch up until about 9ft long, they grow about 1ft a year in the wild. Farmed ones grow from 1.5ft - 2ft a year due to regular consumption of fish.

Once they reach about 9ft in the wild their growth will slow right down to only a few mm's a year. This is a rough guide only and the only way to accurately predict the age of a croc is to look at the calcification rings in one of the crocs bones. This would mean killing the croc though so as you can imagine it is not done regularly.

[Stacky]

Here's a mate of mine Stephen.
He ran after this one and caught it with his hands in the shallows.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/Stacky74/IMGP1885.jpg
So, he about 3 years old hey......the croc ofcourse.
This croc was released safely.

[Scorcher]

Here's a mate of mine Stephen.
He ran after this one and caught it with his hands in the shallows.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/Stacky74/IMGP1885.jpg
So, he about 3 years old hey......the croc ofcourse.
This croc was released safely.

Stacky,

No photo displayed on your last post.

Seems to an intermittant fault with Photobucket ?

[Stacky]

I still can't figure it.
Some do work and some don't.
They are showing on my computer so i don't know if they work or not for others.
Post it here again,
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/Stacky74/Fishing/IMGP1885.jpg

[geoffjy]

Yep, its showing up. Great pic too.

[Nedly]

G'day Stacky,

I'm having the same problem with some of your photo's.
Can see your mate with croc on your second attempt.

Some nice shots BTW, the ones I can see anyway.
Keep em coming.

[Stacky]

Hi Nedly,
I have tried every option i know without having to post them all again.

What post numbers didn't you get?

[geoffjy]

Hi Nedly,
I have tried every option i know without having to post them all again.

What post numbers didn't you get?

Post number 33 and 34.

[Stacky]

Is #35 there?
It's the same pic after 3 attempts

[geoffjy]

Is #35 there?
It's the same pic after 3 attempts

Yes, #35 is there.

[geoffjy]

Here's a mate of mine Stephen.
He ran after this one and caught it with his hands in the shallows.

So, he about 3 years old hey......the croc ofcourse.
This croc was released safely.

This croc actually looks about 4 ft long so would be about 4yrs old.

[plucker]

35 is good. The other 2 didn't work.
Maybe photobucket is penalising you for living in such a wonderful location, after all everyone else on the forum is jealous too.

[xina]

Hi Stacky,
I got #35, but not the previous two.
Cheers,
xina.

[Nedly]

Hi Nedly,
I have tried every option i know without having to post them all again.

What post numbers didn't you get?

Your post No.33, 34 was a response to this post.
Obviously Scorcher could see it.
I figured 35 was a re-post of 33.

If it wasn't for the quote my post would make NO sense, like most of them I suppose.