re: Don’t take your lab out in the marsh in LA during teal season.

Nah I disagree. Strongly.

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Whats the point of having a duck dog if you dont bring them duck hunting?

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Well this hunter can’t take that dog hunting anymore.

You’re comparing accidents versus putting the animal in harms way.

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but losing dogs is part of hunting with dogs. Don't not bring them because they MIGHT get hurt.

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That is quite possibly the dumbest analogy I have ever heard on the OB. As a responsible pet owner, why would I knowingly put my dog that I spent countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears training into harms way? MIGHT get hurt, do you not understand in the marsh, a gator is going to have complete advantage over a swimming dog that is retrieving a duck that you as it's owner put into that situation. Gators now are actually attracted to gunfire and decoys because they know that where there are decoys there are usually dead ducks. A dog is just a bigger bonus.

I will add on to this thread by saying that just because you are in a rice field does not make you less immune to gators either. Lots of gators here in SE Texas live in the canals that the farmers use to flood the fields. You sail a cripple into the next field over and your hound just so happens to cross the canal where a gator is and it's game over. I will hunt my dog in rice during Teal but will typically stop my dog from crossing a canal. My general rule is if the dog can touch bottom, it is ok to hunt.

Most years alligators are out in South Louisiana till mid December. No difference in teal season or opening day.

Sucks losing a dog but damn if I have to sit mine till the last four weeks of the season I might as well not have one.

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Whats the point of having a duck dog if you dont bring them duck hunting?

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I understand what you're saying....if it's a working dog, it should work. However, Pecan Island (and many other places in the south) during teal season is not a place I'd personally put a 7k+ dollar animal. the gators will be hibernating by big duck season, and it'll be fine by then. just a few weekends of sweating/wading for birds, and then the dogs can work

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I bet the number of people who've lost a duck dog to an alligator is less than those whove lost a duck dog to traffic or pissed off neighbors.

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generally you are not wrong but let me say this based only on anecdotal observations in the wax over 25+ years. The number of monster gators that control large territory is down and the number of 6-8’ medium gators is way up. More gators in the area equals more chance of tragedy

10-15 years ago it was generally safe to bring your lab out during teal season. Now the 6-8’ gators are stacked up like cord wood