[music playing]
NARRATOR: It's day one of gator season.
But swampers fear the season may be over before it even begins.
Hurricane Ida, a massive cat 4 storm, is raging in the Gulf
and headed straight for the swamp.
TROY: This could be the end of our season.
We might not have alligator season.
This could be it.
NARRATOR: With landfall predicted in the next 48 hours,
hunters scramble to make the most of the good weather
before all hell breaks loose.
TROY: You don't know what mother nature
is going to throw at you.
So in my mind, when I come out of the gate,
I'm coming out with everything I got.
NARRATOR: Predicted to be more powerful than Katrina,
Hurricane Ida is packing winds of over 140 miles per hour.
The stakes couldn't be higher.
But it'll take more than that to scare
off the king of the swamp.
I'm hoping we can fill up our boats,
catch at least each 30 to 40 alligators,
catch as many alligators as we can from day one.
Pee-Wee, the guns are loaded?
You ready, old man?
TROY: Pee-Wee, I love her on the boat.
She's very good.
Last year was her first year hunting with me,
and she learned a lot.
I think she is going to do even better this year,
now she knows what to expect.
You know, we get along good in the boat.
We joke around.
But we get our work done, you know?
We fill up the boat with alligators,
and that's all that matters.
What we got?
Yeah, we've got one, Pee-Wee.
Bring him up.
Bring him up. Bring him up.
Bring him up.
Woo, it's a big one.
Hold him, Pee-Wee.
Hold him.
Slack, I need some slack.
Don't move the boat.
[splashing]
[inaudible]
Good alligator.
Woo, bring him up. Bring him up.
Bring him up.
Woo, it's a big one.
It's a big one.
[inaudible]
Don't let him go, whatever you do, Pee-Wee, Bring him up.
PICKLE: Ready?
You ready?
Shoot fast.
[gunshot]
Hoo!
Good shot, Dude.
I'm talking about.
Good shot.
Ooh, look at the bubbles.
Eh, what did you mean, good shot?
You expecting anything else but a good shot?
Well, you know, sometimes.
Sometimes.
TROY: Hey, expected anything but a good shot?
NARRATOR: This 11-foot monster is
a great way for Troy and Pickle to start their season.
But with less than 48 hours before Hurricane Ida
makes landfall, the hunters know there's a lot more work ahead.
Ready?
On three.
1, 2, 3.
[grunts] Oh, yeah.
Good job, Pee-Wee.
Hmm.
1, 2, 3.
[grunts]
Pulling it, don't it?
TROY: You know, with this storm coming, you know,
you don't know what's going to happen.
You got to come out of the gate strong.
All right, we've got him tagged and bagged.
OK, ready, P?
PICKLE: Ready, T.
We've got plenty, plenty to do.
But we got to hustle, Pee-Wee.
We got to hustle.
Let's get it.
TROY: We're filling up the boat quick.
There's a major hurricane brewing.
And the path they're showing it's going on,
it's coming right over here.
So in my mind when I come out of the gate,
I'm coming out with everything I got.
See something, Pee-Wee?
I see the line running back.
He's big.
Nice one?
Yeah.
[music playing]
There.
Right there.
Ooh, he's spinning on me.
Woo!
It's a good one.
It's a good one!
Ooh, it's a big one.
It's a big one.
PICKLE: Ugh!
Keep on getting him.
Move!
Go top of the line!
Shoot him!
Shoot!
[gunshot]
Whoa.
What?
Who said you couldn't shoot alligators?
PICKLE: You.
Every damn day.
[laughs]
TROY: OK, grab your leg.
Go ahead.
1, 2, 3.
[grunts]
NARRATOR: This 11 footer adds to an already
impressive pile of gators.
We're coming out of the gate strong this morning,
and we're catching--
every line almost got an alligator.
But now we got more than just alligators to worry about.
Because you don't know what mother nature
is going to throw at you.
We've got a hurricane coming.
So I need to catch alligators on these lines today.
Oh, Pee-Wee, I see one.
Ooh, no, right there.
TROY: Got one.
Oh, got a pretty shake-up, baby.
[laughs]
TROY: Your guns loaded?
Yeah.
TROY: Ooh, yeah.
A bomp, a bomp, a bomp.
Woo!
TROY: Ooh.
[grunts]
TROY: Bring him up.
Bring him up.
Ooh!
Don't move the ball, Pee-Wee.
Don't move the ball.
Watch him, Pee-Wee.
Watch him.
Ooh, it's a big one.
Big chicken here.
Bring him up.
PICKLE: Hey, he's going to pop it.
TROY: Woo!
PICKLE: Oh, dude!
Bring him up.
Bring him up!
Right there.
OK, shoot him.
[gunshot]
Hey, good job.
Oh yeah, baby girl.
1, 2, 3.
Oh, man.
Oh, lots of line.
With this storm we got coming we could
be done for the whole year.
You know, it's very hard to stay focused on hunting alligators
when you got a major storm starting to pick up,
and the clouds are rolling in.
We're starting to get some rain bands coming in.
So we can tell the storm's getting closer and closer.
Follow along.
This is the calm before the storm.
It's fixing to get ugly.
Even though we try to fight mother nature, we--
You can't, dude.
You can't fight it.
It's a scary thing, being out here on the water knowing they
got something like that coming.
We don't have a lot of lines left.
Thank god.
What I'm worried about, the right end, because I feel
that wind still picking up.
TROY: That's why we got to hustle
and get the hell out of here.
You know, it's very hard to stay focused on hunting alligators
when you got a major storm coming straight for you.
We're catching good, but the wind is starting to pick up.
The clouds are starting to come in.
And they're talking that this could be another Katrina.
This thing is huge.
It's a big, big storm.
And it's getting close.
Well, we got a jump?
Ooh, I think we've got a good one here.
TROY: It's a nice one?
Ooh, I don't know.
It's so dark.
Bring him up, baby.
PICKLE: Ooh, he's under the boat.
TROY: Bring him up, Pee-Wee.
Bring him up.
[grunts]
Ooh, watch him
Ooh!
TROY: Woo! Bring him up.
Bring him up.
Wait!
Watch him.
Don't let him pull you in.
PICKLE: Ooh.
TROY: Ha-ha.
PICKLE: [grunts]
Ugh.
PICKLE: Mm-hmm.
TROY: Bring him up.
Bring him up!
[gunshot]
Ooh, good job.
- You ready? - You ready?
On three.
1, 2, 3.
There we go.
Oop, watch your foot.
NARRATOR: With this 10-foot beast
Troy and Pickle add to a growing pile of giant alligators.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Ida seems
to be building up even faster.
TROY: The rain band is starting to come in.
And the last couple that hit us will get really bad.
So we can tell the storm is getting closer and closer.
It could jog a little bit, right before it gets
to you, one way or the other that could
either save you or destroy you.
You're at mother nature's mercy right now.
PICKLE: So we're riding out another hurricane
together, huh?
TROY: Not the hurricane.
It's time to get out of here.