Author: Gator Hunter

Mississippi Alligator Season 2017

The Mississippi alligator hunting season dates for 2017 have been approved. The Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks approved the proposed rule changes for the 2017 alligator hunting season on public waters and private lands in Mississippi on March 22.

The statewide public waters season will include opportunities in specific public waterways. As proposed, a total of 920 permits will be available within 7 hunting zones across the state for the 10-day season, August 25 – September 4, 2017.

Mississippi Alligator Season 2017

2017 Alligator Hunting Permits

The process for issuing alligator permits will change to an electronic application process followed by a random drawing of applicants. Drawn applicants will be notified by email with a link to purchase their permit ($200) within a limited amount of time. Upon the purchase deadline, any unpurchased gator permits from the first drawing will be entered into a second drawing of available applicants.

Drawn applicants from the second drawing will also be notified by email with a link to purchase their permit within a limited amount of time. Applications will be accepted for one week beginning June 1.

Apply for Mississippi Alligator Permits

To be eligible to apply for an alligator hunting permit you must be a resident of Mississippi, at least 16 years of age at the time of application. Applications will be free, but electronic processing fees will be required. Applicants may only apply in one alligator hunting zone of their choice.

Applications will be accepted online or at any point of sale location where Mississippi hunting and fishing licenses are sold. Applicants must have one of the following licenses to be eligible to apply: a valid Mississippi Sportsman License, All-Game Hunting/Fishing License, Small Game Hunting/Fishing License, Apprentice Sportsman License, Apprentice All Game License, Apprentice Small Game License, Senior Exempt License, Disabled Exempt License, or Lifetime License.

Private Lands Alligator Season

A private lands alligator hunting season will be available to landowners whose properties meet specific qualifications within 33 open counties. Two new counties, Coahoma and Tallahatchie, were added for the private lands season for 2017, Applications and instructions for private lands permits are available online. Applications are accepted in June and must be submitted by July 1.

The proposed changes for these rules have been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office and will begin a 30-day period of public comment by interested parties. Sportsmen and women’s opinions are encouraged during this evaluation period.

Also, there is still time for hunters and landowners with something to say regarding Mississippi’s 2017 alligator season. You can email or write your comments for Commission consideration to: Sharonp@mdwfp.state.ms.us.; or Alligator Hunting Seasons Rule Comment, 1505 Eastover Drive; Jackson, MS 39211.

Arkansas Alligator Hunting Season a Good One!

The 10th annual Arkansas alligator hunting season wrapped up on September 26, but not before a record-setting 64 alligators had been harvested in two weekends of gator hunting. With the number of harvested gators at an all time high, does that mean the alligator population in Arkansas is on the rise? Not necessarily.

According to Mark Barbee, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife biologist at the Monticello Regional Office, the record number doesn’t necessarily mean the gator population is up in rcent years, but instead can be related to the availability of water during alligator survey periods and the efforts of the hunters.

Arkansas Alligator Permits Survey-Based

“We issue the number of permits each year based on surveys done in spring,” Barbee said. “If there’s a lot of water, we can access a lot more areas and our count may go up, allowing us to increase alligator permits. However, higher water levels can also have a negative impact, in that alligators can disperse into new areas we can’t access, so it’s not a sure thing.”

Other state wildlife professionals agree on this point. Water levels are an important factor when it comes to surveying, managing alligators in their available habitat. It impacts the total number of alligator permits in Texas, Louisiana and over the American alligators range. But the number of permits issued is only half of the equation. The total number of permit claimed and used are another component.

Alligator Hunting in Arkansas

“Each year we have 15 or so people who don’t claim their permit or attend the mandatory orientation here in Arkansas,” Barbee said. “This year’s participation was much better.” Barbee says the success rate for participants this year was 58 percent, which is fairly consistent with years past. Barbee says this year, 116 permits were available for the drawing, and out of those drawn, 111 hunters attended the mandatory orientations to receive their permit.

“If you were to count the success of hunters encountering a legal gator it would be much higher than the number of permits actually used,” Barbee said. “Many hunters see legal gators during their alligator hunt but pass them up, looking for a larger one. A few get lucky and find them. Some keep looking until the gator hunting season runs out.”

Record Alligator Hunting Season, No Record Gator

A record number of gators were tagged during the alligator hunting season although none broke the Arkansas state record of 13 feet, 10 inches. However, both zones had some gators longer than 12 feet taken! The largest of the season came from Zone 3 (southeast Arkansas) and measured 12 feet, 10½ inches. The largest from Zone 1 (southwest Arkansas) was 12 feet, 4 inches. Plenty of 10- to 12-footers were shared via the AGFC’s Facebook page.

The southeast zone was responsible for 42 alligators harvested, while the southwest zone had 22 harvested animals.

Alligator Hunting, Management Eyed in North Carolina

Managing wild alligator populations is year-round task for wildlife agencies. Alligators are managed through regulated take which includes hunting seasons and personal or property bag limits. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Alligator Task Force are holding three public forums in early November to receive public input on management of American alligators in North Carolina.

Task force members will consider this input as they develop an alligator management plan. Commission staff will not present any proposals for changes in regulations governing alligator hunting. Alligator forums in North Carolina will run from 7 to 9 p.m.

Big South Carolina Alligator

North Carolina Alligator Forum Dates, Locations

  • Tuesday, Nov. 1
    Leland Town Hall, Council Chambers
    102 Town Hall Drive, Leland
  • Wednesday, Nov. 2
    Swansboro Parks and Recreation, Multi-Purpose Room
    830 Main Street Ext., Swansboro
  • Thursday, Nov. 3
    Dare County Center, Multi-purpose Room
    950 Marshall Collins Drive, Manteo

Alligator Task Force for North Carolina

There is a 15-member North Carolina Alligator Task Force that has been charged with writing an alligator management plan for the state. Members were appointed by Gordon Myers, the Commission’s executive director. The Task force includes private landowners and homeowners, Commission staff and scientists. The charge to the task force is to develop an alligator management plan that includes:

  • Evaluation of all available biological information on alligators in North Carolina,
  • Identification of knowledge gaps and additional research needed on alligator population demography, historical changes in alligator habitats, and public attitudes and opinions on alligator conservation,
  • Identification of areas where alligators may be over-populated and recommend biological and social strategies to address alligator management issues in these areas,
  • Recommendations of geographical management zones,
  • Recommendations for metrics to establish the number of permits per year that could be issued for opportunities to harvest alligators by hunting where sustainable and consistent with local alligator population, habitat, and social conditions, and
  • Recommendations on a framework for gathering public input on the North Carolina Alligator Management Plan.

Those who cannot attend a forum but would like to offer input on alligator hunting and management in North Carolina can submit their comments to Allen Boynton, Wildlife Diversity Program coordinator, at this email address: allen.boynton@ncwildlife.org.

Public Alligator Hunting in Mississippi: Apply for Permits

Alligator hunting in Mississippi is by special permit only. For 2016, public water alligator hunting permits will be available only through an on-line first-come-first-serve purchase process. These special permits will go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. on July 19, 2016, via the MDWFP website and www.ms.gov/mdwfp/alligator and will remain on sale till all available permits are sold.

Each permit costs $150 and requires the purchase of an Alligator Hunting License ($25). In addition, payment is required immediately and permits are not refundable, nor may they be transferred to another individual. A credit card or debit card and a valid email address are required to purchase the permit. Each person is limited to only one permit in a zone of their choice, as long as they are available.

To be eligible to purchase a public waters alligator hunting permit, persons must be at least 16 years of age and possess one of the following resident licenses prior to July 19: a valid Mississippi Sportsman License, All-Game Hunting/Fishing License, Small Game Hunting/Fishing License, Apprentice Sportsman License, Apprentice All Game License, Apprentice Small Game License, Senior Exempt License, Disabled Exempt License, or Lifetime License. Public water alligator hunting is open statewide; 920 permits are divided among 7 public water hunting zones.

Each special permit allows the harvest of two alligators over four feet long, but only one may exceed seven feet long. Hunters are required to tag all harvested alligators and conduct a mandatory harvest report. The 2015 alligator hunting season set several new records including a record harvest of 982 alligators on public waterways.

An Alligator Hunting Training Course will be offered on August 13 at Roosevelt State Park for persons who purchase one of the special permits. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended for persons who obtain a special permit. Course topics included alligator biology, research projects, legal capture and dispatching methods, skinning and processing, proper documentation, license purchasing procedures, and boating safety.

The public water alligator hunting season will open at noon on August 26 and close at noon on September 5, 2016. For more information regarding alligator hunting rules and regulations in Mississippi, visit their web site or call 601-432-2199.