Three hunters spent roughly two hours wrestling a huge alligator on South Carolina's Waccamaw River, a catch they said was close to 13 feet long and about 600 pounds.
After they caught the animal, they made extra use of the situation by giving some of the meat to a man they ran into at a gas station.
Here's what to know
According to WPDE, John Wayne Caulder of Marion County said he was on the Waccamaw River with his son, Kelly Wayne Caulder of Florence County, and their friend Josh Bumgarner of Hickory, North Carolina, when the group caught the oversized alligator. Bumgarner held the tag for the outing.
Caulder said the men weren't new to catching alligators, but this one was especially memorable because of how difficult it was to control such a large animal. He estimated it was nearly 13 feet long and weighed about 600 pounds.
Their hunt took place in Unit 4, South Carolina's Pee Dee alligator management area. Under South Carolina Department of Natural Resources rules, hunters selected through the lottery are issued a permit and harvest tag and can hunt only in the management unit they were assigned.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources estimates that the state is home to at least 100,000 alligators, mainly from the Midlands to the coast.
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After the hunt, Caulder said the group planned a European-style mount using the alligator's skull and kept meat from the tail. He also said they shared some of that meat with a man they met at a gas station.
Under South Carolina Department of Natural Resources rules, each selected hunter may harvest one alligator under that hunter's permit.
Where can I learn more?
Alligator encounters across the Southeast help put a hunt like this one in context. They range from police wrestling a gator in South Carolina to warnings in North Carolina, broader findings on attacks, and dramatic incidents in Florida.
• In South Carolina, officers wrestled a neighborhood alligator as residents said sightings were rising.
• North Carolina officials warned coastal residents to stop feeding alligators during mating season as encounters spiked.
• Researchers found that many bites can be prevented when people avoid risky behavior around alligators.
• A homeowner was hospitalized after a backyard gator attack near a mulch pile.
• In the Everglades, a Florida alligator ate an invasive python in a rare filmed showdown.
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