During the initial weekend of Mississippi’s alligator hunting season, a hunting party from Madison briefly held the state’s weight record for an alligator harvest. Still, their record was soon eclipsed by another remarkable catch.
Beth Trammell, a member of the hunting party, captured a massive alligator measuring 13 feet, 5.5 inches in length and weighing 723.5 pounds in Issaquena County in the Yazoo Diversion Canal. This extraordinary catch surpassed the previous weight record of 697.5 pounds for an alligator.
However, Mississippi Alligator Program Coordinator Ricky Flynt revealed that just one hour after certifying Trammell’s record, another record-breaking alligator was certified. Dustin Bockman, a UPS driver from Vicksburg, successfully captured a 727-pound alligator in the Mississippi River in Claiborne County. This giant reptile measured 13 feet, 4.5 inches in length.
It’s worth noting that the current length record stands at 13 feet, 6.5 inches, achieved by an alligator captured on the Pascagoula River in 2008.
Assisting Bockman in this remarkable feat were his brother, Ryan Bockman, and their friend Cole Landers.
In addition to these incredible captures, Brandom Maskew of Ellisville set a record for a female alligator by capturing a 295.3-pound specimen on the Pascagoula River. This alligator measured 10 feet in length and now holds both the length and weight records for females.
Elsewhere in the state, a couple from Brookhaven, Michael and Bethany Piper, along with their friends, embarked on a challenging two-day hunt to reel in a massive alligator weighing between 650 and 700 pounds from the Pascagoula River.
Michael Piper recounted the adventure, explaining that they initially spotted a smaller gator they intended to pursue. However, their attention was soon captured by an enormous alligator.
Around 11:45 p.m. on Friday, they hooked the massive gator with a fishing pole just south of the I-10 bridge in Pascagoula. Despite their efforts, the gator proved immensely powerful, requiring assistance from nearby boaters to finally capture the 11-foot, 5 ½-inch giant.
The Pipers plan to process the alligator’s meat, with some of it being made into sausage. Additionally, they intend to have the gator’s head mounted as a trophy, and their children have been eagerly following the captivating story of their remarkable hunt.
