Can You Believe We Are On Season 6!?!?

Hard to believe we are on season six already. It doesn't seem like that long ago when I started this blog but looking now, I realize its been 5 years since I started writing on here. Time goes by so quick! So Who is the one everyone here has their eye on this season? You know me, I'm a die hard Troy Landry fan. What can I say, Im a girl that likes a guy that requires subtitles.:) Seriously though, Troy portrays the kind of man that is really down to earth, someone that cares deeply for his family and his friends and he's all around fun. So keep it up Troy, choot em'! Are there any new faves? Has any of my non Louisiana residents got up enough nerve to take on the swamps for themselves yet? I hear people talk about how they are planning on it, but has anyone actually done it yet? What did everyone think of Mondays episode? Are they acting crazy or do they know what they're doing? They all take daring steps to ensure a good payout, but is the dare worth the reward.

MARDI GRAS

Its been awhile since I've been able to update my blog but that doesn't mean I stopped watching Swamp People nor have I dropped off the face of the planet. I missed my readers and reporting on all things great in the swamp lands, but I am back now! This time of year in the South is a time for celebrating Mardi Gras. Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, cold as it was and it was COLD, people got out there and enjoyed the parades, ate some King Cake, yelled "THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER!", and gathered beads. However, being it cold, most didn't gather those beads the traditional way and if they did, then they certainly deserved them. :) So now Ash is upon us and people are locking down to their fasting with some amazing dedication. I would like to know if any of my readers are participating in the fast? Also, if any of my readers participated in Mardi Gras? If so... Pictures or it didn't happen! How is Everyone enjoying Swamp People? Are the fans still fans? Likes and dislikes of the newest season? I wanna hear it all! Happy Ash everyone! Heres a photo of me on Bourbon last year. :)

It's a Family Thing! Season Premier of Swamp People

What did y'all think of last night premier for Swamp Peoples 3rd season? I for one thought it was fantastic.. If you didn't catch last nights episode you missed one heck of a kick off to the season... Troy Landry brought in his son Brandon to help him out this season since his usual wingman Clint is unable to help him as much he would like because he has to attend to his turtle farm... Although Brandon was a little slow to start and missed his first shot he got the hang of it the second go around and made his daddy proud. It started out with a late start due from Hurricane Isaac. I remember that bad boy! That hurricane cost my own family thousands in damages... Mother nature is no joke! I know that these swampers will overcome even though they had a late start in the season. Elizabeth brought on her daughter Jessica. Chrissy had to take care of her cattle as Isaac resulted in trouble for her but we should see her back with Elizabeth soon enough. Elizabeths daughter Jessica may only be 19 years old, she has the family business in her blood and proved to her mama she has what it takes to be a swamp queen just like her mom. Jay scared the crap out of his daddy by jumping in the water with a gigantic behemoth of a gator. Thankfully he was unhurt and his daddy dubbed him warrior for the day... Fresh meat! Im not talking about the gators either. On Last nights premier we got a sneak peak at the new swampers in our Louisiana Bayou. These boys are Fresh from Texas! "Bigfoot" Hatcher seems to be the one to watch and Im not saying that just because my maiden name is also Hatcher. ;) But with a name like Bigfoot he must bring some entertainment.

New Season Begins

The newest season of Swamp People start tonight February 14th, 2013 at 9/8 Central so tune in! Heres to another great season of your favorite show on the air!

So it's been awhile.....

I know this post is way over due.... It has been quite some time since Ive posted... But just because I haven't posted doesn't mean I stopped watching.. Im still all up to date on our favorite alligator hunters and I look forward to reading all of your posts about the Swamp People... Come on people! Lets hear your insight on the show!

Troy Landry coming to a city near you!

Here are 2012 tour dates starting as of today! JUNE June 7th & 8th CMA Fan Fest The Buckle Broadway, from First Avenue to Fourth Avenue Nashville, Tennessee Join Troy, Jacob and Chase Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00pm to 5:00 pm at the Bad Bad Buggy booth in The Buckle area. The family will also be selling Choot 'Em merchandise there. June 9th Wakefield's (AKA Martin's) 2150 Beltine Road SW Decatur, Alabama Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. June 10th Benton Lee Steakhouse 138 Benton Powell Road Uvalda, Georgia Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. June 14th Choctaw Casino 3735 Choctaw Road Durant, Oklahoma Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. June 16th Acadian Dodge 1700 South East Evangeline Thruway Lafayette, Louisiana Join Troy and Chase Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs. June 23rd South Carolina Outdoor Expo USC Aiken Convocation Center 375 Robert Bell Parkway Aiken, South Carolina Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. JULY July 21st County Home and Ranch Nederlands, Texas Back by popular demand Troy and Jacob Landry will be back to meet, greet and give autographs from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. July 28th DNW Outdoors Jonesboro, Arkansas Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. AUGUST August 4th Georgia Outtdoors News Magizine Duluth, Georgia Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs. Times TBD. August 17th - 19th Buckmasters Expo Montgomery Convention Center 201 Tallapoosa Street Montgomery, Alabama Join Troy and Jacob Landry along with their whole family to meet, greet and get their autographs. Appearance schedule coming!

Mitchell Guist has passed away

We all know the two crazy brothers well just by that description, the ones who were inseparable and who did some quite odd things on the swamp and off their porch. :) Sadly one of the Guist brothers passed away last month. If you hadn't heard why, just keep reading. Thats the point of this particular post. Mitchell Guist: Death was determined to be of natural causes. On the History cable hit "Swamp People," Cajun hunter Mitchell Guist was often inseparable from his brother Glenn. But when Mitchell died Monday, the two were apart. The 47-year-old Guist was in a boat being towed by a barge on the Intracoastal Waterway in Louisiana, roughly 70 miles west of New Orleans, when he collapsed, Mike Waguespack, the sheriff of Assumption Parish, said in an interview Tuesday. A coworker in a neighboring boat saw what had happened and guided Guist's vessel back to the dock about 100 yards away, where he called 911. "He fell backwards as if he had had a heart attack, stroke or some sort of seizure," Waguespack said of Mitchell Guist's sudden collapse. Guist developed a fan base with his backwoods savvy on History's "Swamp People," about alligator hunters in the Cajun wetlands. Words from the producer: "Right now, we're thinking about him almost every minute," said Brian Catalina, executive producer of "Swamp People." "We've lost a really important part of our family and a treasured friend." "Swamp People" is the popular History Channel TV series that chronicles the lives of alligator hunters. Now in its third season, the series is set in Louisiana's Atchafalaya Swamp, and focuses on Cajun alligator hunters during the 30-day hunting season that the History Channel notes is "crucial to their survival." Guist appeared on the show alongside his brother, Glenn Guist. "The two were inseparable. These guys were born in the same house that they both still lived in, up until yesterday. They were two peas in a pod for sure. Neither had ever married. They were just as brothers as you could be," said Catalina. Mitchell Guist will be missed on the show by all of his avid fans, will be missed by his wife and by his obvious best friend and brother. RIP Mitchell!

Python vs Alligator -- Python attacks Alligator

Amazing video! Must see this face off between two beasts.

Thoughts on the season so far

If you have been keeping up with the swampers so far this season then you have decided how you like it. Please share with all of us here on the Swamp People blog your thoughts. Whats been your favorite capture so far, who is your favorite swamper this season and why? And any other juicy little did bits you'd like to disclose. We would love to here everyone's opinion, good or bad. Personally I have loved the show since season one and have come to love each of these swampers. They are all amazing and capturing alligators is certainly no easy task. Happy Hunting!

Can the Women Survive?

Last week we saw Liz take on the swamps with her female co-pilot Christy... Even though they looked like they would struggle with their 1,000 pound beast caught on Liz's late fathers line, it sure didn't stop them from ultimately succeeding and dragging in a powerful catch any man or woman would be proud of. Although it was a close call the length of the beast beat out the swamp king Troy Landry's catch of a 13 footer... They may be ladies, but definitely not the weaker sex. Best of luck to you Liz as you hunts continue!

Season 3 Is Here! Swamp Fans Unite!

The long awaited third season of Swamp People is finally here! I know anyone reading my blog was just as excite as I was about the new season airing. Now that it is here once again stay tuned to my blog for all the new going on's in the swamp land. Another fun and adventurous season is upon us. Happy hunting!



Gator Gold Rush
Premiere Date: 02/09/2012


It's day one of the thirty-day alligator-hunting season in Louisiana. This year prices are 30% higher, and with big bucks on the line, a Gator Gold rush is about to begin. Troy Landry has a plan to cash in; reuniting with 20-year partner Clint and running a second boat with son Jacob at the helm. With 430 tags, more than ever before, he's determined to retain his crown. Down in Pecan Island, Troy's helper from last year, Liz Cavalier, is running her own boat this season with 260 tags of her own. Joining her is helper Kristi Broussard, a born and bred Cajun woman who's eager to show what she's got. In Houma, two-time world arm wrestling champion R.J. Molinere and his son R.J. are back. This season he's taken on 500 tags, more than anyone else, with one goal in mind...to prove that he's the king of the swamp. Swamp legend Bruce Mitchell is gearing up with plans of his own. He's got a new secret weapon, former military sharpshooter Ron Methvin.

Thanksgiving Swamper Style in Bayou

Swampsgiving
Tonight on the History Channel!

Premiere Date: 11/17/2011
Gator season has come and gone, but down in the swamp, life goes on for the beloved gator hunters of Swamp People. SWAMPSGIVING offers viewers a glimpse of the world of the swamp in the off-season--in particular, the varied traditions surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday in the Atchafalaya River basin, and the ways in which all of these born hunters and fishers go about procuring their fish and fowl for the big meal.

King of the Swamp Troy Landry Coming to Silver Slipper Casino

Live on the coast? Fan of Choot em' and the creator of the catch phrase? Then you shouldn't miss out on meeting the king and his son Jacob. They will be appearing Saturday the 29th, 2011 to draw for the grand prize, a Gator XUV 825i, to be given away in the Slipper’s “Gators Gone Wild” Giveaway. If you would also like to get in on that action its simple, there are 3 ways to win in the Slipper’s “Gators Gone Wild” Giveaway, with 160 winners and over $50,000 in cash & prizes.

Every Friday and Saturday, now through October 28 from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and on October 29 from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., members of the Silver Slipper Players Club can play for entries into the grand prize drawing to be held October 29 at 9:00 p.m. Additionally, members can play for a chance to be one of two winners, every ½ hour during those same days and times, who will win a $100 Academy Sports Gift Card or $150 in Free Slot Play and an Official Choot ‘Em T-Shirt. And, all ½ hour winners will receive a special entry into a drawing for a Gator TX to be given away on Saturday, October 29 at 10:00 p.m., after the grand prize drawing.

Junior and Willie are coming to Biloxi, MS!

If you live on the coast or nearby and this Saturday is open you should head on out to Edgewater Mall October 21st,2011 from 10:00 AM to 3:00PM. Junior and Willie Edwards will be making an appearance to meet and greet all of their fans. They will be appearing in front of J.C. Penney's from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Come get an autograph from the alligator hunting stars!

How Much Do the Hunters Make?

This seems to be a wildly asked question since the show first aired. So how much will an alligator bring in? Anyone who watches Swamp People knows that alligator hunters care about how much money they make and how fast they can tag out. Sure, they hunt for their love of the land, but they do it for their living, too and I am pretty confident in saying that if they weren't getting paid for it, they more than likely wouldn't do it. With the exception of the easy going Guist brothers, the hunters featured on the show are quick to talk about what makes the difference between a profit and a loss during the one-month alligator season in Louisiana. As the show’s narrator often reminds us, many of these men make half their income for the year from the alligators we see them catch on the show, each one of those tags accounts for a paycheck and each one of the alligators is only worth as much as the weight and the size and quality of the skin. We hear about tags and maps and the quality of an alligator’s skin, as well as the all important question of its size. So how much are these guys really making?

Well its a bit complicated. As it turns out, the Alligator business is pretty volatile. The market fluctuates wildly, and the alligator hunters’ fortunes come and go with it, if they’re not careful. The Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council has all the information (and more!) that you would ever want to know about how to lawfully hunt wild alligators in Louisiana and sell their hides and meat for a profit, but they tell a little bit sweeter of a story about the industry. According to their site, alligator hunting has become steadily more profitable over the years. While skins went for $6/foot in the 1960′s and $9/foot in the early 1980′s, they rose to over $40/foot in the late 1980′s.

What the Louisiana Advisory Council fails to mention is that prices have come down since the late ’80′s, WAY DOWN! One Louisiana newspaper, Vermilion Today, reports that in the 2010 season
“A wild gator that is seven feet or longer sells for around $12 to $15 a foot. A 10-foot gator at $13 per foot will be purchased for $130. When the price was $40 per foot, that same gator was purchased for $400.”

So, according to these estimates, when Troy Landry pulls a 12 foot monster alligator out of the swamp, risking his life and straining his body, he might get up to $180 for a perfect hide. If the gator has lived hard and has the scars to show for it, he’ll get less. And, if there’s a little alligator on his line, he has wasted a precious tag on a hide that won’t bring in enough to cover the cost of catching it.

Hunters can harvest as many alligators as they have alligator tags, but the tags are also regulated and if they don't tag out one year they will lose those tags the following year. So when you hear them being so adamant about tagging out before the end of the alligator season. When you catch a gator, no matter what the size, you have to put one of your tags on it. You can’t cut the little ones loose and save your tags for the big boys. That’s why the hunters get a little disgusted when they put small alligators into the boat; each one takes a tag that could’ve gone on a monster (and earned them a lot more money).
Alligator tags don’t cost anything if you own your own hunting grounds. All you have to do is prove ownership of a piece of land deemed sufficient to sustain alligators, get a $25 Alligator Hunting license, and make an application. The number of tags you’re assigned is based on the size of your land and (if applicable) the number of tags you filled the previous year. So a bad alligator season one year also means fewer tags in the next. Which means a dwindling paycheck for any hunter.

While we’re on the subject of the costs of alligator hunting, don’t forget the equipment, the help you have to hire (or raise), and the time you have to take off of work to be out on the swamp for a month every year. When you add it all up, there’s not much of a margin in Alligator hunting.
But, let’s do the math. The alligator season lasts 30 days, but serious hunters stretch that to 37 days by owning land in both the East and the West regions, since the Western region’s 30 days starts a week later than the Eastern region’s. Troy Landry, who is the big daddy tag-rich King of the Swamp got 320 tags in 2010, but most professional hunters have far fewer. Let’s say our hypothetical hunter has a healthy allotment of 200 tags and property in both regions (for a 37 day season). So, that means, he needs to average 5.5 alligators a day. Let’s also assume that he’s a really skilled hunter and that 1 out every 10 alligators he catches is a 11+ foot monster. Hunting is hunting, though, so we’ll say that 2 out of every 10 is a baby 5-6 footer. Everything else (7 out of 10) is 7-10 feet.
Here’s how that would look: 20 monsters, 40 babies, and 140 respectable gators.
Pricing is also tough to estimate, but I’ll go out on a limb and take an educated guess. The average price for a respectable gator in 2010 was $11-$12 per foot, but monster gators went for $15/foot or more and babies went for a touch less, say $9/foot. So, more math . . .
20 monsters @ 11 feet each x $15/foot=$3300
40 babies @ 6 feet each x $9/foot=$2160
140 respectable gators @ 8 feet each x $12/foot=$13440
That’s a grand total of $18,900. Which isn't too shabby for a month on a boat in the Swamp Lands of Louisiana.
This is the profit off the hides, alone. Besides frying up into a nice dinner, the meat has some value that could also be added to the alligator hunters’ profits. And, of course, the more big gators you get, the more this total goes up. On the other hand, you have to pay for all your equipment and all your help out of this total. I’m guessing you have to pay normal income taxes, too.
The swampers shown are incredibly tough men (and a woman or two) throwing themselves at an incomprehensibly hostile world and wrestling with it until it gives them a living. But the more you watch, the more the similarities evaporate. Alligator hunters,have to either have some other gig or have to live very simply in order to stay in the hunt. RJ Molinere fishes for shrimp and hunts for every sort of game that will turn a profit that lives on his family’s 500 acres. The Landrys own a gas station and buy crawfish from local fisherman. The Guists? Well, they go the “live simply” route and seem to really enjoy their way of life.

I am pretty sure however they are getting a nice cut from whatever History Channel is paying for their appearance on the show.

The Production Company behind Swamp People- Original Media

Original Media is the production company behind the genius show Swamp People on History Channel. So When you want to learn more about Swamp People, New seasons, New Swampers, you get it by now,everything Swamp People basically. All you have to do is follow them on Twitter or on FaceBook. Along with my blog and Original Media you are sure to know everything there is to know about Swamp People.

Don't Miss Season 2 Finale Tonight! 7/21/2011

Sadly this will be the last episode of the season.. :*( Im sorry to see them go but excited to see whats to come for SEASON 3! As you all know gator season starts September 1st.

Don't miss the finale tonight on History Channel!

Swamp Showdown

Premiere Date: 07/21/2011

It's the final day of the season, and hunters are in a hurry to fill their remaining tags before time runs out. As Troy and Junior head to run lines for the final time, the bayou is buzzing. Locals are reporting sightings of a giant gator in the area. Both men set their sights on the beast, to win bragging rights in a bayou showdown. Just a few miles away, Junior and Willie are equally determined. As the only crew that uses treble hooks to hunt in open water, they believe they have the advantage. Across the swamp, Joe and Tommy are feeling a different kind of pressure. A storm blows in off the Gulf...and rain soaks their supply of bullets. To make matters worse, they're too far out in the bayou to head back to the dock for more. They will have to make every shot count. Down the bayou, R.J. and Jay Paul are focused on only one thing: tagging out. The boys are in good position to finish by day's end, with sunny skies and smooth water ahead.

Just a few pictures of Atchafalaya

During my husbands drive yesterday he decided to snap some pictures of the Atchafalaya Swamp to share with my readers.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

What an episode last night of Swamp People! I hope you all got to see it and if you didn't, skip on over to History.com and watch the full episode real quick, you'll be glad you did.
The Guist brothers found their meal right off their back porch and made squirrel and dumplings which was their fathers recipe. Sounds delicious doesn't it? Okay, okay... Maybe it isn't for everyone (especially me), but the Guist brothers seem to love it. I still kind felt bad for the one squirrel they shot out of a tree who was eating starting to eat a nut when he met his maker.

We also got to see and alligator rip a gun right from Joe's temporary helper Tim. When will these gators learn... Don't bite the hand that feeds you, or in their case, don't bite the gun that kills you. Poor Tim had to take one for the team and get in the murky waters of the swamp to retrieves Joe's fathers gun.

Troy started out thinking it may be a bad day with water lilies over running his sweet spot but it proved to be untrue and his day turned around quickly and he ended the day with a boat full of gators and if you saw most of the gators he had weren't babies one topped out at 12 foot 7 inches. What a gator! It must have been that lucky blue shirt he is always wearing. Keep up the momentum for this season Troy!

Tommy learned being the captain of his own boat and being left to catch alligators alone was no easy task. After the motor in his boat over heated he admitted defeat to Joe and Joe gladly accepted him back in the boat with him. I hope Tommy can become fully dedicated to the task, in return he will become a better alligator hunter if he does.

All in all it was a very eventful episode. I know it's ending soon but you know they will be filming for next season here shortly. The September alligator season is closely approaching!

Want to try some Alligator cooked to Chef Gordon Ramsay's standards?

So I love a good show as you can tell by this blog. If you have never seen Kitchen Knightmares, Hells Kitchen, Master Chef or The F Word with Gordon Ramsay then you are missing out on one HELL of a show, no pun intended.

Well I was watching Kitchen Knightmares a few nights ago trying to catch up on the seasons episodes when I saw that he had gone to New Orleans, LA for the first time to bring a restaurant back to life and help out a couple whose knowledge in the restaurant business was limited.

Of course I had to watch it being that 1. In New Orleans and 2. Gordon Ramsay had part in it....
Anyways, I thought I would share the restaurant info here in case any of my local neighbors wanted to try it out and give us feedback, I plan on going also...

The name of the restaurant is ZEKE'S, location: 1517 Metairie RoadMetairie, LA 70005
Phone: 504-832-1133

They also have a website with their menu featuring Blackened Alligator.
http://www.eatatzekes.com/