CLARION-LEDGER (Jackson, Mississippi) 10 September 06 The Dukes of gator friday night's stats - Hazard? Forget that! This family makes it 2 gators in 2 years, including new record (Bobby Cleveland)
Photo: Robin Dukes, 52, of Jackson shows off the jaws and the enormous mass of the new state record alligator caught Friday night by Dukes and three other family members that made up Team Dukes: husband Ray Dukes and his brother Joe Dukes of Brandon and his son Alan. Joe Dukes was drawn in 2005 for the first alligator season in state history, and Robin was drawn for the 2006 season, which is limited to the upper river area of Barnett Reservoir. (Bobby Cleveland)
After her brother-in-law Joe Dukes caught a 9-foot, 8-inch alligator in 2005's first season, Robin Dukes said she ended up with so much gator meat she had to take it to deer camp and make a big pot of etoufee to get rid of it.
She's got a bigger problem this year.
Team Dukes, composed of Robin and husband Ray of Jackson, and Joe and Alan of Brandon, set a new state record for sport hunting alligators Friday night, catching a monster measuring 11 feet, 8 inches and weighing a whopping 390 pounds.
"I'm going to need a bigger pot," Robin Duke, 52, said laughing Friday night, about an hour after the team caught the alligator near the Eddie's Island area of the upper river at Barnett Reservoir. "This one's much bigger that last year."
The alligator was one of nine killed Friday, the opening night of the first of two three-day seasons this month. Limited to 50 permit holders drawn from a pool of over 900 applicants, the first season continued Saturday and ends tonight. The second three-day season, limited to the other 50 drawn during the August application period, will be next weekend.
"We had 45 of the 50 eligible hunters participating Friday," said Ricky Flynt, coordinator of the alligator program for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "It was another safe night, with no injuries."
But there were some worrisome moments, especially for Robin Dukes, who gets official credit for the record since her name is on the permit.
"The four of us took turns holding the rod during the 45-minute fight, but I kind of lost my want-to when that gator tried to come in the boat," she said. "It actually tried to come over the (transom) and get at us."
Joe Dukes, who made three casts at the gator before hooking it with a 1 2/0 treble hook, laughed.
"It actually tried to jump in with us and he wound up breaking the rear running light pole in half," Joe Dukes said. "We were trying to noose it and I guess it wasn't very happy."
Ray Dukes said the happiest moment wasn't when the family managed to catch or even kill the beast with a 20-gauge shotgun.
"We were really happy when two boats of six conservation officers came by after we had pulled the dead gator over to a sandbar," he said. "It took those six and the four of us to get that gator into our boat. I don't know if we'd have ever gotten it in the boat if hadn't been for them."
Hunters participating: 45 out of possible 50.
Gators killed: 9.
Gators caught and released: 23.
Biggest gator: 11 feet, 8 inches, 390 pounds, caught by Robin Dukes and family near Eddie's Island, a popular camping area north of Ratliffs Ferry. It is a new state record.
Dukes of gator friday night's stats