A group of hunters in Mississippi has broken the record for the longest alligator ever caught in the state, measuring 14 feet and 3 inches and weighing over 800 pounds. Hunters Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas, and Joey Clark from Red Antler Processing, a game and hunting processing shop, worked together to capture the massive alligator, according to a post by the company on Facebook.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks confirmed in a social media post that the 14-foot alligator has set the record for the "longest alligator ever caught" in the state. They reported that it weighs 802.5 pounds, with a belly circumference of 66 inches and a tail circumference of 46.5 inches. Alligators can be found throughout Mississippi, as stated on the wildlife department's website. The hunting of these reptiles for sport has been permitted in the state since 2005, with different hunting regulations for public and private waters. In total, 776 alligators were caught in Mississippi in 2021, the last year for which data is publicly available. The average length of one of those alligators was just under 8 feet, roughly half the size of the one caught this year.