Trapper Nelson’s life was the stuff that movies are made of . Some folks called him the Wildman of the Loxahatchee River, others called him Tarzan. Standing six foot four inches, 240 pounds he was the quintessential lady’s man. He was an imposing figure. Trapper Nelson started life off with the name of Vincent Nostokovich and he wasn’t born in Florida but in New Jersey. He was born in the era where you can reinvent yourself and he did.
He owned land on the northwest fork of the wild Loxahatchee River. He lived by trapping, hunting and fishing. In the 1950’s he developed a zoo on his property that became a popular tourist attraction. Tourist boats from West Palm Beach brought visitors to see the wild man wrestle alligators and tour his zoo.
There are many stories about Trapper Nelson some of which are tall tales but one story that stays consistent is he not only had an eye for the ladies, he also had an eye for real estate. He eventually owned 800 acres of valuable Florida land.
His death is and will always remain a mystery. He was found near his hammock with his shotgun nearby with a gunshot to the chest, some reports say abdomen. Some say he committed suicide, some say he was shot by a jealous husband, and others say it was a woman that did Trapper Nelson in. He is now a legend that lives on. His camp can be seen on certain days at certain times. I saw it by boat and couldn’t get off to explore.
Enjoy the pictures of Loxahatchee River.
 Great Blue Heron |  Osprey Nest |
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 Alligator hiding in the bushes. |  |
 A Great Blue Heron hiding…. |  |
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 Osprey |  |
3 comments:
Trapper Nelson reminds me of myself when I was young. No wait, that reminds me of what I WASN 'T when I was younger. I did reach 6'3" and I came close to 230 pounds, but by then I had shrunk to 6'2" and was no longer young. And I never hunted, fished, trapped, or wrestled alligators. And no, I never owned 800 acres fo anything. But what a fun imaginary life it might have been if I hads actually imagined it. Thanks for letting me make up a bunch of stuff in my golden years.
What a fun bit of history/lore! It seems that characters like Trapper Nelson don't exist any more. There are some who are "characters," but not in a good way. Anyway, I enjoyed that tale! Thanks for sharing!
(And chuckling at the above comment!)
Very cool
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