Category: Alligator Hunting

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.

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.

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.

Alligator Dates Set in Mississippi

It’s not even summer but we got alligator hunting on our minds! And, yes, the dates have been set for 2016 alligator hunting season in Mississippi. The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, on April 20, approved the final rule changes for the 2016 alligator hunting season on public waters and private lands in Mississippi.

The statewide public waters gator season will include opportunities in specific public waterways. Mississippi is offering a total of 920 alligator permits that will be available within seven hunting zones across the state for the ten-day season, August 26 – September 5, 2016.

All public water permits will be available for purchase on a first-come-first-serve basis. Permits will only be available for purchase electronically through the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ website beginning July 19, 2016 at 9 a.m. To be eligible to purchase an alligator hunting permit you must be at least 16 years of age and possess one of the following valid prerequisite resident licenses prior to July 19: 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. An Alligator Hunting Training Course will be provided to permit holders on August 13 at Roosevelt State Park, however the course is no longer mandatory.

Private Land Season Dates for Alligator

The private lands alligator hunting season from August 26 – September 19 will be available to landowners whose properties meet specific qualifications within 31 open counties. Three new counties, Lowndes, Noxubee, and Oktibbeha, were added for the private lands alligator season for 2016. Applications and instructions for private lands permits are available online and must be submitted by July 1.

The state of Texas is home to over 300,000 alligators. Most of these animals are found along the coast and in the eastern portion of the state. Southeast Texas is home to the most gators, but every once in a while some of Texas’ alligator population finds their way into trouble—into places they are not supposed to be. The regulated fall alligator hunting season helps curb gator numbers, but when alligators cause trouble, well, that’s when a nuisance alligator hunter gets the call.

It’s not too late to apply for this year. Nuisance alligator control hunters have until March 15 to apply for a permit under new rules adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The new protocol authorizes a permitted control hunter to contract directly with landowner or landowner’s agent (including a political subdivision, governmental entity, or property owner’s association) for a fee or other compensation for the removal of nuisance alligators. Continue reading Nuisance Alligator Hunting in Texas Deadline Approaches