Alligator hunting season is open in Texas, and one grandmother has already bagged a prize that has people talking.

Judy B. Cochran killed a 3.5-metre, 225-kilogram gator Monday while hunting at her family鈥檚 ranch.

鈥淚 said 鈥楧on鈥檛 mess with Nana,鈥欌 she told KTRK-TV in an interview.

鈥淥ne shot in the head, and he just went under. Typically they鈥檒l do what they call a death roll, and just roll over and over and over 鈥 well, this one didn鈥檛.鈥

Cochran, who is the mayor of the town of Livingston, Tex., posted a photo to Facebook of herself with the gator, and received a skeptical reaction from her friends.

鈥淪everal wrote back 鈥楴o, you did not do that,鈥 and I said 鈥榊es, I did do that,鈥欌 she said.

Cochran suspects the alligator may be to blame for the disappearance of a miniature horse from the ranch three years ago.

The gator has been taken to a taxidermist. Cochran plans to have its head and tail mounted and the rest of its body fashioned into boots.

Texas allows alligator hunting for a three-week period in September. All gators must be baited and caught before they can legally be killed.