Category: Public Alligator Hunting

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.

Alligator Hunting at Murphree WMA

One of the coolest places to go alligator hunting in Texas is at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This state-owned area is located near the town of Port Arthur, about 20 minutes southeast of Beaumont or 1 1/2 hours east of Houston. The WMA is big with over 30,000 acres of wetland habitat. It holds lot of ducks during the winter and lots of alligators all year long. It also has more than it’s fair share of mosquitos and deer flies.

The only way to get yourself on a gator hunting trip is through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) special draw lottery. It seems that there are usually around 100 alligator permits available each year, though it seems to fluctuate a little. Interested hunters need to submit their hunt application and the necessary fees of $3 per hunter to TPWD before August 1 each year. Selected hunters will then be notified by mail with the dates of the hunt and must submit an additional fee, which in recent years has been $80. Then your hunting permit is mailed to you.

This all happens fairly quickly since the alligator hunt applications are due in early August and the Texas gator season is September 10-30 annually. If you are lucky enough to get selected, then it’s time to get all necessary equipment together for the 24-hour hunt. Hunts typically start at noon on day 1 and end at noon on day 2. The only legal methods to harvest an alligator are by hook and line, bow and arrow or by harpoon. Most hunters go with the hook and line method, which involves suspending a bait above the water using a large can pole.

The Murphree WMA has all the cane poles you will ever need and loan them out readily, so you will not need to bring one. However, you will need a boat and the remainder of the necessary alligator hunting equipment, which is not really all that much. All you will need is a rope, hook and bait. Oh, and a strong stomach.

That’s because the best alligator bait is something really, really gross. I’m talking rotten chicken, week-old-in-a-cooler-sitting-in-the-sun NASTY!