The rivers in Mississippi are famous around the world because they are home to some of the most amazing and huge American alligators. For a very long time, several hunters have tried capturing these creatures but nothing got on their hands. However, recently, hunters in the state of Mississippi have caught record-breaking alligators which are incredibly big in size and have a massive amount of strength. By capturing these alligators, the hunters have shown that the wildlife of Mississippi is quite diverse and rich. The records of hunting these big alligators have been verified by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks which shows that the hunters of this state are extremely skilled. Also, there is an urgent need to manage the alligator population.
802.5 pound Alligator Caught In Mississippi’s Yazoo River
In August 2023, a large alligator was caught in Mississippi which broke all the records around the world. It was the largest alligator ever which weighed around 802.5-pound behemoth and measured approximately 14 feet and 3 inches, with a belly girth of 66 inches and tail girth of 46.5 inches. It was a male alligator that was caught by a group of four hunters named, Tanner White, Don Woods, Joey Clark, and Will Thomas. According to a Facebook post, all the hunters worked together to nab the gator and worked together at Red Antler Processing, a game processing and hunting store.
The hunters made history by catching the alligator in the Yazoo River in the West Central Zone of Mississippi, which is west of Interstate 55 and north of Jackson. The creature broke off the record for the longest alligator ever harvested in Mississippi, confirmed by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks in a Facebook post. However, when the alligator was caught it was noted that it had a metal tag on its right foot which indicates that it had been captured before. Since 2005, hunting alligators for the sport has been permitted in the state with varied laws applying for hunting on private and public waters.
800-pound Alligator Caught By Mississippi Hunters In The Yazoo River
In September 2024, a team of Mississippi alligator hunters caught a massive 800-pound gator on the Yazoo River near Vicksburg, on the opening day of the hunting season. The hunting group consisted of Megan Sasser, Justin Pettway from Pelahatchie, Connie Flanagin, and Marty and Lauren Sasser from Terry and Brandi Robinson from Enterprise. The group stated that they fought the creature for an hour before they actually got to know how big he was. They expressed that they knew how big he was but did not have an idea of how truly big he was.
According to them, it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime deals. The hunting group got on the waters in the afternoon and the day was not very pleasant. The crew got soaked wet from the storm that lasted for three hours. But as the storm got calm, they spotted the alligator that initially appeared to be 10 to 12 feet long. After capturing the male gator, the group transported him to the Red Antler Processing in Yazoo City, where they measured the gator’s weight and height. He was 14 feet long and weighed around 801.5 pounds. Though it is not a state record, but it is among the largest-ever alligator caught in Mississippi.
324-pound Female Alligator Caught In Pascagoula River Breaks Records
In September 2024, another alligator was caught in Mississippi which broke records around the world. Jason Ullendorf, a hunter from Mississippi, and Joseph Mangano of Richton caught a female alligator that was around 11 feet, 3/4 inches long and weighed around 324 pounds. The tail girth of the gator was 32 inches and the belly girth was 37 inches. Arnett, the head of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks confirmed that the alligator, which was caught from the Pascagoula River, set new records for both weight and length among females. The measurements of the creature were certified by the department on 7th September 2024.
Ullendorf stated that he heard about the alligator when his cousin was buying a part at a boat shop a week before. At that time, the alligator was spotted near a sandbar, and it was making people who were visiting the location very uncomfortable. Also, he mentioned that catching the female alligator was very difficult as he chased the gator from about 9 o’clock till 3 o’clock in the morning. But did not get a hold of her. The next day they found her at the same place and at around 4:45 am, they got a hold. As soon as she came near the sandbar, the hunters hooked her with a rod and reel but the creature continued to slap the boat with her tail. Despite the struggle, Jason Ullendorf and his partner successfully got the alligator in their boat. Earlier, the longest female alligator was caught in the state in the year 2022 by hunter, Jim Denson and measured approximately 10 feet, 2 inches.
10 Feet, 2 Inches Female Alligator Hunted Down In The Pearl River
In August 2022, two Mississippi alligator hunters, Jim Denson and Richie Denson caught a female alligator on the Pearl River. The creature was 10 feet, 2 inches long, and was expected to be 100 years old. It was reported that the female alligator was killed on 28th August 2022 on the Pearl River, about five miles from the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Also, it was reported that the alligator was previously caught in 2009 by the MDWFP as a part of a research project and was tagged as Yellow 410.
13-Feet, 7 and 7/8 Inches Long Alligator Caught By Tiffany Wienke In Bayou Pierre
In August 2016, Tiffany Wienke, a well-known female hunter from Vicksburg caught a record-breaking 13 feet, 7 and 7/8 inches long alligator in a Mississippi river, Bayou Pierre. It was revealed that she was with a party of six hunters who searched the river for about twenty hours, after which they found the alligator which weighed around 311 kg or 686 lbs. The information was confirmed by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, which urged hunters to continue searching the Mississippi rivers for more such creatures. They also confirmed that the male alligator’s belly girth was 59 inches, and its tail girth was 43 inches.
