Swamp People Fathers and Sons: Meet Troy and Jacob Landry

Troy, Jacob, and Clint Landry probably had twice as much time on camera in Season One of the History Channel’s Swamp People than any of the other alligator hunters on the show.  Now, in Season Two, they’re sharing the airtime a bit more evenly, but the Landry’s still have a special role.  Not only are they singled out for their success in the hunt and their deep roots in the Cajun culture of southern Louisiana; there is just something about the Landry family that you can’t help but love.

Clint is not actually related to Troy and Jacob, even though they share a boat and a last name, but he is definitely family.  Clint’s decision not to hunt alligators this season has been an important part of the Landry arc; so, even in his absence,  Clint is still a major character on the show.

Jacob looks and talks just like his Dad.  He’s just a little smaller and a lot blonder, but give him some time.  Why he and Troy couldn’t get their fishing rhythm going this season is a bit of mystery, but what’s clear is that neither Troy nor Jacob let it get personal.  Troy gave Jacob a chance to be his shooter and it didn’t work out; so Jacob drives the ice boat just like he did last season, and Liz Cavalier has joined the team .  No pouting.  No arguments.  No bruised egos.  Just the Landry family figuring out how to get the job done.

If someone told me that I was going out into the bayou tomorrow to hunt alligators with one of the guys from Swamp People and I had 30 seconds to choose which one, I’d have 29.5 seconds left over.  I’d choose Troy Landry as fast as my mouth could form the his name.  No doubt.

They call Troy the King of the Swamp.  He probably got that title for catching the most and the biggest alligators each season, but that’s not all there is to it.  He’s just got an air about him that seems . . . well . . . sort of regal in a backwoods kind of way.

Troy is a big man.  He isn’t quite as tall as his son and hunting partner, Jacob, but he probably outweighs him by 30 lbs. of muscle.  His arms are huge, and his stance is so strong that you forget that he’s standing on a pile of dead gators in a little boat when he’s reeling in a thrashing 500 lb. monster.  So, maybe all that fried alligator and beer has left him with a little paunch.  At 50 years old, with three sons, a couple of grandkids, and 320 alligator tags to fill each year, he deserves it.

Somehow, I think if Troy were half his size, one look in his eye would make him my favorite alligator hunter anyhow.  There’s an honesty and a kindness there that draw you in.  He yells a lot (especially when he thinks it is time for you to “choot” the gator), and he likes to keep you off balance with annoying little digs, but somehow you know that he’d dump every one of those gators out of the boat to save you if it came to that, even though they represent a large part of his income for the year. Based on this video, it seems like the littlest Landrys know it, too.  You just can’t imagine RJ Molinere or Junior Edwards letting their grandkids do this to them.

When he is not alligator hunting, Troy runs the family owned Duffy Shell Station in Pierre Part, Louisiana. In a small town like Pierre Part, gas stations do more than sell fuel and chips, and at Duffy’s, the Landry family sells bait and fishing supplies.  They also buy crawfish from those local fishermen who choose to hunt a little smaller game.  There’s no shame in that; Landry does a bit of crawfishing himself.

The routine at Duffy’s has changed a bit in the last couple of years, since Troy has become famous, but the Landry’s just roll with it.  By all accounts, if you decide to make the 2 hour drive south from New Orleans, and you don’t show up during alligator season, Troy is likely to be right there at Duffy’s to sell you some gas, tell you a story, and give you hug while they snap your photo.  That’s just this family’s way.

Update: Can’t get enough of Swamp People? Check out these stories on RJ and Jay Paul Molinere, Junior and Willie Edwards, The Guist Brothers, and How much money an alligator hunter really makes.