Louisiana gears up for first recreational alligator hunt in more than 50 years
State to offer up to 5,000 trappers chance to snare reptiles whose numbers have risen to 3m from fewer than 100,000 The first recreational alligator hunt in Louisiana in more than half a century is about to commence in the swamps of that state, with up to 5,000 hopeful trappers facing strict rules in order to snare a reptile. The state’s fish and wildlife commission banned alligator hunting in…
Louisiana is preparing for its first recreational alligator hunt in over 50 years, as part of efforts to manage a population that has grown to an estimated 3 million from just below 100,000 before a ban on hunting was imposed in 1962. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LWF) will issue public permits to licensed hunters for a month-long season beginning October 1st, across eight zones statewide.
There are up to 5,000 trapper tags available through a lottery, with state residents paying $25 and visitors $150 each for participating zones, plus a $50 application fee. The hunt is non-commercial, prohibiting the sale of harvested alligators' meat or skin, and requiring trappers to use hook and line methods rather than poles or other poaching techniques.
Firearms are only allowed for killing captured alligators, not for shooting free-swimming reptiles. This marks a significant shift in hunting policy, aligning Louisiana with states like Florida, where similar regulated recreational hunting programs have been in place since the 1980s.
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