Retrieve during teal season. A lot of people say you shouldn't because of the alligators. What do y'all think?

I don't anymore, but have in the past. It is a personal decission that each must make on their own.

depends on where i hunt. its your call. if ya see alot of gators then dont and if there aint any around hunt them.

I damn sure wouldn't if we had alligators.

Depends were. I hunted my Boykin sunday but was in shallow water and never let her get out of sight !! And I checked with head light as we went in

I don't think I could take losing my dog to a gator, ill still take her along and if I see no gators going on I might let her, but if I see even one she can sit dry until its safer. Just wanted some opinions, thanks!

like everyone said it depends on the area

A guy here at work told me about his buddies lab. Dog swam out to get the duck and never came back. The guys were talking and not really watching the dog for a second or two. They never hear or saw anything except for seeing the disturbed water where the dog was supposed to be at. They never saw the gator.
Justs because you can't see the gators, don't mean they aren't around.

Just the other day my co-worker was at a friends house shooting bows. He was messing with his lab. Threw a stick in the dog went in after it. While the dog was swimming back a big dark object just under the water surface passed by and he saw it was a gator. It swam up to the dog fast an bump it hard. He tried to make her swim to a different dock. While doing that the gator had turned around and was coming back for another hit. The dog just made it out of the water.

Everything turned out well. He hasn't seen the gator again.

Same here, I shine on the way in and am in these holes year round so I have an idea of where the gators hang out at. I usually cut a couple donuts in the hole to muddy the water which creates a comotion so I feel confident they stay clear of me. Some holes I will and others I won't.

I hunt my dog but not in deep water i like to hunt her in shallow water so that i can see evrything around her...you can hunt them buti keep an extra eye out on her while she is on a retrieve, come to think of it i dont take my eyes off of her on a retrieve....just fot to be extra careful in the warmer months

In response to some of the comments, I can't help but think that even though ya'll keep an eye on them, if a gator were to grab your dog while on a retrieve, it would be far too late for you to do anything about it.

An alligators natural instict is not to attack from under water but to get as close to the surface sometimes swimming on top to attack their prey, fortunatly for me we have been hunting anckle deep ponds so i'd see the bastard way before it gets to her!

It would hard to slip up on the dog in the shallow water without seeing it. Ill be hunting a little deeper tomorrow so Bella will stay home.

On one of our places a couple years back one of the farmers had a little dog that went everywhere with him. The dog was on the levee and a gator ran up the levee and grabbed it. The gator surfaced with it once in the water and it was a done deal. Same place a huge gator ran up on the bank at the bush hog.

Man I'm glad we ain't got many gators around here. I've only seen about 4 in the past 6 years. That is one thing I can live without. I've never been around many until we went to the Mobile Delta on a gator hunt last month and man those things are no joke!

Not to add to your worries but nutria rats have disabled more dogs than gators where we hunted. we never had much of a problem with gators.

Last yr on teal opener I shined the light and saw 8 gators from the ramp when I put in. They are much worse this yr because of no rain. They are concentrated.

Are gators a problem year round or do they become dormant when it gets really cold?

It aint close till YOU step on one. That'll get your nuts in your throat QUICK!!! I've stepped on a few small 4 footers and had the cherios scared out of me. Saw my buddy last year during teal season step on a 9 footer. We were picking up deeks, and he took a step. Big water commotion and a huge tail came up. It then took off and created a ripple all the way to the other side. My padna damn near walked on water to the boat.

Not really a problem once it reaches 72 degrees or cooler and they start to brumate. But during teal season the dog stays home.

Have a story kinda like that robn but I don't think ill share.

Haven't stepped on one yet. Hope I don't. You talkin about 72° water temp. Always wondered what the "safe" temp was.

Had a hole in the basin called "peps hole", that was full of gators. First time we hunted it a buddy brought his dog not thinking about gators, now this wasn't just anykind of lab, it was like a small bear. I was picking up deeks, and seeped out the pero onto a 6footer, literally jumped out of knee deep water into the pero without touching the pero. As I got back a teal flew over, and seeing we were 1 shy of a limit I busted him. Buddies dog took off after it, got it, and on it's way back completely disappeared under water. Shockingly he popped back up, yelling while hauling ass to bank (he was about 10ft from bank when it happened). At first he siding seem touched, but after further examination he was missing about 6" of his tail. Thankfully he got lucky, as for the alligator, well let's just say the dog had a better day than him...

Lots of input, thanks! Stupid gators go somewhere else!

My old man's lab is a nutria killin machine. Dog truely hates nutria and goes after and kills everyone he sees.

I don’t take my dog until it gets cold. Then if it gets too cold I don't take him either... I guess im too atatched but I sure love that ol boy. Good dog..better friend.

I see them if it warms up some in winter. But seeing them doesnt mean they are feeding. we go to this gator park up here and in early spring if its still cool they dont eat even if you put chicken in front their nose. As its warms up their appetite increases and by late spring they are fighting over it.

My grandpaw used to stop on the south side of town and pick up his "bird dog"

They would give him all the beer he could drink and he would pick up birds.