INDIAN CREEK DRAGON RANCH

Terry Slafarski, Indian Creek Dragon Ranch owner, has had a lifelong love of Alligators. As a boy, Terry lived in Kansas and would spend 6 weeks in the summer in the town of Wewahitchka Florida staying with relatives. These summer trips began Terry's obsession with alligators. His relatives were "swamp people" and were expert alligator hunters. Terry would spend all night with uncles and cousins roaming swamps walking, wading or on occasion in a boat looking for big gators - adrenaline on full blast, especially when the 'ol alkaline ray-o-vac batteries went out in the flashlight and Terry found himself two hours deep in an alligator infested swamp with no light.

Terry left high school and moved outside of Wewahitchka just steps from the swamp - literally. Terry would pick up odd jobs on peanut and cotton farms during the day, but would spend is nights in the swamps chasing gators. Terry eventually became a very successful full time alligator hunting guide.

However, being a gator hunting guide started to feel more like a job, having to be on time (not Terry's strongest suit), filing paper work with the state of FL and such. Terry longed to have that feeling as a kid spending nights in the swamps looking for gators - not being sure if he was hunting gators or the gators were hunting him!

Terry decided to make a change and a bold move - to bring the same feeling of adventure and adrenaline of "swampin" to his home state of Kansas and the thrill of having that voice in the back of your head screaming that your about to be eaten by a big 'ol gator! Indian Creek Dragon Ranch was born!

Our slogan "I Lost my Fingers" comes from the warning Terry's uncles and cousins would say when haul' in monster gators - "watch you fingers". In Terry's Wewahitchka family, if you still have all 10 fingers, you ain't no gator hunter!

Terry Slafarski

Indian Creek

Dragon Ranch Founder

A man with long, curly blonde hair smiling excitedly in a room, possibly a hospital or clinic setting.

One of Terry's first DRAGON encounters

A young girl standing in a muddy area near a swamp or wet forest, wearing a hoodie and rubber boots, with a snake on the ground in front of her. The background features tall trees and water, with some tree stumps rising above the water. The photo is dated December 1978.

INDIAN CREEK DRAGON RANCH

Several people working together to perform animal rescue on a large crocodile, using medical supplies and equipment in a dark, outdoor setting.

Terry & family DRAGON huntin’

A man standing next to a large crocodile with a saddle and equipment on it, outdoors with trees and blue sky.

Terry in his prime, sorry Terry, your prime is gone!