NARRATOR: Veteran swamper Willie Edwards and his son,
Little Willie, are getting a late start on gator season.
They're out on the water for the first time after spending
the last week cleaning up from Hurricane Ida.
WILLIE EDWARDS: We gotta catch as many as we can today.
WILLIE EDWARDS (VOICEOVER): When this storm come in,
it was just one thing after another.
But some years is good.
Some years you got a little struggle to it.
And, I mean, we're survivors.
I mean, we live off the swamp and everything.
I mean, what don't kill you makes you stronger.
Let's go ahead and back this thing down the hill
and get out there. - Let's get on down the road.
We gotta this show started.
LITTLE WILLIE (VOICEOVER): We had a lot of setbacks
this year.
The storm knocked a lot of power out.
We ain't never started fishing alligators this late.
Normally we'd have 100 tags going already.
A lot went on and everything.
And we're anxious to get back in the boat.
We're anxious to start filling tags again.
We got something right here.
Yeah, he's a big one.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Oh, he's a big one.
Yeah, that's a big one.
Oh, that's a big one.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Oh, yeah.
Get him, get him, get him.
[tense music]
LITTLE WILLIE: Oh. - Watch it.
He's gonna pop that rope.
LITTLE WILLIE: Oh, oh, oh.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Watch it.
Watch your hand.
Now hold him tight so he doesn't [inaudible]..
Load him, Willie.
Come on.
[gunshot]
We got him, Willie.
First one of the season right there.
NARRATOR: This 10-footer helps the father-son duo
make up for lost time, but the celebration doesn't last long.
LITTLE WILLIE: Ooh, I cut the [bleep] up, man.
WILLIE EDWARDS (VOICEOVER): He was just holding the alligator.
And he kind of come up too high, and the knife
pointed up into his knuckle, and he was holding
the tail at the same time.
It went right into his knuckle.
LITTLE WILLIE: The knuckle's swole up.
NARRATOR: Willie jumps into action
with his signature swamp medicine-- a torn shirt
and electrical tape.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Hold that right there.
LITTLE WILLIE: You didn't have to cut your shirt.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Come on.
Come on.
Watch your finger.
You all right?
Sit down.
Sit down, man.
He's seen his blood.
[inaudible]
No, you ain't dying.
I'll just get some air in your face.
Little Willie, come on now, son.
I'm about to pass out.
Let's keep your [inaudible] hand covered.
Just hold your hand down right there.
It could have been he cut a finger off,
or it could have been a lot worse.
And I'm glad it wasn't.
Hold it over.
Just keep getting air in your face, son.
Hold on.
WILLIE EDWARDS (VOICEOVER): I mean,
when you go that whole year without alligator hunting
and you jump right in first starting and everything,
you think you're ready.
You're not watching and nothing like that
trying to get everything, thinking of everything.
I mean, you often hurt yourself bad.
It'll take a toll on you, and he's kind of
realized you gotta kind of slow down and just put
his head to what he's doing.
Feel a little better, Willie, little better?
Oh, I'm good now.
Ready to get some tags filled today.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Ready to rock and roll.
Oh, I'm ready, me.
You better be ready.
LITTLE WILLIE: Load that gun.
What about--
Slow down.
Slow down All right.
All right.
Right here.
Right there.
I see him.
Give me a hook. Give me a hook.
Give me a hook.
Hurry up.
Come on, Willie.
LITTLE WILLIE: I got him.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Watch it.
Right there, there he comes.
Watch it.
Oh, man I knew that [bleep].
Man.
There he go.
Go, go, go.
Hey, stop.
Give me some [inaudible] rope. LITTLE WILLIE: There you go.
Right there. Right there.
Right there.
WILLIE EDWARDS: I'm trying, Willie.
I gotta get the--
LITTLE WILLIE: Get him, get him, get him.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Watch out, watch out, watch out.
Watch out.
[inaudible] Get it out there.
Watch out.
Get off the front.
Go get him.
Hook that [bleep].
Hit him hard.
Watch it.
Let him roll up.
Give him some slack.
[tense music]
[gunshot]
We ain't losing this one.
Ready?
NARRATOR: Hauling in this nine-footer
helps them get back on track, but they still
have some kinks to work out.
WILLIE EDWARDS (VOICEOVER): First day
of the season and everything when
you're pumped up and ready to go and all you got on your brain
is catching an alligator and finding the biggest
one you can get, it's chaos.
I mean, you're running back and forth in the boat.
And you've gotta take the time on one alligator.
You can't just jump ahead, like trying to rush
yourself and everything.
A lot of stuff can happen.
And I'm just a little rusty the first part of this season.
It burned a little bit.
All them marks.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Got him?
Yeah, I got him.
Big gator, yeah, Willie.
Get your fingers out.
Twist them.
Head up and get up here again.
Oh, don't let him get caught on that rope there.
Oh, man.
That's a big alligator.
Hold him tight.
Nice one.
Hold him, Willie.
Hold him.
[tense music]
[gunshot]
LITTLE WILLIE: Big gator.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Yeah, it's a big gator.
NARRATOR: Though they're making up for lost time,
battling this 11-foot Leviathan didn't do any favors
for Little Willie's hands.
LITTLE WILLIE (VOICEOVER): I thought
my hands were a little tough, and I thought
my hand was done built up.
I thought I had man hands.
But it don't matter how tough your calluses are.
That rope, once it heats up going
through your hands and everything, it's coming off.
And you don't feel it at first.
And then you look down.
Oh, I got blisters on my hands.
I got meat tore out my hands.
Man.
Your fingers didn't bother you?
- My fingers yesterday-- - Golly, yeah.
You'll get infected.
So I got something for you.
Yeah, put them things on.
But you're gonna have to wear them the rest of the year.
Tell you what, you must have thought about me.
Yeah.
I seen you was all tore up.
See, I thought my hands was a little tougher this year.
LITTLE WILLIE: Oh, I'm good now.
There's something right there, huh?
Yep.
Show you how to catch them.
LITTLE WILLIE: Right there on that side.
Yeah, that's the big one going against the bank.
[tense music]
[gunshot]
LITTLE WILLIE: Man, look at all the bones.
You splattered that, Daddy.
That was a good shot.
[laughing]
Man, you put a hole in that head.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Throw him over in the back,
and we got one right over here.
LITTLE WILLIE: See him over there bubbling?
Right there, right there, right there.
Oh, yeah, that's alligator there.
Yeah, throw it on him Throw it on him, Willie.
Throw it on him, Willie.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Snatch it.
As soon as you feel a bump, snatch it.
[tense music]
He's caught this time.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Say that until you get him in the boat.
Let him have slack.
Hold him, Willie.
Hold him.
Tear it off, son.
Oh, watch it.
Oh, that's [inaudible].
Come on, boy.
Hold him up right there.
[tense music]
[gunshot]
That's how it's done right there.
How it's done.
NARRATOR: After tagging two in a row,
the Edwards seem to be right back in their groove.
WILLIE EDWARDS (VOICEOVER): We both had dust on when
we first started this year.
And to catch them to alligators back to back,
that shows me that he's got his head in the game
and he's ready to hunt.
I do make mistakes.
I ain't perfect for sure.
But it all paid off in the long run.
And we always do, and we're survivors.
LITTLE WILLIE: Oh, I think we got 10 or 12.
WILLIE EDWARDS: Yeah, it could have been a lot worse.
It could be one or two, but we did pretty damn good, I find.