Hunters catch bigger gators during short season

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - This year’s alligator hunting season wrapped up Monday.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks says 840 alligators were harvested this year.

Across the state the number of big gators caught are on the rise.

Ricky Flynt, the state alligator program coordinator said, “No new records this year but we did see a new high in the number of alligators harvested in the 13 foot class range. We saw it right now, eight alligators harvested that were in the 13 foot range, we have 43 alligators in the 12 foot range, and 86 alligators in the 11 foot range”.

986 permits were let this year with nearly 3,300 participants in the hunt.

Ricky Flynt says the gator population in our state is solid. Only about 1 percent of adult alligators are harvested each year, which means the program could be expanded next year.

“I think we’ll see that at least maintain exactly what we’ve been doing the last several years there may be a little room for changing some permitting numbers in some of the zones depending on what we see from the harvest report,” said Flynt.

Brent Stevens and Daisy Dudes outfitters caught a behemoth in Eagle Lake last week. It measured in at 13 feet and a quarter inches and 694 pounds.

Brent Stevens said, “Man it feels great my team Justin and Michael we call ourselves Daisy Dudes Outfitters. They started this 10 years ago and they’ve been trying to get a 13 footer for 10 years this is the first time they’ve done it”

This was a gator season for the record books for Stevens and his team.

They also snatched a 12 footer out of the Ross Barnett reservoir.

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