FARMINGTON, Wis. – Ed Long thought he was shooting at a snapping turtle, but got a surprise when he pulled his trophy from the Milwaukee River: a 4-foot-long alligator.

Long had been in the river Saturday hunting for ducks. (Full Story: How To Make A Duck Calls: Step By Step Guide | DecoyPro)

“At first, I thought it was a turtle tail,” he said. “The it turned and came back at me. I seen the eyes come out of the water, but my brain didn’t click. This is Wisconsin. There’s not supposed to be gators in Wisconsin.”

When the reptile submerged again, Long fired and stunned it. He called to his cousin, who prodded the 25-pound animal with a stick and then ran when it moved.

“We both thought nobody is going to believe us,” Long said.

Team trying to stop birds from pooping in fan drinks

CINCINNATI – The owners of the stadium where the Cincinnati Bengals play have withdrawn a request seeking city approval to shoot pigeons that have been pooping on fans during games.

Eric Brown, managing director of Paul Brown Stadium, said in a letter to the city manager that officials are going to “continue to explore various alternatives to dealing with this patron issue.”

City Manager Milton Dohoney on Friday granted permission to shoot the birds if other methods to discourage the pigeons didn’t succeed.

From Associated Press reports