'Gator huntin' gives a little bite to life

When it comes to Texas critters, the majestic Longhorn steer typically jumps to mind. A recent trip to the Lone Star State gave me an up-close-and-personal look at a less visible, but equally ornery creature there – the Gulf Coast alligator.

I’ve done a lot in my life. I’ve been hired and fired, divorced and remarried. I’ve had a house burn down and then rise from the ashes. I’ve soared in the Goodyear Blimp, chased the cases of several serial killers and ventured deep inside prisons, mental hospitals and a nuclear power plants.

I’ve visited 16 countries, driven across the United States...