Five Year Old Boy Bags Texas Sized Alligator

Alligators in Texas can get BIG!

We all know that alligator hunting is not for the faint of heart, but one Texas boy got more than he expected. As in a huge Texas sized alligator! There are hunters who go a lifetime dreaming of that big kill. Then there’s Simon Hughes, who helped nab a beast of an animal on an East Texas hunt — while still in the first grade. The 5-year-old boy from Goodrich was part of a hunting crew that recently killed an 800-pound, 12-foot-6-inch alligator that has wildlife experts shaking their heads.

The reptile, whose size is at a state record level, is now at the taxidermist waiting to be mounted. Simon’s family, meanwhile, is fielding calls from CNN and Good Morning America to feature his exploits. Simon learned to drive all-terrain vehicles and shoot firearms when he was only 4. So he was primed and ready to go on an alligator hunt this past weekend with his father, Scott Hughes, a sixth-generation rancher, and hunting guide Chuck Cotton. Continue reading Five Year Old Boy Bags Texas Sized Alligator

Mississippi Alligator Hunting Applications

It’s hard to beat the excitement of an alligator hunting trip that results in a big bull gator, but before you can tag that prehistoric reptile you have got to get your application submitted if you plan on hunting in Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks reminds gator hunters that there are hunting opportunities on both public waters and private lands in 2009.

This year there are two public waters zones open to limited alligator hunting opportunities, the Pearl River/Ross Barnett Zone near Jackson and the Pascagoula River Zone in Jackson County. As in past years, applications are limited to Mississippi residents 16 years of age or older. If you have been looking forward to chasing gators get your applications in as soon as possible. The public waters season application deadline is June 15. Continue reading Mississippi Alligator Hunting Applications