Arkansas hunters have caught the longest alligator ever recorded in the state’s history. At nearly 14 feet long, the native reptile is an absolute behemoth.
Travis Bearden “can’t stop smiling”. The reason? He and his fellow outdoorsmen have bagged an American alligator weighing a whopping 800 lbs. The gargantuan gator measures in at 13 feet, 11.5 inches. No hunter in the state’s history has ever taken in an alligator of this size. As a result, Bearden has officially set a new record for Arkansas.
Taking to his Facebook to share the news, Bearden can hardly contain his excitement in the text – or images. He tags his fellow hunters in the post to share credit for the catch. The team responsible for the new Arkansas alligator record includes two other Beardens alongside Travis: Cody and David.
“The New State Record for Arkansas! Measuring in at 13’ 11.5” and weighing 800lbs. I’ve got to give a shoutout to everyone that played a huge part in me being able to harvest such a Giant! God for blessing me with the opportunity, my wife for being so supportive of me being gone these last 2 weekends, and all my family and friends for the help along the way! I can’t stop smiling!!!”
Travis Bearden
Hunter breaks Arkansas Alligator record with 14 foot gator
Bearden’s photos of the trophy gator are astonishing. Members of the hunt pose with their catch – showing off it’s incredible size. The post includes video of the team hauling off their record-breaker, too. While impressive, some of the images (and especially the video) may not be for the faint of heart:
Bearden’s Arkansas gator-hunting permit was only good for two weekends
Regarding his catch-of-a-lifetime, Travis Bearden recounts to KFSM-TV that their hunting permit was only good for two weekends. The first weekend proved fruitless. But by the end of the second weekend, however, the Beardens bagged themselves a legendary alligator:
“We weren’t real sure how big he was when we spotted him, and to our surprise after we harpooned it, it ended up being a giant!” Bearden tells KFSM-TV.
The new state record holder adds that the gator “dragged them around the lake for two hours” before they could bring him in.
[H/T KFSM-TV]
