Swamp People is one of the most popular programs on The History Channel. As we know, the show, now in its third season, examines the month or so every year when gator hunting is legal in the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest swamp in America. There are a number of guys who we see every week, each with their own distinctive style. But, for me, the two people who steal the show each week are Liz Cavalier and Kristi Broussard. These women show as much guts when going up against these half-ton snarling beasts as any of the men, and are better at strategy and shooting than most of their male counterparts.

Liz Cavalier first showed up on season two when the legendary Troy Landry hired her to be his helper. Many viewers, at least down here, assumed that Landry had an ulterior motive, but Liz turned out to be a courageous shooter as well as an expert gator spotter. Because of that, the team got a number of tags. Tags, for the uninitiated, are allotted to each team during the season; one tag for each gator harvested. So this season, Liz left Landry and struck out on her own. Her skills, it turns out, were picked up while young, as her dad and grandfather both were Cajun gator hunters.

When Liz decided to steer her own boat, she hired a newcomer to the program, Kristi Broussard. Kristi is no novice to the Cajun culture. Her parents were the first generation of her family to learn to speak English. Kristi has been tough all of her life. She spent four years in the Navy; after that, she purchased her own horse ranch, which she works during the rest of the year. On each episode, her ability to face down the gators without flinching and shooting to kill as soon as their snout is exposed is amazing.

Swamp People airs a number of times each week on The History Channel. Original episodes are shown on Thursday at 8:00 Louisiana Time. Here are videos of the two fearless women in action:

LIZ

KRISTI