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This season’s all-time “Swamp People” has some fresh blood.
Meet Anna Ribbeck – By day she works as a social media strategist at LSU AgCenter, and in her spare time she’s an archer, hunter, jewelry artist, and yes, a reality TV star. A native of Mandeville, she now lives in Baton Rouge.
As the latest addition to the cast of “Swamp People” in season 14, Riebeck has the same goal as everyone else… to get “Alligator.”
The Louisiana footage series follows paired hunters through September and October alligator season. For most, this is their life, getting the biggest gator means the biggest revenue payout for this season, and for the 2022 season, the main gator tag for the next 5 to 10 years. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries issues these tags to large landowners with wetland habitat large enough to sustain alligator fishing. In turn, landowners work with hunters, favoring those who catch the largest “crocodiles.”
So it’s heating up, literally and figuratively, at Verrette Lake in the Atchafalaya Basin and other waters in the state where the beast frequents.
Here, Ribbeck discusses her second foray into television. (She competed on “Wheel of Fortune” in 2018.)
How does one perform on “Swamp People”?
I am a crocodile hunter. A friend of mine who knew the producer thought I might be a good fit for the show, so he contacted me and I was interviewed last year. Then I didn’t hear anything for months. Then I got a call before the show and they said, ‘Hey, another round of auditions, here we go. ’ I got a call before the show in September (2022) and they said, ‘Hey, you’re starting. ’ I was like, ‘Oh my God! ‘.
So before that, crocodile hunting was just a hobby for you?
Yes, as a hobby. I have friends and we’ll go out and shoot alligators and they’ll sell the alligators.
Tell us about the first day of filming – how did it go?
Yep, so it’s crazy to have two boats. There was a follower boat and our boat and photographer – he was great. He jumps back and forth between the boats to shoot, I mean, he also falls a lot. God. That, that man, he’s a bada**. So, yes, it’s all of us, Ashley (Jones, her hunting partner).
People ask if this is true. Yes, we are hunting alligators, we have caught over 100 all season long.
Now, tell us about a typical day when you film the show. Or have a typical day?
Every day is different. She (Jones) and I hunted violets and we hunted down to the basin. She decided to go to the basin. So, we’ll start early in the morning, like when the sun comes up. We’re on the water, we’re in the water, and we have to run our lines every day (to attract and possibly protect alligators). We have to check the wiring. We re-bait the lines every day. You know, it’s been checking the line, resetting the line, figuring out where we need to be for the biggest Alligator next. So it’s constant, you know? We usually get out of the water around 2 or 3 pm and go sell our ‘crocodiles’.
Since you’re already working full-time, how much time does filming take up in your schedule? How does that work?
I took four weeks off. I’ve been saving it and I was able to finish it in those four weeks.
Normally, is the photographer (Brent Meeske) with you all the time?
the whole process. So he has been filming the whole process of us in front of the buyer since the morning.
So in the first episode, we see the two of you having some close calls with “Alligator.” Tell us about it.
Throughout the season, it happened, actually more often than you might think. There are things that happen on the boat, the boat is slippery, so sometimes you fall, and that’s what happened to Ashley.
But it was a crazy first day. The reason why the swamp is so hot is because there is no shade. Ashley threw up that day too, and you know, it was just heatstroke. too terrifying. We’ve been pulling some big gators all day – it’s not easy. ‘Crocodile hunting is not easy at all. It’s an adrenaline rush, but exhausting.
Is Jones someone you knew before?
Yes Yes. She is an old friend of mine and we would hunt alligators together. I think she’s been on (the series) for about five or six years. So she must have been promoted to captain; now she’s a professional “crocodile hunter”.
Regarding setting the line, do you guys use chicken or what is your preferred bait?
We’ve done a few things this season. We’re rolling out some secret lures later in the season. It works just fine.
What was the biggest alligator you caught this season?
I believe it’s about 12 feet. The weight depends on the “crocodile”. This one is 500, 600 lbs.
How do you get such a big and heavy beast on board?
Ashley is very strong. I’d say she’s by far the strongest on the ship. She and I have a method: I’ll pull on the rope, she’ll hit the head on the boat, and she’ll hold that head in there. Then I’d, love it so much, jump aside and grab the alligator’s hind legs and roll the thing into the boat. So, it’s a process. I’ve put on a lot of arm muscle this season.
Audiences have seen one of your actors, Hammond’s Bruce Mitchell, out hunting alone. Is that something you would do?
I would if I had to, let me put it this way. If we needed to fill out our tags and another teammate of mine was sick or couldn’t be there, like I would do it, but it’s not something I would do voluntarily. I’ll get the job done, but if I don’t have to, I don’t want to do it myself because, goodness, I just don’t think it’s the actual dangerous part that scares me, but the pull of the alligators on my own, because they’re so heavy. You shoot them, and then that alligator becomes self-weighting, so it’s sinking, and that’s entirely your own mission. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Bruce.
Growing up in Mandeville, did you enjoy the outdoors?
I grew up ditch fishing and did a lot of ditch fishing and other things. I didn’t grow up with a bow though, because my mom thought I was too dangerous and active as a kid. I also asked her if I could get a boat. She said no, so I ended up buying one in college.
Now in terms of eating what you harvest, are you doing well in the kitchen? Can you do all these things?
I try to do it. That’s where I am now. My grandmother was the best cook in the world and I am named after her. She taught me how to cook, but I didn’t learn that fast. So I’m still learning. I’m working on it because I love learning new game recipes since I eat everything here. We fight wild boars. We hunt nutria. We caught the “crocodile”. So we’ve been trying everything. My favorite experiment so far is nutria pizza.
How did the jewelry line develop?
I’ve always wanted to start my own jewelry line. I was like, man, I really want to focus this on what I do. I thought I’d really enjoy making swamp jewelry. So I started making it last year and really threw myself into it and it did really well. People were really interested in it, they just thought the pieces were really unique.
As for another season airing, when do you know?
I do not know yet. I’ve heard they tell you beforehand, so I’m not sure. …I wish I could do it again.
Follow Ribbeck’s adventures: TikTok: @annatheearcher8, Facebook: @annatheearcher, Instagram: @annatheearcher and YouTube: @AnnaTheArcher
“Swamp People”
Thursday at 7pm
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