Alligator populations in the south have been growing exponentially over the past few decades making gator hunts more popular than ever. Tags for the prehistoric reptiles have become more and more available, which means alligator hunters have been bagging gators at a higher rate.
Head to one of these five honey holes and experience the thrill of looking one of these monster gators in the face.
St. Johns River – Florida
St. Johns Marsh at the very south end of St. Johns River exists about 50 miles south of Orlando and provides some of the more remote opportunities that the largest river in Florida has to offer gator hunters. The St. John River allows for roughly 500 hunting permits per year making it one of the premier opportunities for grabbing a trophy in the Sunshine State.
Atchafalaya River – Louisiana
Anyone who has ever watched Swamp People knows that the Louisiana Bayou can be Mecca for hunting alligators. The Atchafalaya River’s drainage basin is the largest in the United States and offers infinite opportunities to hunt gators in untapped waters. At about 70 percent forest habitat and 30 percent marsh habitat the Atchafalaya Basin is a good environment for many larger fish and ground dwellers making the possibility for huge gators all the better.
Bayou Pierre River – Mississippi
The Bayou Pierre is located east of the Mississippi and just southwest of Jackson. The southwest region of Mississippi is notorious for enormous alligators. Just a few months ago the record for largest male alligator caught in public waters was taken in the Bayou Pierre. The beast was almost 14 feet long and weighed 686 pounds.
Lake Eufaula – Alabama
Also known for great duck hunting Lake Eufaula is Alabama’s home to many large gators. Just a couple years ago it was reported by AL.com that a 700 pound gator sunk its teeth into a hunters boat. The gator ended up getting caught and weighed over 700 pounds. This particular gator was missing about 10 inches of its tail, indicating that there remains something even bigger at large.
Victoria County – Texas
Located in the southeast of Texas on the coast, Victoria County boasts some of Texas’ biggest gator trophies. There are roughly 500 nuisance calls made per month in the area concerning big gators. Gators in Texas are notoriously unafraid of humans and will give any hunter a run for their money. Head down to the lone star state and see that gators are bigger in Texas too.
Photo credit: Pixabay
