Ben Owen

Well, back to childhood. What kind of stuff were you into as a kid? Dude, I had like the most idyllic childhood ever. from my perspective, uh, and outside looking in. Um, I did Boy Scouts, you know, I tried to play sports to impress my dad, but I sucked at all of them.

Um, I was, I was really good at, at being an outdoors kid, you know, hunting, fishing, uh, land nav, or orienteering, as we call it in Scouts. I did Scouts. My dad was our Scoutmaster, um, until we moved to California and Scouts got weird out there. So we stopped, but, uh, I was almost Eagle, whatever it was, Star or Life, right below Eagle Scout. Um, I loved anything and everything outdoors.

Um, I was, I was really good at, at being an outdoors kid, you know, hunting, fishing, uh, land nav, or orienteering, as we call it in Scouts. I did Scouts. My dad was our Scoutmaster, um, until we moved to California and Scouts got weird out there. So we stopped, but, uh, I was almost Eagle, whatever it was, Star or Life, right below Eagle Scout. Um, I loved anything and everything outdoors.

Um, I was, I was really good at, at being an outdoors kid, you know, hunting, fishing, uh, land nav, or orienteering, as we call it in Scouts. I did Scouts. My dad was our Scoutmaster, um, until we moved to California and Scouts got weird out there. So we stopped, but, uh, I was almost Eagle, whatever it was, Star or Life, right below Eagle Scout. Um, I loved anything and everything outdoors.

I loved going on bike rides, mountain biking, catching animals. That was like my obsession for a long time was reptiles, venomous snakes, alligators, literally catching alligators.

I loved going on bike rides, mountain biking, catching animals. That was like my obsession for a long time was reptiles, venomous snakes, alligators, literally catching alligators.

I loved going on bike rides, mountain biking, catching animals. That was like my obsession for a long time was reptiles, venomous snakes, alligators, literally catching alligators.

Oh, hell yeah.

Oh, hell yeah.

Oh, hell yeah.

I think the last one I caught, I was 18 or 19. When did it start? How young? Probably 11 or 12. These weren't big alligators. I mean, they're little, you know. We lived in Jackson, Mississippi for seven years. That was the longest stretch in childhood I ever lived in one place. It was Rankin County, Mississippi, outside of Jackson, on this big lake, man-made lake called the Ross Burnett Reservoir.

I think the last one I caught, I was 18 or 19. When did it start? How young? Probably 11 or 12. These weren't big alligators. I mean, they're little, you know. We lived in Jackson, Mississippi for seven years. That was the longest stretch in childhood I ever lived in one place. It was Rankin County, Mississippi, outside of Jackson, on this big lake, man-made lake called the Ross Burnett Reservoir.

I think the last one I caught, I was 18 or 19. When did it start? How young? Probably 11 or 12. These weren't big alligators. I mean, they're little, you know. We lived in Jackson, Mississippi for seven years. That was the longest stretch in childhood I ever lived in one place. It was Rankin County, Mississippi, outside of Jackson, on this big lake, man-made lake called the Ross Burnett Reservoir.

And it was full of alligators and water moccasins. And, like, it was the greatest place ever for a little boy to live, you know. And so we moved there when I was seven. How would you catch them? Nut. I'd use a nut. And babies, you know. Like, I wasn't doing a crocodile hunt or jumping onto the towel. Did you ever have a mom come after you? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

And it was full of alligators and water moccasins. And, like, it was the greatest place ever for a little boy to live, you know. And so we moved there when I was seven. How would you catch them? Nut. I'd use a nut. And babies, you know. Like, I wasn't doing a crocodile hunt or jumping onto the towel. Did you ever have a mom come after you? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

And it was full of alligators and water moccasins. And, like, it was the greatest place ever for a little boy to live, you know. And so we moved there when I was seven. How would you catch them? Nut. I'd use a nut. And babies, you know. Like, I wasn't doing a crocodile hunt or jumping onto the towel. Did you ever have a mom come after you? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

But the funny thing is, my mom would go to bat for me with the neighborhood moms because I was— I mean, an alligator. Oh, no. So, one time I did almost get eaten by a big old female. They'll build these mounds of, like, I say I almost got eaten. Alligators aren't really that aggressive, but it scared the shit out of me.

But the funny thing is, my mom would go to bat for me with the neighborhood moms because I was— I mean, an alligator. Oh, no. So, one time I did almost get eaten by a big old female. They'll build these mounds of, like, I say I almost got eaten. Alligators aren't really that aggressive, but it scared the shit out of me.

But the funny thing is, my mom would go to bat for me with the neighborhood moms because I was— I mean, an alligator. Oh, no. So, one time I did almost get eaten by a big old female. They'll build these mounds of, like, I say I almost got eaten. Alligators aren't really that aggressive, but it scared the shit out of me.

They'll build a big old mound of vegetation, and they use that to incubate their eggs, I guess. Well, we found one, and we were stomping through it trying to find babies, you know. And the whole thing starts vibrating. We're like, what the hell is going on? And out shoots this 10, 11-foot-long, full-grown alligator. that was, I guess, had buried itself in this mound. We thought it was a nest.