A great-grandmother who spent three years hunting an alligator that ate one of her miniature horses has finally caught the beast. Judy Cochran killed the 12-foot, 580lb gator with a single shot on Sunday evening after luring it with a 'seasoned' racoon carcass. She reportedly used a Winchester .22 Magnum to shoot it in the Trinity River, Texas."One-shot in the head and he went under," she told WLS-TV ."Typically the Gators don't bother us, but we've been looking for this one."She added: "Don't mess with Nana. My grandchildren call me Nana."Judy is the newly elected mayor in Livingston, Texas.
The 73-year-old says she began her quest to avenge the death of her little horse after believing the reptile was responsible for dragging the pet of her ranch and eating it. But she said her efforts had been hampered by the short gator hunting season of just 20 days. In Polk County, where Judy lives, alligator hunting is only allowed from September 10 to 30 each year. Her son-in-law helped hook the racoon and haul the massive reptile in.
It was immediately taken to a taxidermist who will stuff and mount the head and tail for display in Judy's office. She wants to use the hide for new boots and plans to eat the meat. Judy comes from a talented family of hunters. In 2009, her grandson Simon Hughes hit headlines when he smashed a state record by killing an even bigger 800-pound alligator in the same pond when he was just five years old.