844-Pound Monster Alligator ‘Snaggletooth’ Finally Captured After Four-Year Hunt in South Carolina

A gigantic alligator weighing 844 pounds has finally been captured in South Carolina after a hunting guide spent around four years searching for the elusive reptile.

Nicknamed “Snaggletooth,” the enormous alligator was caught at Lake Moultrie in Berkeley County on September 28, 2026. The animal measured approximately 14 feet when it was first examined by the hunting party, although its later measurement was recorded at 13 feet, 8 inches.

The successful hunt involved Cole Poplin and William Ard of Renegade Bowfishing, along with Chris Webb, who held the hunting tag, and his father, Craig Webb.

A Four-Year Search Finally Comes to an End

Poplin said he first spotted Snaggletooth about four years earlier and had continued looking for the animal during subsequent hunting seasons.

The team spent hours searching Lake Moultrie that night, passing up an alligator measuring more than 11 feet because they hoped to find an even larger one.

Their patience eventually paid off when they encountered Snaggletooth late in the evening.

The capture proved challenging. The hunters used specialized equipment to secure the enormous reptile, but bringing it aboard their boat was another major obstacle. The animal was so heavy that their 1,000-pound winch struggled under the load, and they eventually needed a tractor to help move it.

Its Size Left the Hunters Stunned

After the alligator was transported for processing, its weight was confirmed at 844 pounds.

The team initially measured the animal at 14 feet on three occasions. However, after it had spent hours curled up in the boat and was later straightened, its length was recorded at 13 feet, 8 inches.

The group attributed the difference to the way the animal had been positioned during transportation and the effects of rigor mortis.

Despite the measurement discrepancy, Snaggletooth’s enormous weight placed it among the largest alligators ever harvested in South Carolina.

Not the State’s Largest Alligator

Although Snaggletooth’s size attracted widespread attention, it did not break the state’s heaviest-harvest record.

That distinction belongs to a 1,025-pound alligator caught at Lake Moultrie in 2010. Snaggletooth is nevertheless considered one of South Carolina’s most remarkable documented catches.

The animal’s nickname reportedly came from the damaged portion of its upper snout, which gave it a distinctive appearance.

For Poplin, the capture marked the end of a yearslong pursuit. What began as repeated sightings of an elusive alligator eventually culminated in an extraordinary night on Lake Moultrie.

Source: dailymail