HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Three South Carolina hunters spent about two hours battling a nearly 13-foot, 600-pound alligator before bringing the massive reptile ashore from a coastal river.
John Wayne Caulder of Marion County said he was hunting with his son, Kelly Wayne Caulder of Florence County, and their friend, Josh Bumgarner of Hickory, North Carolina, when they caught the alligator on the Waccamaw River between Georgetown and Myrtle Beach.
Bumgarner was the tag holder for the hunt, Caulder said.
The men have caught alligators before, but Caulder said this one stood out because of its size and the struggle it took to bring it in.
“We've caught several gators, but this one was one of the biggest fights and the biggest we've ever caught,” Caulder said.
Caulder estimated the alligator measured nearly 13 feet long and weighed about 600 pounds.
“This one right here was a pretty massive gator,” he said.
Caulder said the men fought the alligator for about two hours before they were finally able to bring it under control.
He said the group was hunting in the Pee Dee alligator management unit, also known as Unit 4. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources divides the state'...