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by ERIN PARROTT
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South Carolina’s 2026 alligator hunting season has produced yet another monster – this time from the waters of Lake Moultrie.
An enormous 13-foot 8-inch alligator weighing a staggering 844 pounds was harvested from the Lowcountry lake during a hunt with Renegade Bowfishing LLC on Tuesday (September 29, 2026), adding another heavyweight reptile to the growing list of impressive kills recorded during this year’s month-long season.
Renegade, a South Carolina-based bowfishing and alligator hunting guide service operated by captain Cole Poplin, shared photos of the massive animal on its Facebook page. Poplin and longtime hunting partner William Ard are familiar faces on the Santee Cooper lakes, where the pair regularly guide hunters during South Carolina’s alligator season.
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“Snaggletooth” isn’t their first monster catch of the 2026 season.
Earlier this month, Poplin harvested a 12-foot 9-inch, 769-pound alligator while hunting the Santee Cooper lakes with Ard on opening night. Poplin told Carolina Sportsman the animal was a “certified giant” – despite not being the particular gator the pair initially set out to find.
The latest reptilian harvest was even heavier.
Lake Moultrie has a well-established reputation for producing some of the Palmetto State’s biggest alligators – including the largest confirmed harvest in South Carolina history.
On September 25, 2010, Massachusetts hunter Maryellen Mara-Christian – assisted by a guide – harvested a 13-foot 6-inch alligator weighing 1,025 pounds from Lake Moultrie. That animal remains the benchmark for confirmed South Carolina gator harvests.
The latest massive catch comes amid an already eventful 2026 season.
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As FITSNews previously reported, Georgia hunters Mason Dodd and Tony Jones pulled a 12-foot 6-inch, 570-pound male alligator from the upper Savannah River on August 27, 2026 – just weeks before South Carolina hunters took to the water.
In 2023, FITSNews also reported on an alligator killed on private property in Orangeburg County that was estimated to measure an even more imposing 15 feet 6 inches, although no weight was provided for the animal.
South Carolina’s public alligator hunting season officially opened at noon on September 12, 2026, with selected hunters permitted to pursue the reptiles within their assigned management units.
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) estimates the state is home to at least 100,000 alligators, primarily throughout the Midlands and coastal plain.
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RELATED | MASSIVE ALLIGATOR PULLED FROM SAVANNAH RIVER
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Under South Carolina’s traditional tag rules, harvested alligators must measure at least four feet long. Hunters are also prohibited from simply shooting an unsecured animal. A line or snare must first be attached before the gator is brought alongside a boat or to shore to be dispatched.
Once harvested, the animal must be tagged immediately and hunters are required to complete a harvest report within 24 hours.
With some of South Carolina’s largest alligators historically coming from the Santee Cooper lakes, the 844 pound Lake Moultrie giant is yet another reminder of just how big the Palmetto State’s apex reptiles can get.
The Palmetto State is home to at least 100,000 alligators, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The average male grows to a size of approximately 11 feet and weighs between 400 and 500 pounds.
Since 2000, there have been six fatal alligator attacks in the Palmetto State.
The 2026 alligator season in South Carolina runs through October 10, 2026, meaning it remains to be seen whether an even bigger gator is lurking beneath the surface.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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