CLARION-LEDGER (Jackson, Mississippi) 25 September 05 Gator hunters learn quickly - Over half have filled their tags as end nears (Bobby Cleveland)
Robert Hill, 27, of Cleveland caught the biggest gator Friday night, a 9-foot-11 inch bad boy.
Friday night's haul of seven alligators brought to 25 the number taken during Mississippi's first gator season.
That represents half of the 50 names drawn in August during the lottery for permits that attracted over 1,200 applicants.
"I'm happy that they've done so well," said Ricky Flynt, the biologist who heads the alligator project for the state wildlife agency. "I'm happy that they've not only been successful, but that they've had such a good time and have done it in a safe manner.
"It's an indication to me that we did this right. We educated them. We proved that we could offer this opportunity and then do it successfully."
The six-night season, which opened last weekend, concludes tonight. Approaching bad weather put pressure on the remaining gator teams Friday night, and they responded with a 50-percent success rate. Seven of the 14 groups returned with an alligator and two of the others had captures and releases.
"We hooked ours at 10 o'clock right at Ratliff Ferry," said permit-holder Paul Flood of Jackson, who hunted with friends Gene Klotz and Duane Jacobs of Jackson.
"When we got him to the boat, we started talking about it. We wanted a bigger one. We were going to take pictures of it and let it go.
"But, we also knew that the weather was not going to be good (Saturday night) or Sunday night so we decided to take it."
The alligator measured 7-foot-1 inch.
"Hey, at least we got one," Klotz said. "We got something to show those guys who laughed at us and said we'd never get one."
Flood said the group hunted two nights the first weekend using bows and arrows, and decided to make a change.
"When we committed to rod and reel and a snag hook, that made it easier," Flood said. "That is a lot better method."
Robert Hill, 27, of Cleveland stuck with archery and got Friday night's biggest gator, 9 feet, 11 inches and 176 pounds.
"I only needed one arrow and the shot was only about five feet," Hill said. "It was shallow and when he went down, I could still see him and take the shot."
Gator hunters learn quickly