Gigantic 844-Pound Alligator Nicknamed 'Snaggletooth' Captured in South Carolina
The massive reptile, nearly 14 feet long, was the culmination of a four-year hunt by a group of South Carolina residents.
Four South Carolina residents have successfully captured an 844-pound alligator, nicknamed 'Snaggletooth' for its jagged teeth, ending a four-year pursuit. The enormous reptile was caught on September 28 around 11 p.m. in the Lake Moultrie area of Berkeley County. It measured nearly 14 feet in length.
Cole Poplin and William Ard, members of Renegade Bowfishing LLC, harpooned the alligator alongside hunters Chris and Craig Webb. Poplin told The Post and Courier that he had been tracking the alligator for approximately four years, often spotting it outside the typical alligator hunting season, which runs from early September to early October.
"I spotted this gator four years ago, roughly. I’ve hunted this gator a lot over the last three or four years. Four years later, we have a magical night, and he just happened to slip up and make a mistake, and we made it count," Poplin stated.
After its capture, the sheer size of 'Snaggletooth' necessitated the use of a tractor to move it. Renegade Bowfishing LLC shared on Facebook that the alligator had stalled a 1,000-pound winch, describing it as an "Absolute freak of a dinosaur."
Chris Webb recounted the experience on social media, calling it the "hunt of a lifetime." He described spotting the "monster" on their final sweep and the ensuing effort to harpoon it, noting that three harpoons ultimately stuck.
The group had initially passed up an 11-foot alligator earlier that night, opting to wait for a larger specimen. "I said I’ll pass, let’s keep looking. I’ll never forget the look on Cole’s face. Nobody finds an 11 that fast and passes it up. We pressed on," Webb wrote.
This capture ranks as the second-largest alligator ever caught in South Carolina and has made it onto the state record list. The largest alligator recorded in the state was a 1,025-pound, 13-foot specimen caught by Maryellen Mara-Christian at Lake Moultrie in 2010.
Webb expressed his gratitude to Poplin and Ard for their dedication, calling it an unforgettable experience. "That’s an experience I will never forget my entire life. Thanks to Cole and Will for going above and beyond for this gator," he wrote.