Two Florida Guys Get The Shock Of Their Lives While Out Hunting

If you live in the deep south, spotting a few wild gators is nothing new. There are over one million wild alligators living in Florida alone and about another million in Louisiana. The Okefenokee Swamp in the wetlands covers over 400,00 acres of North Florida and South Georgia and is a great place to see these massive creatures in their natural habitat.

These guys in Florida were no strangers to wrangling these giant lizards and were hoping to bag a decent-sized gator to throw on the grill. They quickly found that they might have bitten off a bit more than they could chew.

Two Florida men recently caught an enormous 12-foot alligator after waiting three years to receive a permit. ABC-affiliate station WEAR said that the men successfully bagged the gator on their first attempt.

The capture happened Monday morning on the Perdido River, WEAR reported. Andy Sokol and his friend Tanner were hoping to catch an eight-foot alligator — enough meat for a barbecue, Sokol said, according to Fox 29. Instead, the pair got much more than they bargained for.

“I knew when we got a hook in him we were like, ‘OK, he’s pretty big.’ But then when we saw this giant foot and this giant tail come up next to the boat, we were like, ‘OK, he’s really big,'” Sokol told WEAR.

What ensued was a heated two-hour struggle but the men were determined and hungry and eventually subdued the gator.

“It was definitely a different kind of battle,” Sokol continued. “It’ll get your heart going, definitely. I think the small boat really enhanced that feeling. But it was fun, it was definitely fun.”

Sokol told WEAR that the experience was unforgettable and he hopes to receive a permit for next year’s harvest.

It must be noted that Sokol and his friends obtained all of the proper hunting licenses. Every year about 15,000 Floridians apply to the Florida fish and Wildlife Commission for permits but only 7,000 are available.