CLARION-LEDGER (Jackson, Mississippi) 09 September 07 Big gators registered first 2 nights (Bobby Cleveland)
While biologists were hoping to see more small alligators captured during the third season on Barnett Reservoir, hunters apparently had other plans.
Big 'lizards' continue to dominate the catch through two nights of the first of two 3-day 2007 seasons on Barnett.
The biggest: A team led by Archie England of Jackson posted a 12-foot, 3-inch gator Saturday night that weighed 473 pounds.
The second biggest was an 11-foot, 4-inch, 335.5-pounder caught by Melonie Cade of Hattiesburg on Friday night.
"We've got four already over 10 feet through this point over two nights, and we know there are two more big ones coming in," said Woodie Reeves of Sartartia, a licensed alligator trapper helping the state wildlife agency conduct the seasons at 11:30 Saturday night. "There's another 10 to 10 1/2 footer for sure, and we got a big one in a truck fixing to be weighed that is missing two feet of its tail."
And, yes, we asked what could have happened to the gator's tail.
"Well, what do you think?" Reeves said. "A bigger one bit it off."
Project director Ricky Flynt was surprised by the tactics of the 49 hunters and their teams the first two nights.
"I was expecting to see more hunters go ahead and take their smaller gators first, and then go after a big one," said Flynt, who oversees the alligator program for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "We raised the limit to two per hunter and made one of them be under 7 feet (both must exceed 4 feet). The 4- to 7-footers dominate the population and need to be harvested. The other can be any size over 4 feet.
Tonight is the final night of the first weekend season. Season 2 opens Friday and will run through Sunday.
The 120 hunters drawn during a process this summer were divided between the two 3-day seasons.
Big gators registered first 2 nights