Stokes Alligator at Miller's Ferry, Alabama is a wonder to behold

Stokes Alligator at Miller's Ferry, Alabama.

Going all the way back to the first episode in February 2019, I’ve been a big fan and dedicated listener of Big Daddy Lawler’s podcast, “Gettin’ Outdoors.” In a recent episode, Big Daddy mentioned that the Miller’s Ferry Resource Office was now open to the public after being closed for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This office is where the world-famous Stokes Alligator is kept on display.

The Stokes Alligator is the Safari Club International’s world-record holder. It’s 15 feet, nine inches long and tipped the scales at 1,011.5 pounds. The alligator was captured on the night of Aug. 16, 2014 by a team of gator hunters led by Mandy Stokes of Thomaston. Other hunters on her team included John Stokes, Savannah Jenkins, Kevin Jenkins and Parker Jenkins.

Dozens of times over the years, my teenage son and I have discussed this gigantic gator and what it must have been like to haul it in. We’d read that the Stokes team was in a 17-foot aluminum boat on the night of their famous hunt, and we could only imagine what it was like to hook half a ton of angry reptile. When we heard that the resource office had reopened, we decided to take a little field trip to see the Stokes Alligator for ourselves.

The weather on Friday was picture perfect, so after a couple of C.O.B. combos at Jackson’s Fried Chicken, we drove over to Miller’s Ferry. Before we even got a chance to park, we could see the giant Stokes Alligator through the building’s large front windows. We parked in front of the William Dannelly monument, put on the still-required face masks and went inside for a closer look.

There inside, you’ll find the Stokes Alligator on the south side of the lobby. His display takes up almost one entire side of the room. To say that this massive alligator is an impressive sight is a huge understatement. There is no substitute for seeing it yourself.

Seeing the Stokes Alligator in person is like seeing some prehistoric throwback, a modern-day dinosaur that was out of place in today’s world. How old was this creature when captured? What had it eaten to gain such massive size? Are there even larger alligators out there somewhere right now in such remote backwaters that no human will ever lay eyes on them?

I’ve done my fair share of kayaking on the Alabama River, and the Stokes Alligator is much longer than any kayak I’ve ever been in. I could only wonder what it would be like to encounter such a beast on the river. If he decided to chomp down on the leg of a swimmer, you would truly be at his mercy.

In addition to the Stokes Alligator, the lobby at the resource office has a number of other interesting items on display. You’ll find stuffed coyotes, weasels, deer, beavers, minks, a wide variety of fish and even a long, green eel. There’s even a display of model steamboats, and I was especially interested in the display of old Indian projectile points and other assorted artifacts.

In the end, if you’ve never seen the Stokes Alligator in person, I encourage you to do so. To me, it was like seeing one of the Natural Wonders of the World, and it was well worth the drive to see in person. The resource office is located at 1226 Powerhouse Road, just off State Highway 28, on the east side of the Alabama River, about 10 miles from downtown Camden.