My first time in the Okefenokee, we were camping on Mixon's Hammock. When we got there, the landing 'beach' was covered with sunning 'gators 2'-4' long. Maybe one or two close to 5'.
So we pulled our canoes up broadside and poked 'em gently with paddles until they decided to leave. They didn't leave when we simply splashed 'em. Probably wasn't the right thing to do now, but it was at the time.
I have at least three other 'at the time' Okefenokee stories, one of which involves a chubby Scout, an overturned rental canoe with a bad flotation well, and a Free Willie moment.
I'd love to hear your other solo wood-cutting stories. You owe me a winter campfire, some cowboy coffee, and a lot of stories punctuated by Robert W. Service. The longest I've ever gone without the shower is eleven days, while my son has me beat with, I think, 25 days.
It was embers under the snow to start the morning fire for my instant coffee and pinto beans, with bacon for the first few days after my town visit, then just coffee and beans after that, my chain saw during the day, and then chain sharpening after my beans and coffee supper, and then sitting in my sleeping bag reading War and Peace and other good books with propane lantern at night.
A trapper came by once, and another time a tiny group of hippies spent a week in the area camping, they appeared to be permanent travelers.