Even so, with several deaths each year in Mississippi, West Nile-carrying mosquitoes pose a danger. Alligators are large reptiles with armored bodies, four short legs and a flat tail. So, the next time you hear someone talking about wanting to move to Mississippi, politely remind them of these 15 reasons they definitely would not like living in the Magnolia State. Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks estimates that there are between 32,000 and 38,000 alligators in Mississippi. I went to my car in tears, and I said to myself, 'Well, I guess I'm moving here.' I actually said it out loud. For hunters, there is another serious danger that awaits. "I can't wait to get it on the bank.". :What to know about the chances of attack. All rights reserved. I'll take you.' The Pascagoula River has a very large alligator population with estimates ranging from 7,500 to 12,500 this represents 25% of Mississippis total alligator population. 13. To control the alligator population, Mississippi adopted a hunting season seven years ago in which tags are awarded through a computer drawing. [4] Yellow pine forests in the region fueled the industry. Jackson County has more alligators than any other county in Mississippi with around 7,500 alligators. Twenty-five percent of the alligator population in Mississippi is found Jackson County and the Pascagoula River drainage system. We opened in 2017, and now there are very few days you can come in here that we don't have a full house.". "They (Florida) have a tremendously larger. The ants here in Mississippi definitely mean business. The city lies on a low ridge between Tallahala Creek to the east and Tallahoma Creek to the west. I've got about 18 or 20 on my staff. The river is also strongly preserved as it is one of the largest undammed rivers in the United States. Danielle Claro is a New York Times bestselling author, editor, and book coach who specializes in bringing esoteric topics down to earth. On the broad side of a brick building, in old-timey type, it sends out a "Welcome!" "I've had alligators that I had to use both hands, but smaller alligators, 7 to 8-feet-long, I can hold them shut with one hand all day," Flynt said. Shes also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience. Laid end to end, that amount of lumber would stretch 189 miles. We didn't have hot water. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 61.3% African-American, 29.8% non-Hispanic white, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native American, and 1.0% reporting two or more races.[17]. A bite from a venomous snake can be painful at best and even cause death. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases reported 97 deaths from the virus in 2014 nationwide. Twenty-five percent of the alligator population in Mississippi is found Jackson County and the. Not only did Sanders endure pain and several days in a Vicksburg medical facility, his treatment bills totaled $442,000. Follow The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter. The alligators here can often be found in small lagoons, ponds and swamps. Below I have listed the best places to see alligators in Mississippi including the exact spots and locations you should visit. Another place where you can see alligators is at the Jackson Zoo, located in Jackson. I just thought, 'Man, I need to do something different.' You will recognize them from the latest hit show on HGTV. Youll see a variety of other animals at the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Ocean Springs such as lizards, snakes, turtles, raccoons, birds and much more. LAUREL, Miss. Nationwide, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports there are 7,000-8,000 snake bites annually. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in March. Top Things to Do in Laurel, Mississippi: See Tripadvisor's 4,130 traveller reviews and photos of Laurel tourist attractions. They have alligators at Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours. "The alligator don't take nothing off of nobody," Wayne said. In Mississippi, only one death has ever been recorded from a snake bite. "It has a huge amount of food resources between fresh and salt water. Nearly everyone you talk to in Laurel points to Judi Holifield as a powerful agent of change in the community. In the process, they can lose teeth, along with when they fight. A tall white man with a deep Southern . Laurel has changed, and I'd like for people to know that.". "I mean, we were just kids, but Judi knew how to get grants and really make things happen.". Trapper Wayne'snuisance animal control made its biggest catch yet,an alligator that weighed over 700 pounds. In the late 1960s, American Alligators were thought to be on the verge of extinction in the marshy wetlands bordering the Mississippi River, but they have since made a remarkable recovery. Alligators are cold-blooded reptiles that become dormant and do not feed during the fall and winter in Mississippi. It is believed that there are somewhat more than 30,000 alligators in Mississippi, with the majority residing in the state's southern region. "Bears just avoid people," Young said. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships, working for The Royal Obsession and Anatomie clothing. They're expending no energy and they're living off body fat.". We were going to go to the deep places together; we were going to genuinely love people.". Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. So, how can they survive without eating from roughly mid-October through mid-March? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But there was a time in the 1990s when I felt like this was the only retail store downtown. So it was really hard to even entertain the idea of doing something else, but I was in a high-pressure management job and beginning to deal with some ageism, kind of getting squeezed out. Ribbon snakes love water, but are excellent climbers too. The alligator was living in a private lagoon in Laurel and was removed on June 30. Mississippi does have six types of venomous snakes: copperhead, coral snake, pygmy rattlesnake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, canebrake or timber rattlesnake, and cottonmouth or water moccasin. Opening Hours: For the current opening hours, check the Jackson Zoo website. In some counties, 20% of alligator sightings are above ten feet long. Instead, the state adopted a mandatory online harvest-data collection program in which hunters register the kill and enter the animal's length, sex, location of kill and hours hunted. Alligators . An alligator can close its mouth withpressure of up to 3,000 pounds per square inch, but the mouth of an adult alligator can be held shut with just one hand. Studies found that inAmerican alligatoreggs, incubation at 93 degrees and above produces mostly males, while incubation at or lower than 86degrees produces mostly females. In 2010, I started a bakery out of a 10- by 14-foot building beside our house. Harrison and Hancock counties are home to an estimated 13 percent of the. Use the checklist below to discover what mammals live in the Mississippi National . [24], Almost all of Laurel is within the Laurel School District. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males. And the man next to her said, 'She's too busy. By 1891, Kamper's company was on the verge of bankruptcy, leading Kamper to sell the mill and extensive land holdings in the area (more than 15,000 acres), to Clinton, Iowa, lumber barons Lauren Chase Eastman and George and Silas Gardiner, founders of the Eastman-Gardiner Company. My mother had been here for so long that after a period of time, she owned all the stock. You might recognize Erin and her husband, Bentwo of Laurel's biggest championsfrom their HGTV makeover show Home Town. Best Places To See Alligators In Mississippi, Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge. Mr. "There is no question that the coastal region, especially the Pascagoula River, is home to some of the largest alligators in Mississippi," Flynt said. Adult alligators have between 74 and 84 teeth. Four deaths a year may not seem like a large number. Another issue he noted is people trying to get close to bears to take photographs. After that sighting, specific cautions advise lake visitors to report to the authorities once they spot an alligator during their visit to the lake. "They (Florida) have a tremendously larger alligator population than we do. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Keep your eyes peeled on the water and you might just spot an alligator. Ricky Flynt, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Alligator Program coordinator, said it's a fascinating animal. They can grow to be more than 12 feet (3.6 meters) in length and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), with males being slightly larger than females on average. In alligator habitats, if you feed fish species on a regular basis, using mechanical feeders of fish is expressly forbidden. Laurel is the principal city of a micropolitan statistical area named for it. In truth, they aren't. "The potential is there," said Ricky Flynt, Alligator Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The state is mainly known for being home to one of North Americas most extended rivers, the Mississippi River. "That area (Pascagoula River) is the most stable gator population in the state. Alligators can also be found within the lake premises, with the most relevant sighting dating back to 2013 when festival-goers near the lake spotted and took a picture of a gator at Grenada Lake. Laurel residents Erin and Ben Napier are featured in the HGTV series Home Town, which premiered on March 21, 2017. Several cautions by the lake management are now made to prevent further interaction with potentially-dangerous alligators. It maintains its natural marshes and wetlands to provide a habitat for fish and different wildlife species such as the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, sturgeon, turtle, and woodpecker. Between the perfectly fried seafood and the variety of local specialties and creations, such as the slug burger, dieting is basically impossible here. I really could see it. Because of that Newell said all deer hunters using tree stands should have some type of lifeline that keeps them attached to the tree at all times. With their business partners, Erin and Ben have renovated 50 homes in and near Laurel. Families and tourists will have a lot to do when visiting this lake, with one full-service campground, four parks, and three designated swimming areas. U.S. Route 84 passes through the south side of the city, leading east 30 miles (48km) to Waynesboro and west 27 miles (43km) to Collins. "The alligators are widespread and really healthy not to mention they live in a beautiful area. Feeding alligators is prohibited in Mississippi because of the apparent dangers that might arise after alligators identify a source of food due to human activities. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. In July, the female alligator creates a nest from mud, plants and sticks in which she lays her eggs. In the window of a shop on Magnolia Street is the message "Bloom where you're planted." A longtime resident, she served as executive director of Laurel Main Street from 2011 to 2020. Combined with alligators in Jackson County, the two make up almost 30% of Mississippis alligator population. This 48,000-acre National Wildlife Refuge, located in Starkville, is filled with hiking trails and woodlands where youll find a wide variety of wildlife. [2] It is located northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first county courthouse. Today, there are about 30,000 of them in the state. Dana Sanders, Jr. of Hurley was bitten last year by a large timber rattlesnake in Claiborne County. But as with the Napiers and their friends, you might not know it from talking to her. Achim Raschka Public domain picture by U.S. Alligators are often seen at the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in the waters of the lakes. Check out the huge alligator spotted at the refuge in the video below: Another fantastic place in Mississippi where you can see alligators in the wild is at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Built in 1910, it's listed on the Mississippi Historical Registry and was owned by William Carroll Gartin, Laurel's mayor in the 1960s and a three-term lieutenant governor of Mississippi. Ricky Flynt, alligator coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said the estimated number of alligators in Hancock County is fewer than 5,000 and in Harrison County the number is fewer than 2,000. Judi Holifield has served as the Laurel Main Street executive director since 2011. Right across the street from City Hall used to be the Pinehurst Hotel. Five years ago, there were maybe four or five businesses represented in our Laurel Main Street meetings. Spend the night at Laurel Cottages,an Airbnb just a few blocks from downtown that's run by Mallorie and Jim Rasberry. Thank you for reading! I get emotional about it. Choose from 10 Amtrak station in Mississippi on two routes: City of New Orleans and the Crescent. "I put my foot where I couldn't see," Sanders said. If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out 11 Life Lessons Everyone Learns Growing Up In Mississippi.. When speaking of alligators, Mississippi is one of the most alligator-infested places in the country. [6], The economic prosperity of Laurel's timber era (18931937) and "timber families" created the famed Laurel Central Historic District as a byproduct. Flynt, who has caught and handled alligators for years in his research, said only larger alligators require two hands to hold their jaws closed and that's because the mouths can be too large to grip with a single hand. It's the tree stand. The median age was 35 years. You may also consult Extension Publication 3529, Snakes Alive! Jackson and Hattiesburg are the largest cities with train stations. Black bears and mountain lions may rarely wander through the park, although neither represent resident populations. Males had a median income of $27,077 versus $17,336 for females. ContactBrian Broomat 601-961-7225 orbbroom@gannett.com. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, there are about 55 alligators currently making Okatibbee Lake their home. Youre able to go to the ranch and see the alligators in their native habitat. "It was kind of fake it till you make it," says Erin Napier. "Everybody was standing around like I was opening a Christmas present," he told the paper. JONES COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - A Jones County family business traps nuisance animals that people are scared of like snakes, bats and even alligators. 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