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A client of longtime Louisiana alligator guide David Hanson caught a 14-foot-6 alligator on Little Tensas Bayou on Sept. 22, according to Outdoor Life. Hanson says state wildlife officials witnessed the measurement; Safari Club International’s records place the estimated 700-pound animal fourth by length, though Louisiana does not keep official alligator records.
David Hanson, a longtime alligator guide from Swartz, Louisiana, says a client caught a 14-foot-6 alligator on Little Tensas Bayou on Sept. 22, a length that places it fourth in Safari Club International’s records. Louisiana wildlife officials witnessed the measurement, according to Hanson, but the state does not maintain official alligator records.
Hanson, 59, was guiding four hunters from Oklahoma as they checked baited hooks set the previous day. He told Outdoor Life that he had rebaited the hooks with fresh liver, hoping to draw large alligators. The group caught eight alligators that day, Hanson said, and had to make several trips because the animals were too many to carry at once in his airboat.
At about 9:30 a.m., the group reached a baited line holding what Hanson described as a large bull alligator. Hunter Brandon Crossley shot it with Hanson’s .357 revolver, according to the guide. The hunters used a gaff to maneuver the animal into the boat, then took it to a launch and trailered it. A tractor was brought to lift it from the boat at Cypress Point Hunting Lodge.
Hanson said the animal measured 14 feet, 6 inches both while being handled and when laid flat on the ground. He estimated its weight at about 700 pounds. Outdoor Life reported that Safari Club International ranks it fourth by length among its recorded alligators. The outlet also reported the organization’s longest entry as a 15-foot-9-inch, 1,011-pound alligator taken from the Alabama River in 2014.
A High Ranking in SCI Records
The catch stands out for its recorded length: at 14 feet, 6 inches, it is just ahead of the alligator Safari Club International lists at number five, according to Outdoor Life. The ranking gives the hunt significance for hunters who follow the organization’s records, while the lack of a Louisiana state record system means the ranking is not a state-certified comparison of every alligator taken there.
The reported size also shaped the recovery effort. Hanson said the hunters needed several people, a specially made gaff and later a tractor to handle the animal. He said the hide will be made into a full-size mount and sent to Crossley in Oklahoma.
How the Bayou Hunt Unfolded
The hunt took place on Little Tensas Bayou, where Hanson had set baited hooks overnight. He said he used heavy flat line rated to 1,800 pounds, which he calls “Mule Tape,” tied to a baited 14/0 hook. The group checked the lines the following morning.
Hanson told Outdoor Life that the gators caught that day ranged from eight feet upward. Once the largest animal was aboard his airboat, called the “Swamp Donkey,” the group went to a boat launch and trailered it back to the lodge. Hanson said Louisiana wildlife personnel came to witness the measurement. He also told the outlet that the animal’s stomach contained a four-foot alligator, which he said they found while skinning it.
““We got to that big gator about 9:30 a.m., and I knew it was a giant bull gator.””
— David Hanson, guide, speaking to Outdoor Life
Limits of the Record Claim
The reported fourth-place standing is based on Safari Club International’s records; Louisiana does not keep its own official alligator records, Hanson told Outdoor Life. The available report does not provide an independent confirmation from Safari Club International or a separate published measurement record. The animal’s weight is an estimate, and the report does not specify a weighing method.
It is also unclear from the report whether the organization has completed any separate review of the entry. The measurement was witnessed by Louisiana wildlife personnel, according to Hanson, but that does not make the state an official record-keeping authority for alligators.
Mount Planned for Oklahoma
Hanson said a taxidermist will make a full-size mount of the alligator and ship it to Crossley in Oklahoma. The report gives no timeline for the work or for any further review or publication of the catch by Safari Club International.
Key Questions
How long was the alligator?
Guide David Hanson said it measured 14 feet, 6 inches. He estimated its weight at about 700 pounds.
Where and when was it caught?
Hanson said his client caught it on Little Tensas Bayou in Louisiana on Sept. 22, 2026.
Who caught the alligator?
Outdoor Life identified the hunter as Brandon Crossley, one of four Oklahoma hunters guided by Hanson.
Is it an official Louisiana record?
No Louisiana state record is cited. Hanson told Outdoor Life that the state does not keep official alligator records. He said wildlife personnel witnessed the measurement, while Safari Club International’s records rank the catch fourth by length.
What will happen to the alligator?
Hanson said it will be made into a full-size taxidermy mount and sent to Crossley in Oklahoma.
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