727-Pound Alligator Caught in Mississippi, Sets Record for State's Heaviest Gator (Also: It's Terrifying)

Beth Trammell and Dustin Bockman broke the record for heaviest gator within an hour of one another

By John Boone Sep 03, 2013 4:47 PMTags
727 Pound AlligatorCourtesy: WAPT News

Here's something nightmarish to start your week with:

As alligator hunting season begins in Mississippi, the state record for heaviest alligator has already been broken. Twice. In the same day. This according to the state's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

First, Beth Trammell, a first timer, and her six-person crew caught a 723.5-pound gator, beating the record by 26 pounds. It measured in at nearly 13.5 feet long.

"When we first saw him, I yelled 'Oh my gosh we caught the Loch Ness Monster!'" Beth recalled to ABC News. It took five hours and the help of two other hunters to wrestle him into the boat and, as Beth says, "It was totally unbelievable."

(For the record, the Loch Ness Monster is still out there.)

An hour later, the record was broken again when Dustin Bockman caught a 727-pound gator.

Bockman, who was hunting with his brother Ryan Bockman and friend Cole Landers, was close enough to the 13-foot, 4.5-inch gator to shoot it with a crossbow. "He broke all the lines we could put in him," Bockman said, according to Fox News. "Finally put a snare on him and got him up high enough and put a shot on him."

He continues, "All in all, probably took us four and a half hours to catch him from the first time we saw him."

"My goal was to get a 10-footer," he explained. "I couldn't believe it when it was that big." The record for longest gator remains at 13 feet, 6.5 inches, but Bockman's alligator is currently the heaviest gator caught in Mississippi. 

For now.

"We expect the records to get broken and these will be broken, as well. Maybe before the end of this season," Ricky Flint, Mississippi Alligator Program coordinator, told ABC News. Bockman agrees, "If someone beats my record, I'll go out and try to top it...There's always a bigger one out there."

Did we mention it's only three days into alligator hunting season? Sleep tight tonight.