5-Year-Old Shoots Potential-Record 800-Pound Gator

From the Houston Chronicle:

There are hunters who go a lifetime dreaming of that big kill. Then there’s Simon Hughes, who helped nab a beast of an animal on an East Texas hunt — while still in the first grade. The 5-year-old boy from Goodrich was part of a hunting crew that recently killed an 800-pound, 12-foot-6-inch alligator that has wildlife experts shaking their heads.

The reptile, whose size is at a state record level, is now at the taxidermist waiting to be mounted. Simon’s family, meanwhile, is fielding calls from CNN and Good Morning America to feature his exploits. . . .

Simon said he screamed “holy moly” when he saw the catch of the day. “I was never afraid for a second,” he said of the gator, which is 20 times his size.