Current:Home > Invest'He was massive': Mississippi alligator hunters catch 13-foot, 650-pound giant amid storm -Infinite Edge Capital
'He was massive': Mississippi alligator hunters catch 13-foot, 650-pound giant amid storm
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:24:36
A Mississippi alligator hunter was on his last hunt of the season and looking to catch almost anything, but a thunderstorm, a chance sighting and grass tangled in his boat's propeller put him on a massive gator that is one of the biggest caught this year.
"It was my last night to hunt," said Kyle Mallett of St. Martin. "We really hadn't seen anything big, just little gators. We'd caught some little gators, but nothing we wanted to kill."
The hunt wasn't going well and then it got worse. A thunderstorm blew in and forced him off the water. Mallett said he left the marsh he was hunting off the Pascagoula River and went to his cousin's camp to get out of the storm and dry off.
When the storm passed, he and hunting partner, Matthew Brooks of Biloxi, returned to the marsh and saw eyes in a canal.
"We eased back in there about 400 yards," Mallett said.
Alligator startles hunter
Mallett said the two couldn't find the alligator and had turned around to leave the canal, but grass had fouled the propeller on his boat motor. He stopped to untangle the grass and at one point turned around and realized the gator had surfaced right off the bow.
"He was literally 3 feet in front of the boat," Mallett said. "It startled me.
"I'm looking at this giant gator right at the front of the boat. He was massive."
The alligator submerged, but the water was clear and only about 3 feet deep. So, Mallett could see him. Mallett said he grabbed a fishing rod and snagged the alligator behind a front leg.
"He went nuts and took off," Mallett said. "All I could do was hold the fishing pole and let him take line."
Davis called his cousin, Jarrod Davis of Hurley, who was also hunting, for help and all the while the alligator was slowly taking line. To make matters worse, the alligator had gone under a log, so Mallett couldn't follow the gator.
And, of course, it began to rain again.
"It was pouring down rain and lightning," Mallett said. "It was kind of frantic. At one point, I thought I'd never get him."
A 13-foot, 650-pound alligator on the line
Davis arrived along with hunting partner Josh Williams of Hurley. Davis was able to locate the alligator and got a handline on him. Mallett then tied a buoy to his rod and reel and tossed it in the water so he could retrieve it later. Mallett joined Davis and hooked the gator with a rod and reel.
"We basically had him at that point," Mallett said. "He rolled and rolled. When we got the snares on him it was basically over."
However, it wasn't quite over. They still had to get the giant in the boat.
"It took us another 30 minutes or so to get him in the boat," Mallett said. "Getting an animal that big in the boat is hard. We were all worn out."
The alligator weighed 650 pounds and measured 13 feet, 3 inches. Mallett said if things hadn't unfolded as they did, he would have never caught the gator.
"If there wasn't grass in the prop, we would have already been out of the bayou when he popped up," Mallett said. "It was like it was meant to be."
Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
veryGood! (84476)
Related
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Here's what Pat Sajak is doing next after 'Wheel of Fortune' exit
- WWE Clash at the Castle 2024 results: CM Punk costs Drew McIntyre; winners, highlights
- Some hawking stem cells say they can treat almost anything. They can’t
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- R.E.M. discusses band's breakup, friendship and Songwriters Hall of Fame honor
- The 44 Best Amazon Deals Now: 60% Off Linen Pants, 60% Off Dresses $9.98 Electric Toothbrushes & More
- Louisiana US Rep. Garret Graves won’t seek reelection, citing a new congressional map
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- More bottles of cherries found at George Washington's Mount Vernon home in spectacular discovery
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Prince William, Kate Middleton and Kids Have Royally Sweet Family Outing at Trooping the Colour 2024
- Here are the most and least affordable major cities in the world
- 'Predator catchers' cover the USA, live-streaming their brand of vigilante justice
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- You may owe the IRS money on Monday — skipping payment could cost you hundreds of dollars
- 'Greatest fans in the world': Phillies supporters turn Baltimore into playoff atmosphere
- 'Greatest fans in the world': Phillies supporters turn Baltimore into playoff atmosphere
Recommendation
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
History buff inadvertently buys books of Chinese military secrets for less than $1, official says
How The Bachelor's Becca Tilley Found Her Person in Hayley Kiyoko
Revolve Sale Finds Under $60: Up to 82% Off Must-Have Styles From Nike, AllSaints & More
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Biggest NBA Finals blowouts: Where Mavericks' Game 4 demolition of Celtics ranks
California’s Democratic leaders clash with businesses over curbing retail theft. Here’s what to know
Taylor Swift fans danced so hard during her concerts they created seismic activity in Edinburgh, Scotland