Alligator found in Mississippi at a record-breaking 14 feet tall.

Before the sun had even begun to light up the sky, a group of Mississippi hunters led by Will Thomas embarked on an incredible adventure: capturing an alligator that had proven to be a formidable adversary for a staggering seven hours in the Yazoo River.

Their quest was shrouded in anticipation and mystery as they grappled with this mighty creature whose size remained unknown.

After a grueling ordeal that saw their boat’s equipment nearly decimated, the moment of triumph finally arrived on a Saturday morning. The colossal alligator was successfully brought ashore. The measurements were nothing short of astonishing: the hunters had managed to capture a male alligator that weighed a jaw-dropping 802.5 pounds and stretched an impressive 14 feet 3 inches in length. This extraordinary feat broke the state record for the longest alligator ever caught, a remarkable achievement confirmed by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (WFP).

Describing the scene, Will Thomas, a 43-year-old lawyer from Madison, Miss., recalled, “It was pandemonium. It was chaos. When you have an 800-pound animal on the end of a fishing rod, and he’s coming up and he looks like a beast, everybody is kind of going crazy, and your adrenaline is pumping.” The hunters ultimately subdued the alligator with a shotgun blast after skillfully securing a noose around it in compliance with state regulations.

In photos that circulated after the triumph, the proud hunters – Will Thomas, Don Woods, Tanner White, and Joey Clark – could be seen smiling ear to ear, holding the colossal alligator with its imposing jaws wide open. Their incredible achievement garnered praise from various quarters, including the Mississippi WFP, Governor Tate Reeves (R), and observers who were simultaneously awed and perturbed by the sight of this record-breaking creature.

Will Thomas further reflected, “The sheer size of him was impressive, but we didn’t think he was anything that special. But when we got him out, pulled the tape measure out and we realized that he was over 14 feet, the level of excitement went up.”

The WFP officially verified the dimensions of this record-breaking alligator, noting on Facebook that it boasted a belly girth of 66 inches and a tail girth of 46.5 inches. The agency also made note of the previous record holder, a 14 feet ¾ inch alligator caught in 2017.

Andrew Arnett, the alligator program coordinator for the WFP, expressed his astonishment, saying, “I was actually shocked. It’s not every year you get something of this magnitude.”

For context, the world record for alligator length stands at an awe-inspiring 15 feet 9 inches, a measurement taken in Alabama back in 2014. Mississippi initiated alligator sport hunting seasons in 2005, offering over 950 alligator hunting tags through a lottery system to local hunters for the 10-day season this year. This hunting season commenced on a Friday and was set to conclude on Labor Day.

Though Will Thomas was not selected in this year’s lottery, his cousin Don Woods was fortunate to receive a hunting tag. Joining forces with Tanner White and Joey Clark, the two embarked on the first day of the hunting season in the west central alligator hunting zone of Mississippi.

Their sights were set on a particular alligator that they had spotted earlier on the Yazoo River. Will Thomas remained discreet about the exact location, revealing, “We knew he was at least a 12-footer and knew kind of where he was. When we put the boat in that night we went straight to that spot.” Their strategy rested on the alligator’s territorial behavior; large alligators are known to remain within a confined area, and this particular one had taken up a 200-yard range.

The gripping tale of their pursuit unfolded. As night fell on that Friday, Don Woods managed to hook the alligator, only for it to break free. This cycle repeated itself multiple times as they battled through the night. The alligator’s evasive maneuvers, diving under logs or resting at the river’s bottom, resulted in the destruction of their equipment, including the snapping of a fishing rod and the damaging of their reels.

Despite the odds, the hunters persisted. Don Woods described the alligator’s appearance to the Clarion-Ledger, noting, “His back was humongous.” The experience was nothing short of surreal.

With dawn approaching, and the unforgiving Mississippi heat on the horizon, the hunters mustered their last reserves of energy and made one final attempt with the remaining functional equipment. It was at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday that their tenacity finally paid off. A mere half an hour later, the alligator was secured on their boat. Fatigued yet exhilarated, they were confronted with a new challenge: ensuring their own safety on a small vessel carrying an 800-pound alligator that practically consumed the entire boat.

Will Thomas recounted, “The boat started taking on water, and we had to get him to the other side to keep him from sinking. You had four guys and a 14-foot alligator in a 14-foot boat, so it was touch-and-go there for a minute.” They successfully reached land and headed to Red Antler Processing, a wild game processing and hunting store in Yazoo City, over 40 miles north of Jackson, to measure the alligator.

Shane Smith, the proprietor of Red Antler Processing, vividly recalled the moment the hunters arrived with their extraordinary catch. “When they pulled up, they said they had a really big alligator and close to 14 feet. I’ve heard that numerous times, and most of the time it’s an exaggeration,” Smith remarked. “But this one was not.” Upon measuring the alligator, it became apparent that they had indeed set a new record at 14 feet 3 inches.

The story took an unexpected twist when Smith noticed a metal toe tag on the alligator, indicating it had been captured before. This particular alligator had initially been removed from a resident’s property in 2005 due to its nuisance behavior. At that time, it measured 10 feet 11 inches. The alligator was then relocated to the Yazoo River.

The days following the capture of the record-breaking alligator have been nothing short of overwhelming for the hunting group. As Will Thomas put it, “Talking to someone from The Washington Post was not something I thought I’d be doing on a Monday morning.”

In a heartwarming gesture, the hunters decided to donate the substantial 340 pounds of alligator meat to Red Antler, which plans to distribute it to hunger shelters. The tag holder, Don Woods, will receive the alligator’s head, while the others intend to make something special out of the skin.

Asked about his emotions when they finally had the massive alligator on board, Will Thomas shared that he would forever remember the sense of mental exhaustion and relief that came with realizing their triumphant conquest. “We had been fighting, and you’re kind of glad the fight is over,” he said. “We all felt like, thank goodness the fight is over, and we have won.”

By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed