Hunters killed a massive alligator Sunday night in a private phosphate pit south of Bartow.

According to The Ledger of Lakeland, Clark Woodsby of Lakeland shot the 13-foot gator in the shoulder with a crossbow. Woodsby and two other men were accompanying licensed trapper Glen Grizzaffee, who was asked by the landowner to take care of the "nuisance" gator.

Grizzaffe, of Winter Haven, owns a gator processing business in Plant City.



Woobsby told the Ledger that the gator was technically 12 feet, 10 inches long, but it had about four inches of tail missing because of a fight.