Red Antler Processing
Most people know Florida is absolutely brimming with alligators, but there are plenty of other states where the species can be found in the wild. That includes Mississippi, which boasts some pretty massive beasts that can have some interesting dietary habits including one that recently set a record in the state.
According to The Washington Post, the new mark to beat was set by a quartet of alligator hunters (Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas, and Joey Clark) who recently spent hours grappling with the animal after embarking on an expedition on the Yazoo River.
The men took to that waterway in the early hours of the morning on August 25th on a boat that was home to the fishing rod that initially hooked the alligator that put up quite the fight over the course of a seven-hour ordeal that ended when they managed to haul it close to the vessel, put a noose around its neck, and bring the battle to an end with the shotgun that was used to dispatch it.
While they knew they were dealing with a sizeable gator, they realized just how large it was once they were able to haul it aboard the boat before bringing it to Red Antler Processing to have the meat harvested.
Once they arrived, the hunters got the opportunity to further evaluate a catch that officially tipped the scales at 802.5 pounds and measured in at a whopping 14’3″ (which the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks confirmed was enough to surpass the previous state record length of just under 14’1″).
If you’re curious, it’s believed the all-time record for the largest alligator ever caught was set in 2014 by another group of hunters in Alabama who also spent multiple hours fighting with the animal that was 15’9″ long and weighed a whopping 1,011.5 pounds.