Florida 765-Pound Alligator Caught By Men Using Only Their Bare Hands, Rope, Hooks [Video]

In Florida, a 765-pound alligator was no match for two very determined men who used only brute strength, rope, and a couple of hooks to capture the 13-foot-4-inch behemoth. The pair of alligator hunters named their enormous catch Lumpy before killing it, processing its carcass for meat, and mounting its head on a wall, reported Gawker.

Keith Kelley and Kelly Sziy had been on the lookout for the massive 765-pound alligator in Florida for several months before catching and killing it. The friends had hoped to land the huge gator. Before sunrise on Thursday, they finally got their chance. Kelley spoke with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about facing off with the 765-pound alligator in Florida.

“He got close enough to where I guess he couldn’t withstand the bait. Finally, it was just his night. Put some leather gloves on and I told Kelly: we’re going to have to get him by hand and that’s all it is to it. Hang on.”

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a much smaller reptile made headlines recently when it was discovered by a woman in Maine as she watched over a bale of turtle hatchlings to ensure their safety as they crossed the road. One of the tiny turtles fell behind the rest of the pack. So Kathleen Talbot of Hudson decided to take a closer look. Talbot brought the unusual little critter home and rinsed off its coating of dirt. That’s when she discovered that the reptile had two heads.

The jury is still out on whether the 765-pound alligator was the largest such reptile to be killed by hand in the Sunshine State. Florida Fish and Wildlife is working on analyzing the data and making a determination as to whether Keith Kelley and Kelly Sziy broke any records with their impressive feat. Jim Darlington, Assistant Curator of Reptiles, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, spoke about the rarity of such a find.

“Usually when people say they’ve seen a large alligator, it’s usually around 11 feet or so. So, 13 feet, close to 13 1/2 feet is definitely rare.”

Alligator hunting season began on August 15 in Florida; it ends on November. 1, 2014. Permit holders are allowed two alligators each. Some people are questioning the men’s decision to name the 765-pound Florida alligator just to kill it. What do you think? Comments are welcome.

[Florida 765-Pound Alligator Image via Gawker]