Monster alligator weighing 800lbs and 14ft long sets new Mississippi state record after hunters spent seven hours reeling him in
- A group of hunters lifted the massive reptile out of the Yazoo River on Saturday
- One of them said trying to reel the gator in was ‘mentally exhausting’ for them
- READ ALSO: Woman describes moment 8ft alligator dragged her into water
A huge alligator has set new size records in Mississippi and has been branded ‘nightmare material’ on social media.
The gator measures more than 14 feet in length and weighs a mind-blowing 802.5 pounds.
It was captured by a group of hunters, who lifted the massive reptile out of the Yazoo River on Saturday as part of an initiative to keep gator numbers down in Mississippi.
People are allowed to hunt the gators at specific times, but the extraordinarily large specimen was a special find for the hunters with its total length of 14 feet and 3 inches.
Its belly girth alone measures 66 inches while its tail is 46.5 inches thick, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks – a record-breaking size.
The gator measures more than 14 feet in length and weighs a mind-blowing 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 to reel the gator in
People are allowed to hunt the gators at specific times, but the extraordinarily large specimen was a special find for the hunters with its total length of 14 feet and 3 inches. Its belly girth alone measures 66 inches while its tail is 46.5 inches thick
READ MORE: Moment Colorado man is almost eaten by huge alligator called ELVIS after slipping while feeding him
The length of the gator trumps the previous record of 14 feet and a weight of 766.5 pounds, held by a reptile captured in 2017.
After a picture of the beast was posted on Facebook, people voiced their disbelief at the size of the gator.
One woman wrote: ‘Nightmare material,’ and another person added: ‘Good grief that’s a monster.’
A third said: ‘Congratulations that’s a real dinosaur! Had to be amazing for sure.’
Another commented: ‘OMG… what a monster! You grow ’em big in Mississippi! Congratulations on your big catch.’
The ‘monster’ was caught by hunters Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas and Joey Clark, who spent seven ‘mentally exhausting’ hours to reel the gator in.
Don told the Mirror: ‘We hooked him eight or nine times and he kept breaking off.
‘He would go down, sit and then take off. He kept going under logs. He knew what he was doing. The crazy thing is he stayed in that same spot.’
Don said about catching the beast: ‘We hooked him eight or nine times and he kept breaking off. He would go down, sit and then take off. He kept going under logs. He knew what he was doing. The crazy thing is he stayed in that same spot’
Don and his friends caught the massive gator on August 26, the second day of Mississippi’s public alligator hunting season, which runs until September 4.
The state has been regulating the hunting of the reptile since 2005 to properly manage and conserve the alligator population.
It allows the alligators to breed, nest and raise their offspring during summer, when they are the most active.
To catch gators during the hunting season, people need one of only 920 special permits per season by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Conservation efforts in the south have been fruitful and resulted in a now stable gator population that allows limited and regulated hunting.
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