Big predators can be a nuisance, and present a danger. During most of our lifetimes, however, there wern't enough bears, cats, and gators to pose much of a problem. Now many predators are being re-established and gators have reached the point of being more of an infestation. For gators, pools, golf ponds, drainige ditches, and canals don't represent natural habitat. They don't belong there. It might be one thing to stock your pond with fish, but you wouldn't stock it with cotten mouths. Or gators. In a state like Fla. the natural balance is shot to hell. Gator numbers should be monitored and controlled by hunting or comercial harvest. Property owners should be able to determine for themselves if gators belong on their land.
If we are going to protect species, we must be smart about it. We can't just protect a species because it feels good. Where I live, deer have become a problem with their numbers reaching unprecedented levels. People who commute on country roads know it is just a matter of time before they have a possibly fatal encounter with a deer on the road. Sport hunting alone has not been enough to controll their numbers.
Encroachment? We are. Protection of Species? We need it, but lets be pragmatic about it.
As to the original question, any defensive caliber would be a big help. To those who think it would be a futile effort, remember, a gun never assures a win. A gun will make a loss less assured.
