The battle ended after 2 o'clock in the morning and a near 600 lb beast no longer swims in the Blackwater River. William Moody, Captain Tim Land, Scott Bradley, and Jason Griffith fought a 12 foot 10 and a half inch American alligator eventually towing it to shore because it was too big for the boat according to Moody.
Moody said he didn't realize how big the alligator was until seeing it in the light of day this morning. The six foot, five inch hunter said, “It's close to double my size.” Oddly enough, 12 feet and 10 inches turns out to be exactly double Moody's height.
During the roughly two-hour struggle, Moody said the alligator bit down on the boat and nearly put a hole in it. He attributed his successful hunt to his guides. “Their efforts and talents produced this,” he said.
Moody said he hunted the gator on a week number two tag he won in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) lottery. According to the FWC, “Each year, alligator management units are established with appropriate harvest quotas to provide recreational opportunities for Floridians and non-residents who are at least 18 years old to take up to 2 alligators per permit.”
The crew posed for pictures with their catch at a local taxidermy shop in Milton. Moody said “We'll retain and consume the meat,” and added the head will be mounted. None of it would go to waste, the meat nor the skin, he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Four hunters land ancient beast, a 12' gator