Last Saturday, my three boys and I finally embarked on an adventure we’d been talking about since moving to Florida—a gator hunting trip with a friend.
Coming from Southern California, we’d never done anything like this before.
We climbed into boats that looked like gators themselves and set out onto an unfamiliar lake. Once on the water, the first thing my buddy said was, "We need to find a gator." I figured it would be easy, but for my boys and me it was like trying to find a gold needle in a haystack. My friend, on the other hand, could spot them from a mile away.
Once a gator was spotted, the real work began—getting it into the boat.
We sped over to its location, tossed out a baited line, and then waited. If you’re curious about what gators like to eat, just imagine taking the most rotten, foul-smelling thing from your refrigerator, hooking it, and casting it out.
My friend uses beef lungs, which he lets bake in the sun for days before the trip. By the time we use them, they reek so badly you’ll want gloves or the smell will stick with you for days. (He used to make first-time hunters retrieve roadkill off the highway for bait—a playful little initiation ritual he’s thankfully given up.)
Once the bait is set, you carefully maneuver the boat to the gator’s location, hoping it stays put. If it’s still there the gator will snatch up the bait in a heartbeat, and then it’s game on.
This was a trip we’ll never forget.
Getting up early, heading out onto the lake, and pursuing gators was male bonding at its finest. My wife wasn’t thrilled about me taking the boys on a gator hunt, so I tried to put her at ease by sending some pictures of the boys dangling their bare feet over the boat.
So, what does this story have to do with your health? The relationship is simpler to see than it seems.
Just like spotting a gator in the wild, identifying the root cause of a health issue isn’t always easy. It often requires a trained eye and a methodical approach. Sometimes the signs are subtle and it takes patience to recognize what’s really going on.
Once you’ve identified the problem it’s important to act strategically—just like maneuvering the boat to the right spot and setting the bait. Addressing a health issue effectively requires the right treatment plan and the discipline to follow through, even when results aren’t immediate.
Finally, the satisfaction of reeling in a gator after all that effort is a lot like the feeling of achieving your health goals. It’s a process that requires perseverance, careful planning, and sometimes, a bit of grit.
Just as our gator hunt was an unforgettable experience, your journey to better health can be equally rewarding when approached with the right mindset and determination.
Have a GREAT Labor Day weekend!
Dr. Derek ‘Bayou Tracker’ Taylor, DC
P.S. We’re planning to get all the families from the hunt together soon for a big meal featuring our gator catch—though my wife’s already decided she’ll be sticking to the side dishes that night!
