Meet Anna Ribbeck: The Unconventional Alligator Hunter of ‘Swamp People’
Anna Ribbeck isn’t like other Swamp People. She’s young, new to hunting, and eager to revolutionize alligator hunting
When most of us hear “swamp people,” we don’t necessarily think of cutthroat alligator hunters. It’s more likely that we think of smelly fantastical troll-like creatures who live in swamps all day and all night, but that’s not what the phrase actually means. In the past decade, the History Channel has reminded us that the term comes from a fiercely independent group of people who live and work in the swamps, pictured in their reality series, Swamp People.
‘Swamp People’ star Anna Ribbeck is about 30 years old and grew up in south Louisiana.
Anna hasn’t been a public figure for long, but that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t made her mark. One of the fans’ favorite things about Anna is how she not only hunts but also forages, and she hunts and gathers everything that she eats. It’s a pretty impressive way to live and proves that she’s on her way to living totally off the grid if she wants to. Instead, however, she shares tips and tricks on social media about how she lives her unique lifestyle.
Her website states, “AnnaTheArcher was born and raised in south Louisiana. She grew up playing basketball, ditch fishing, and eating crawfish. Contrary to popular belief, she was not introduced to hunting or archery until her early twenties.”
Her story then goes on to her college years, from 2011–2016 when she studied at Louisiana State University and was first introduced to archery. According to Anna’s LinkedIn, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Horticultural Science, so it makes sense that she went into the nature industry. She first got into it by competing in local 3D archery tournaments and then worked with Bear Archery Factory in Gainesville, Fla., before moving back to Louisiana.
Once she moved back and started getting into gator hunting, a friend of hers got her in touch with the producers of Swamp People. But gator hunting wasn’t Anna’s main source of income. “[It was] a hobby,” she told The Advocate before her first season aired. “I have friends and we’ll go out and ‘gator hunt and they sell the ‘gators.”
‘Swamp People’ hunter Anna Ribbeck has a boyfriend and a side job.
It’s clear that gator hunting isn’t Anna’s only passion. Aside from foraging and archery, Anna works as an assistant communications specialist for LSU AgCenter to help curate their social media and brand marketing. She also finished her Master of Science at LSU in Plant, Environmental, and Soil Studies in 2023.
And according to her Facebook, although we don’t meet him on the show, Anna is dating Ry Smith, a fellow hunter. In a 2022 Facebook post, she gave him a shoutout for being “awesome and [her] permanent arrow caddy.” While she keeps him off her socials for the most part, he shared an adventure of them hunting in February 2024, so the likelihood is that they’re still going strong!
