Swamp People dropped its first episode on August 22nd, 2010, on the History Channel. It has since become very popular as more and more people tune in to watch the American reality series developed by Dolores Gavin. +The series premiere garnered 3.1 million total viewers making the History Channel #1 in cable within the 10-11 pm time slot. Swamp People is known for showing unique, interesting, and fascinating creatures, mainly alligators, and their locations, which leave the viewers wondering where it could possibly be. The series is no different from other nature reality TV shows, which makes it just as fascinating for its audience. Looking at all these faunas; one is left wondering, where is ‘Swamp People’ filmed?
The series follows the day-to-day activities of alligator hunters living in swamps, who hunt American Alligators for a living. The show is narrated by Pat Duke and composed by Don DiNicola, Brian Deming, and Bruce Hanifan. It consists of 13 seasons and 214 episodes. It is produced by Original Media or Truly Original. The History Channel series captures the hunting season for the descendants of French Canadian refugees, who have settled in a certain swamp region.
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Format
Swamp People begin filming during alligator season, which starts on the first Wednesday in September and lasts for 30 days. Following a tradition dating back about 300 years, during this time, many alligator hunters earn most of their yearly income in a very risky vocation, which largely depends on experience and the unpredictability of the weather, while following strict regulations by wildlife laws. Once the hunters kill the alligators, they are supposed to tag them, for which they are issued a certain number of tags. They are not allowed to kill any more alligators for the rest of the season after they “tag out”. Some of the hunters earn most of their annual income during this season, culling alligators. This way of life originated from refugees who settled in the swamp regions in the 18th century.
The ultimate goal for the hunters is to “tag out” before the season ends. Most of the hunters harvest other species throughout the rest of the year or hold down full-time jobs in other industries in order to augment their yearly income. The show focuses on various teams of alligator hunters in every season. Other aspects of the social and sporting life of the swamp are also featured in some episodes, including fishing and hunting for other animals. Some members of the cast include Bruce Mitchell, Jacob Landry, Troy Landry, William “Willie” Edwards, Chase Landry, Daniel Edgar, Dorien Edgar, Joey Edgar, Ashley Jones, Ronnie Adams, Zak Bagby, Don Brewer, “Little” Willie Edwards and Cheyenne “Pickle” Wheat.
Where is ‘Swamp People’ filmed?
Swamp People is mainly filmed in the Atchafalaya River Basin. At the beginning of the fourth season, the show expanded to locations outside the Atchafalaya River Basin and featured gator hunting crews in other parts of Louisiana and also the swamplands of Texas. It is filmed in various swamps in South Louisiana but mainly in the Atchafalaya River Basin, which is known for being the largest wetland or swamp in the United States, and it is also referred to as America’s wetland. Atchafalaya has over 65 different species of amphibians and reptiles in it, which is what makes it a hotspot for this particular vocation. Filming locations for the show also include Bayou Sorrel, Bayou Pigeon, Pierre Part, Morgan City, Houma, Pecan Island, and Conway Bayou.
Later on, the creators of the show realized that the viewers might get bored and find the concept of the show monotonous, which is why they began shooting the series in locations apart from Louisiana and added Texas as one of the filming locations. It is no surprise that the alligator hunters are kept busy during the hunting season as the Basin, the main location, covers 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes, and water prairies. It has a 15-mile wide path across South Louisiana and is the largest and last great river basin swamp. It is also the home to a large alligator population. It comes as no surprise that this activity has degraded water quality, reduced forest health, and damaged the habitat for wildlife. “Big Shocker!”
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