South Carolina Hunter Bags 844-Pound Gator

The hunt was years in the making. Webb told MeatEater that he had been applying for a South Carolina alligator tag for six years before finally drawing one this year.

On the day of the hunt the group headed out a little before 9 p.m., and just 20 minutes into the hunt, they spotted an 11-foot alligator. Poplin asked Webb whether he wanted to pursue it or keep looking for something bigger.

“We got all night, we got the whole lake,” Webb replied.

Although Poplin had his doubts about passing up such a large gator, he honored Webb’s request, and the group continued searching.

Over the next three hours, the group spotted around 20 alligators and even spent roughly 45 minutes searching for a large, well-known gator nicknamed “Bubbles,” but had no luck finding him. By midnight, sightings had slowed down, and Webb decided it was time to head back and try their luck with the 11-footer they had passed up earlier in the night.

On their way back, the group decided to make one last stop just outside the Hatchery Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to see if any large alligators had wandered out of the protected area. That's when they spotted Snaggletooth, a well known gator in the area with a portion of his upper snout having been bitten off, creating this “snaggletooth” appearance.

Armed with air-powered harpoon guns and treble hooks rigged with buoys, the group went after the massive gator. The animal was so large that it managed to pull the buoys completely underwater. Webb described the encounter as “controlled chaos,” with the guides’ experience helping keep the situation from getting out of hand.

The thick, grassy bottom only made the fight more difficult. The group fired a round from a .44 Magnum, followed by two 9mm rounds from Poplin, before finally subduing the gator enough to secure a rope around its snout. One final shot from the .44 Magnum brought the lengthy battle to an end.

But bringing down the massive gator was only half the battle. Now they had to figure out how to get him into the boat.

Even with all four men working together, Snaggletooth was simply too heavy to lift aboard. With few other options, they tied the gator alongside the boat and climbed into the alligator-infested water to push both the boat and their catch toward the nearest tree, where they could use the winch they had brought along.

Once they reached the tree, the group knew they had a heavy gator on their hands, but they didn't realize just how heavy until their 1,000-pound winch began stalling and even started smoking under the strain. That's when they knew they had something special.

After finally getting Snaggletooth into the boat, the group was eager to see just how big their catch really was. “We measured him three times and it hit 14 feet every time,” Webb told MeatEater.

The following morning, the group met at Cordray's Processing and Taxidermy, where they were able to get an official weight and measurement of their catch. Snaggletooth tipped the scales at a whopping 844 pounds, making him the second-heaviest gator ever harvested in South Carolina. When asked how everyone reacted to seeing the number, Webb said, “We really didn't say anything.” The group simply stood there in awe of the massive animal.

After spending the night curled up in the boat and undergoing rigor mortis, Snaggletooth's official length came in at 13 feet, 8 inches, just four inches shy of their original measurements.

In addition to bringing home nearly 164 pounds of alligator meat, Webb is also having a life-size mount made. As for where he plans to display the nearly 14-foot gator? “I have no idea,” Webb told MeatEater.

Images via Chris Webb.