Curtis Rageur of Morgan City, who was known as “Rebel” on the television show “Swamp People,” wipes the blood of an 11-foot, 9-inch, 517-lb. alligator caught south of Calumet from his hands. An alligator hunter himself, Rageur was working at Johnny’s Seafood & Bait in Berwick on Thursday. Rageur has 15 tags himself, and he and his son will soon hunt for their own alligators.
Alligator hunting is a way of life for many in southern Louisiana, keeping them busy during the 30-day alligator season, and so it is true for Curtis “Rebel” Rageur of Morgan City.
“I’ve been doing this just about all my life,” he said. “It’s just one of the ways I was raised to put food in the house. A couple of my uncles and my father’s good friends did it, and I always hunted with them.”
On Thursday, Rageur was helping at Johnny’s Seafood and Bait Shop in Berwick.
Rageur said he has 15 tags that he and his helper, his son, will use this season.
“It’s a livelihood that I’m passing down to my son,” Rageur said. “He’s my helper this year. He’ll know how to do this.”
“Depending on how you process it and how often you eat it, one alligator could last five or six months.”
The primary reason for September being alligator season is that it is hatching season and females are less likely to be killed because they are protecting the nest, he said.
Another reason for the September season is the cooler months following September are not good for catching alligators, he said.
“They’re just like a bear. When it gets cold, they just lay around. Before it gets cold, they eat very heavy,” he said, adding that alligators are hard to find once temperatures drop.
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