By Pat Peterson Reporter
.
Published: Sat, August 18, 2007 - 2:59 pm
Last Updated: Sat, August 18, 2007 - 5:30 pm
Pat Peterson
"It was exciting, but man, I'm worn out!", he said.
Smith and three of his buddies hauled in a monster of an alligator on the first night of the 2007 alligator hunting season. Smith says it took him over four hours to haul in the 12-and-a-half-foot, 500 pound gator. State wildlife officials say it's the largest alligator harvested killed in the two seasons since Alabama legalized gator hunting.
"We were all pretty scared," says Smith. "It got really scary once he dove deep under our boat. We couldn't see him."
100 hunters from across Southwest Alabama received permits for this year's hunt. State wildlife officials say 17 alligators were caught on opening night.
"It's important that we have these hunts because of the alligator population increase," says James Masek with the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Hunters who didn't bag a gator this weekend will get another chance next weekend. Wildlife officials extended the hunting season to cover two full weekends.
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