11-Year-Old Texas Girl Captures 300-Pound Alligator Near Houston

An 11-year-old girl from Southeast Texas successfully captured a massive 300-pound alligator during a family hunting trip earlier this week near Houston, Texas, United States. Jocelyn Roberts, a middle schooler from the Town of Cleveland, caught the 8.5-foot reptile on a friend’s ranch in Rye while hunting with her father, Trey Roberts, and her 15-year-old brother.

Hunting Details

The family used raw chicken on a large fishing hook as bait, according to Trey Roberts. Jocelyn Roberts reportedly spotted approximately 40 alligators before selecting a location to set the hook. Once an alligator took the bait, her father and brother initially pulled it from the water before Jocelyn stepped in to finish the hunt. “I got scared because of how big it was for a second, but I wasn't that scared,” Jocelyn told CBS Houston affiliate KHOU.

Post-Hunt Actions

After the hunt, Trey Roberts and his sons processed the alligator for meat, and the hide is being tanned. Alligators in Texas are considered protected game animals, requiring permits to hunt, raise, or possess them.

American Alligator in Texas

The American alligator, once nearly wiped out in Texas, has rebounded over the last few decades. The species was fully protected in 1969 and added to the endangered list in 1973. By 1985, populations had recovered sufficiently to be delisted. Today, American alligators thrive across the eastern third of Texas, inhabiting swamps, bayous, rivers, and marshes. While they generally prefer freshwater, these reptiles can also adapt to brackish water conditions. Some alligators can grow up to 14 feet in length.

Jocelyn Roberts’ successful hunt highlights both the growing population of American alligators in eastern Texas and the state’s regulated hunting practices.