Mississippi hunter drew a coveted gator tag, then landed a 770-pound alligator

Kelly Murphy’s first alligator hunt in Mississippi ended with a tag-qualifying catch that drew major attention: a 770-pound alligator measuring 13 feet, 5 inches. She obtained the hunt after drawing a coveted state tag on her first application, and the Clarion Ledger reported the group landed the reptile on Aug. 29 in the Mississippi River’s Southwest Zone. During a fight lasting about an hour, the alligator snapped multiple lines and damaged two fishing rods before being pulled into the boat. Murphy and her party had already seen smaller alligators. Hunting demand is steep—thousands apply each year while fewer than 1,000 permits are issued.