Monster alligator weighing 800lbs and 14ft long sets new state record after hunters spent seven hours reeling him in
Monster alligator weighing 350 kg and 4.5 meters long sets new state record after hunters reeled him in for seven hours
A huge alligator has set new size records in Mississippi and has been labeled “nightmare material” on social media.
The alligator is over 15 feet long and weighs a whopping 802.5 pounds.
It was captured by a group of hunters, who recovered the huge reptile from the Yazoo River on Saturday as part of an initiative to keep Mississippi crocodile numbers low.
Humans are allowed to hunt the alligators at certain times, but the extraordinarily large specimen, measuring 4.5 meters and 7.5 cm in total length, was a special find for the hunters.
Its belly circumference alone measures 6 feet 9 inches, while its tail is 4 feet 10 inches thick, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks — a record size.
The alligator is over 15 feet long and weighs a whopping 802.5 pounds. The ‘monster’ was caught by hunters Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas and Joey Clark (pictured left to right), who spent seven ‘mentally exhausting’ hours reeling in the gator
Humans are allowed to hunt the alligators at certain times, but the extraordinarily large specimen, measuring 4.5 meters and 7.5 cm in total length, was a special find for the hunters. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the belly circumference alone is 6 feet (180 cm) while the tail is 4 feet (120 cm) thick — a record size
The alligator’s length surpasses the previous record of 15 feet and a weight of 766.5 pounds, held by a reptile caught in 2017.
After a photo of the beast was posted on Facebook, people expressed disbelief at the alligator’s size.
One woman wrote, “Nightmare stuff,” and another person added, “Good grief, that’s a monster.”
A third said, “Congratulations, that’s a real dinosaur!” It certainly had to be great.’
Another commented, “OMG… what a monster! You make them grow up in Mississippi! Congratulations on your big catch.’
The “monster” was captured by hunters Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas and Joey Clark, who spent seven “mentally exhausting” hours reeling in the gator.
Don told Mirror: “We hooked it eight or nine times and it kept breaking off.
“He went down, sat down and then left. He kept walking under the tree trunks. He knew what he was doing. The funny thing is that he stayed in the same place.’
Don said of catching the beast, “We hooked him eight or nine times and he kept breaking off. He went down, sat down and left. He kept walking under the tree trunks. He knew what he was doing. The funny thing is that he stayed in the same place’
Don and friends caught the massive gator on Aug. 26, the second day of Mississippi’s public gator hunting season, which runs through Sept. 4.
The state has regulated hunting of the reptile since 2005 to properly manage and conserve the alligator population.
This allows the alligators to breed, nest and raise their offspring during the summer when they are most active.
To catch alligators during hunting season, people need one of only 920 special permits per season issued by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Conservation efforts in the South have been fruitful, resulting in a now stable alligator population that allows for limited and regulated hunting.