By April C. Doughty
On Friday, Oct. 16, Brad and I had the opportunity to meet Anna Ribbeck, known to fans as Anna the Archer, and Bruce Mitchell, better known as the Alligator Man, before their scheduled presentation at Claiborne Parish Library. Thanks to event organizer Wesley Harris, we got to visit with the two stars of the award-winning television series “Swamp People” before the event, gaining a glimpse of the people behind the familiar names.
With a shared interest in the outdoors, we quickly found common ground. Mitchell recalled processing and selling gar scales in quantities of up to 350 at a time, while Ribbeck, Brad and I talked bowfishing. Brad also took the opportunity to ask Mitchell about his new Go-Devil gator boat, which Ribbeck calls “the gator yacht.”
During their presentation, Ribbeck and Mitchell shared stories from their lives on and off camera, offering a glimpse into the work of alligator hunting, the realities of filming a television series and the resourcefulness required to make a living from the land and water. Their conversation ranged from the demands of commercial alligator processing to unusual wild-game meals and the challenges posed by invasive species.
Mitchell and Ribbeck’s shared enthusiasm for the outdoors is one thing they have in common, but their stories of how they got there are quite different. Ribbeck found her way into the outdoors after taking up archery in college, while Mitchell grew up immersed in the hunting, fishing and trapping traditions of the swamp.
Long before “Swamp People” brought Mitchell into living rooms across the country, the swamp was his classroom. He grew up around people who lived in remote camps, traveled by boat and relied on their own knowledge and resourcefulness to survive.
Among the characters who left an impression on him was a man known as Catman, who had moved into the swamp following a dispute with the Army over $37 he believed he was owed. Catman wore overalls, sported a long beard and kept hundreds of cats around his camp.
As a child, Mitchell didn’t understand why the man would cover his raincoat in tar and set it on fire, producing thick black smoke. Years later, his uncle explained that Catman had been serving as a lookout for people making whiskey deep in the swamp, using the smoke to signal when boats approached. “Dude was a telephone back then,” Mitchell said. Today, the story captures a way of life that seems to be shrinking, one characterized by ingenuity, deep knowledge of the landscape and the ability to live far removed from the conveniences of the outside world.
Where Mitchell grew up, people often disappeared into the swamp for days at a time. They took what they needed and knew no one would come looking for them, at least for a while. Growing up this way taught Mitchell resourcefulness and the importance of always being prepared. Over the years, he learned not only personal survival skills but also how his knowledge of the swamp could help him make a living and provide for his family.
Although Mitchell is best known today for alligator hunting and Cajun cooking, he also spoke of his involvement over the years with turtle farming, alligator farming and harvesting invasive nutria for inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mitchell’s wife, Janet, comes from the Kliebert family, widely recognized as pioneers of the first commercial alligator farm in Louisiana. Mitchell himself has been hunting gators since long before “Swamp People” made the way of life public.
Although many alligator hunters sell their catches directly to commercial buyers instead of processing the gators themselves, Mitchell has done it all. He described working many more hours after finishing the hunt itself. He might bring home eight to 13 alligators a day, then spend hours skinning the animals, deboning and preparing the meat, chilling it, packaging it and putting it in the freezer. Mitchell sometimes worked until 2 or 3 a.m. before heading back into the swamp with little time to rest.
On top of processing his own harvest, he bought alligators from other local hunters and handled their catches, too. He once skinned 65 alligators between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. His pace was so relentless that he was eventually fired from a processing job because the other employees couldn’t keep up and didn’t want to work alongside him.
Asked about his approach to work, Mitchell put it simply: “You know, the only way I know is wide open.” Given his expert knowledge of gator processing, “Swamp People” produced a bonus clip of him narrating the hide-scraping and salting process.
For viewers of the show, the suspense of an actual alligator hunt builds through carefully sequenced clips at various angles. With underwater footage, GoPro cameras on sticks and carefully timed shots, producers build anticipation before commercial breaks.
Mitchell explained that not every image viewers see is captured during the actual hunt. For example, the familiar shots of hunters reaching into the water while a hooked alligator is nearby are filmed separately. “Ya’ll see us sticking our hands in that water, playing with the grass, and playing with the line? That don’t happen. I’m not going to do it,” he said. Those shots are used as teasers to keep viewers engaged. According to Mitchell, the carefully curated viewer experience may not always match reality.
Of the 17 seasons of “Swamp People” that have aired, Mitchell has appeared on seven, with Ribbeck joining him for the last four and again for the recent filming of Season 18.
Unlike Mitchell, whose knowledge of swamp life is lifelong and steeped in tradition, Ribbeck came to hunting and fishing as a young adult through archery. Her path into the outdoor world began in college, when she bought herself a bow and discovered a passion she hadn’t known she was missing. “I bought myself a purple bow. It was a Bear Cruzer,” she said. As a child, she had been eager to try archery, but her mother wasn’t convinced it was a good idea. “My mom would never let me shoot as a kid because she was like, you’re too wild.”
Most people don’t realize that it’s legal to hunt gators with a bow. Of course, there are special regulations for when and how you can do it, but Ribbeck said it was her bowhunting that captured the interest of “Swamp People.” “I like to hunt gators with my bow,” she said. “That’s why they put me on the show, because it was something different.”
According to both Ribbeck and Mitchell, dispatching gators is hard work and sometimes takes longer with a bow. Ribbeck described how difficult it is to hit the soft spot behind the skull plate and how tough the hide is. She advised anyone considering giving it a try to get a bow with the proper setup and a draw weight set to 50 pounds.
After multiple seasons of hunting together, Ribbeck and Mitchell have developed a working relationship that blends their shared interests with plenty of playful banter. Mitchell initially expected to be in charge when he hired Ribbeck, but that arrangement apparently didn’t unfold quite as he imagined. Mitchell recalled thinking he would be the boss, Ribbeck assured him that he was, and Mitchell countered that it never quite worked out that way.
Beyond hunting, the two share an interest in cooking and foraging for wild mushrooms. In addition, Ribbeck manages Mitchell’s social media. Despite the obvious differences in their backgrounds, the two have built a partnership that works both in the swamp and beyond.
For Ribbeck and Mitchell, the experience of harvesting an animal doesn’t end when the hunt is over. The two discussed preparing and eating wild game, including alligator and nutria, with Ribbeck sharing examples of nutria meat used in dishes such as tacos and pizza.
Mitchell offered a more unusual culinary story from a remote camp where the group he was with had run short on food. He recalled catching and preparing a python, cooking the meat and serving it to Troy and Chase Landry without initially revealing what they were eating. The story eventually prompted questions about the meat’s origins, but Mitchell was straightforward: “I skinned that python and cut it open, put it in there, cooked it. It was good.” The anecdote highlights a practical approach to living off the land, where a willingness to try unfamiliar foods can turn an unexpected catch into supper.
The conversation also turned to the invasive species affecting Louisiana’s waterways, from nutria and water hyacinth to giant salvinia and apple snails. Drawing on their experiences in the outdoors, Ribbeck and Mitchell discussed how these species can affect native wildlife, aquatic habitats and the livelihoods of people who depend on healthy waterways.
Nutria offered a particularly useful connection between hunting and invasive-species management, as Ribbeck’s examples of nutria tacos and pizza showed how an animal often considered a nuisance can also serve as a food source.
The discussion of apple snails brought a more cautionary note. Mitchell recounted gathering apple snails to try eating some after having snails on a cruise, only to learn that you can’t legally possess them in Louisiana and probably shouldn’t eat them because they can carry parasites. Ribbeck further discussed the potential impact of apple snails on crawfish production and warned against handling their egg masses, which contain a neurotoxin.
However, she added that submerging them in water will destroy the eggs, so she recommended using something to knock them into the water to prevent them from hatching. One of the most detrimental impacts of apple snails in south Louisiana has been on crawfish farming, where some farmers catch more snails than crawfish.
What stood out most about Ribbeck and Mitchell’s presentation was how naturally the outdoors bring people together. Brad and I, along with 70 others, filled the library auditorium with a shared interest in learning more about the outdoors, while Mitchell and Ribbeck, an unlikely but entertaining pair, have built a friendship and partnership around their shared respect for wildlife, hunting and fishing.
Their stories showed that enjoying the outdoors does not require a particular background or level of experience. Public lands, parks, books, online resources and community events give people many ways to begin learning. Whether someone is interested in alligators, archery, fishing, invasive species, wildlife management or conservation, there is room for everyone to participate and grow.
Mitchell and Ribbeck make that learning accessible through their willingness to share what they know. Their work goes beyond the excitement of hunting and fishing. It also highlights the importance of understanding wildlife, following regulations, respecting natural resources and using harvested animals and plants responsibly.
In the end, having outdoor experiences and learning about the outdoors creates common ground. A conversation at a library, a lesson learned from a television show or a day spent exploring a nearby park can connect people who might not otherwise meet. Nature welcomes everyone, and there is always more to discover.
