If you live in Freeport and spend time in Basin Bayou, you’ve probably seen it. Local residents, particularly fishermen, have been watching a huge alligator in the small swamp all summer. On Friday night, at least five boatloads of alligator hunters were hoping to see him again.

He was eventually brought down by two men and a boy who hooked him, lost him, and then found him again. The alligator, measuring 13 feet, 6 3/4 inches, is believed to weigh nearly 1,000 pounds, making it the ninth largest ever killed in the state of Florida.

Finally, they tied him to the cleats of the boat and dragged him to shore. It took seven men and Cade to pull him out of the water and into a refrigerated truck. Dalton, an alligator and hog hunting guide, stated that Bass Pro Shops had contacted him about purchasing the alligator skin for display.

An officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came to see the alligator and estimated it weighed between 900 and 1,000 pounds, according to Morrison. The creature put up a tough fight.

He first appeared around 1am, but escaped after a 45-minute confrontation.

They went to the grassy shoreline and shined lights in the water when they discovered the alligator in about 2 feet of water. After a couple of hours and many rope burns, they subdued him.