After starting the season with more tags than anyone, Troy's ahead of the game, and on pace to tag out by season's end. But as Troy's crew approaches today's hot spot, things don't look promising. The landscape has changed drastically and water lilies are now clogging the entire area. Across the bayou, Joe's hunting with his new helper, and so far, the team is working well. Timmy is a pistol marksman, and his work ethic is steadily impressing Joe. Only a few miles away, Tommy is again captaining his own boat, trying to fill Joe's tags and prove he's an elite hunter. Today Tommy is intent to get down to business. But soon, engine troubles threaten to derail the day and Tommy's tenure as captain could be in jeopardy. Deep in the swamp, Glenn and Mitchell have a little time on their hands. For these brothers, that means one thing - they're ready to hunt. They're intent to cook up their Dad's Famous Squirrel and Dumplings, so they'll need to bag a mess for their pot.
Deep in the heart of Louisiana lies America's largest swamp - a million miles of inhospitable bayous, marshes and wetlands where nature rules and humans struggle to tame it. Many of its inhabitants are the hardened descendants of French refugees who were forced out of Canada in the 18th century and settled in this harsh yet majestic environment. Today, these people are known as the Cajuns, a group renowned throughout the world for their flavorful cuisine, distinctive music and vibrant culture. Resilient, self-reliant and fiercely independent, the Cajuns of the Atchafalaya Swamp still carry on many of their ancestors' trades and traditions.
HISTORY follows these swampers through a time of year that is crucial to their survival: the 30-day alligator hunting season. At its core, this is a uniquely American story of a proud and skillful people fighting to maintain an ancient way of life in a rapidly modernizing world, despite the many perils and trials that stand in their way.