Hunting as a Management Tool Alligator hunting is estimated to pay an average of $10,000 per season. Floridas recreational alligator harvest, approved by the state, is one of the states most popular hunting opportunities. For alligators that are 3 feet long, the percentage is higher. If you happen to harvest a tagged or marked alligator, report your tag to 352-357-0190 to ensure the viability of the population. If you do not want to have a permit, the chance to hunt with it is gone. Mark Shirley, a Vermilion Parish alligator rancher who has been in the business for 20 years, said the progress is easy to see. The statewide numbers aren't quite so dramatic. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes alligator protection very seriously. Alligators that are nuisance animals can be removed from their natural habitat or relocated to another location if they are deemed a threat. Alligator Harvest Permits can be purchased if you choose a quota hunt and must be held by a member of the alligator hunting party. Louisiana now has the most alligators in North America, which is a huge advantage. 19 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Alligator Bites on People in Florida. Previously, alligators were on an endangered species list but made a huge rebound, becoming somewhat of a dangerous presence. Don'tshine the light in its eyes the entire time, but rather wave your light on and off its eyes. Each year, alligator management units are established with harvest quotas that provide recreational opportunities and maintain alligator populations at targeted levels. Alligators primarily inhabit freshwater; however, they may be found in any body of water or wetland throughout Florida. Try to approach an alligator as quietly as you can, using either an electric trolling motor or paddles. More alligators mean less food per alligator, with the larger alligators either forcing the smaller ones out or alternatively pursuing them as potential prey.14 Continued residential and commercial development similarly means less natural habitat.15 Furthermore, higher ambient temperatures, less predictable and steady rainfall, and more frequent drought conditions result in fewer habitable water bodies. The correct answer to this question is both. The permit is valid for one year from the date of purchase. The 2,500 hunter sample size is more than adequate, statistically, to produce precise . An alligator harvested by hunters in Mississippi was discovered to have grown at an alarming rate, nearly doubling in size since it was first tagged in 2011. The average male alligator size is approximately 11 feet and the. Alligator hunting is frequently used to remove large gators from areas. Please check your email for a confirmation. The use of baited hooks, gig-equipped bang sticks, or firearms for taking alligators is prohibited except that bang sticks are permitted for taking alligators attached to a restraining line. Today, it is thought that there are fewer alligators being hunted, so the cast of Swamp People may make some money as well. The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. Typically, alligators have about 80 teeth in their mouth at one time, but they lose teeth frequently. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Farris Bryant Building Contrary to popular belief, bang sticks are the only firearm allowed for alligator hunting; no hand guns or rifles are allowed.45 But, of course, these methods are not without some controversy themselves, as some aspects have been denounced by critics as cruel.46, After harvesting, the permittee must attach a CITES tag within six inches from the tip of the tail. That hasnt always been the case. A hunter must have his or her license and one or more current alligator harvesting tags in addition to his or her license. What to know about the states fishing rules, Why two South Florida tour guides who freed 12 sharks are now paying for their actions, If a body of water is not a swimming pool, an ocean or a designated swimming area, dont go in it, Observe and photograph them from a distance. In order to hunt alligators, you need a license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The average size of the 2,552 alligators harvested in 2000 was 8 feet 8 inches; the average of the 8,402 killed in 2018 was 8 feet 2 inches. Ordinary care, however, does not mean the owner must prevent all injuries, but rather that the owner should use reasonable care to discover dangerous conditions on the property and to protect visitors from or inform visitors about those discovered conditions. People can call a toll-free number to submit complaints regarding nuisance alligators and the Commission evaluates these complaints to determine if an alligator should be removed. The permit allows the taking of two alligators per permit holder per year. Restrictions on alligator hunting during the early part of the century were almost nonexistent and the regulations that followed were much looser than they are today with essentially no hunting permits, tags, or quotas.5 Hunting for this top-of-the-food-chain species was managed in a fashion more similar to that of raccoons and rabbits, which was often year-round and with few limits. Benefits are not limited to those in the alligator industry, either. 2d 1095, 1097 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002). American crocodiles primarily inhabit coastal swamps and rivers in extreme southern Florida. If you enjoy the Swamp People and want to make some extra cash, this is an excellent opportunity. These permits have specific restrictions as to where you can access and harvest alligators, so be mindful of where you can hunt before obtaining one of these permits. 26 Hanrahan v. Hometown America LLC, 90 So. Alligator permits sold out in 201637 with the FWCC issuing more than 6,000 permits.38 Two types of hunting licenses are generally offered: by county or by harvest unit. Catching a cooler full of seatrout can sometimes be downright easy. Alligators can be hunted using a variety of methods, including firearms, bows, and spears. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "You get up close and personal with alligatorswhen you hunt them," Clanton said, "because you have to catch them before you can kill them.". New! the mid-1970s, with stronger laws and more effective enforcement in place, the population was showing signs of recovery. For Price, the change means one thing. All indications are that the program is working, Elsey said. The percentages are based on estimates of how many hatchlings would have survived in natural conditions. Asian carp. John Price is a Louisiana rancher. From 1948 to 2021, there were 442 . More: Lake O's lower level debated by stakeholders. The establishment of alligator hunting in Florida in 1988 was made necessary by the states need to control alligator populations. Alligator seasons are available in Louisiana. Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees, Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, See a full list of our Social Media accounts. The program has helped waterfowl, fish species and fur bearers, and that has benefited marsh-oriented businesses, like swamp tour companies and airboat operators. The proposal must go through a public comment period. Everybody knows we got alligators all over the place, he said. Search for alligator harvest information using the CITES tag number or permit holder name. The heaviest gator harvested in Florida was a1,043 pounder measuring13 feet 10.5inches takenApril 17, 1989, in Orange County through the nuisance alligator program. It was one of more than 8,000 nuisance gators harvested in 2017, and . It reminds us that even in a highly developed and populated state such as Florida, there are areas and animals that will always remain wild and untamed. Though alligators are found most often in freshwater, they can tolerate some levels of saltwater for a short period of time. (1) A person is not allowed to intentionally kill, injure, possess, or capture, or attempt to kill, injure, possess, or capture, an alligator or other crocodilian, or the eggs of an alligator or other crocodilian, unless authorized by the commission. The average male alligator size is approximately 11 feet and the average female is around 8 feet long, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676 Hunters nabbed 540 gators from Manatee and Sarasota counties combined from 2000-15. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. The Florida alligator hunting laws are quite simple. Their numbers declined significantly until the federal and state governments began to implement important legal protections designed to bring back the species from the edge of extinction. Keep watching and you are likely to see hundreds of alligators on your 100-mile journey from the Ft. Lauderdale area, across the Big Cypress National Preserve, to Naples. Alligators may be taken only by the use of artificial lures, or baited wooden pegs less than two inches in length attached to a hand-held restraining line and hand-held snares, harpoons, gigs, snatch hooks, and manually operated spears, spear guns, crossbows and bows with projectiles attached to a restraining line. tags will not be replaced unless they have been reported as stolen or lost. Alligator Sport Hunter licenses are $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents. accounted for an average of over 56 fatalities per year, compared to an average of about 1 fatality per year from alligator attacks in the United States (Forrester et al. Some will say this is never an option and that human development should yield to the alligators; after all, they have been around for millions of years longer than humans.30 Others will contend that there is no such thing as a good alligator and, therefore, their complete elimination from Florida would be welcomed, perhaps like the disease-carrying mosquito.31 The vast majority of Florida residents, however, fall somewhere in between. Fish and Wildlife Service, Species Profile for American Alligator, http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=C000. Someone who is authorized to hunt a permit holder may assist them in their hunt. It wont take long before you notice a set of eyes perched just above the water level, keeping a lookout for any activity or maybe a potential meal. Alligator skin is used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles, while alligator oil is used to grease cotton mills and steam engines. %PDF-1.5 % Photos of the alligator, hunters and tag courtesy of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Fish and Wildlife Service. 24 Latin, of a wild nature or disposition. In addition to the state program, some Florida counties issue a county- wide alligator harvest permit. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. That might not be the case at other sites, whererecent heavy rains have swelled creeks, canals, swamps and smaller lakes, giving gators more places to roam. The harvesting of alligators in Florida is an important component of alligator management in Florida and is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservations Commission (FWC). Their skins are used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles. The harvest program establishes a series of Harvest Management Units which have specific boundaries and times which the permit holder can hunt by. The longest alligator killed in Florida was a14-foot, 3.5-inch monsterweighing 654 pounds hunted Nov. 1, 2010, by Robert "Tres" Ammerman atLake Washington in Brevard County. In the upcoming season, which will begin on August 19, 2022 and end on October 3, 2022, SUNSET will be open all summer. Its imperative that anyone permitted to harvest alligators be aware of, and abide by the regulations. This venue is open from August 5 to September 1 (the season is 60 days long). When first tagged, the alligator measured 6.4 feet, meaning it grew an average of 8.6 inches each year over nine years. Until the alligators hide is tanned, taxidermied, or otherwise processed, the CITES tag must remain on the tail for identification.47 An alligator harvest report form is also required within 24 hours of harvesting and prior to taking the alligator to a processing facility.48 Information on the report includes such things as the date harvested, county and location, total length, tail girth, sex, and pounds of meat yielded.49 Any unused CITES tags must be mailed back to the FWCC Alligator Management Program by November 15.50. The largest in Sarasota County was 12 feet, 6 inches out of Curry Creek. hb```f`` 1 EY8:{f5@d\( v10tt4@:0 - = h.`aa>xUC@0/ U@ , H2Ns5 E% A female alligator guards her nest in the Louisiana marsh. 16 See Jackson Landers, Alligators in Your Backyard, Slate (Feb. 19, 2013), available at http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/animal_forecast/2013/02/alligators_in_virginia_climate_change_could_be_pushing_cold_blooded_species.html. Hunting season generally runs from August 15 through November 1 of each year.42 Hunting is allowed only at night and in the morning, between 5 p.m. and 10 a.m.43 Two alligators are allowed per permit without size limitations except that hatchlings cannot be taken (i.e., a minimum 18 inches from tip of snout to tip of tail).44 There are several legal methods of taking alligators including, but not limited to, bows, crossbows, gigs, spears, harpoons, spear guns, hand lines, fishing poles, and bang sticks. 449 S 12th St.Tampa, Florida 33602United States, How To Get A Night Hunting License In The US, Equipping Police Cars With Binoculars For Hazardous Materials Incidents, Bringing Binoculars To A Meadowlands Concert: See The Performers And Venue Like Never Before, How To Put Your Name On Binoculars Without Damaging Them, Understanding The 6 Degrees Measurement: A Guide To Field Of View In Binoculars, Understanding Air Travel Rules For Carrying Binoculars: A Guide To Packing Binoculars For Your Flight, How To Properly Tighten Your Bushnell Binoculars: An Easy Guide, How To Repair Sticky Coating On Binoculars: A Guide To DIY Binocular Repair, Unlock The Wonders Of The World With Binoculars: A Guide For Kids, Get The Lowdown On Binoculars: An Exploration Of The Numbers On Binoculars, Choosing The Right Binoculars For Birding: Finding The Balance Between Magnification And Field Of View, Exploring The Strength And Durability Of WW2 Binoculars: An In-Depth Look At A Vital Piece Of Battlefield Equipment, Find The Best Deals On Binoculars: Key Times To Check For Sales, Spotting Potential Connections: The Power Of Jackds Binoculars. It wasnt all that long ago that the alligators fate in Florida was in question. A Quota Alligator Harvest Permit (or free permit if applicable) and a Harvest Record are required for hunters to hunt alligator. The 22 rimfire is a popular choice due to its lightweight frame and lack of power. 191 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<8CBFE19D2ED2B647BBAA00E4105AE958>]/Index[169 33]/Info 168 0 R/Length 108/Prev 365416/Root 170 0 R/Size 202/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream 33 See Ian Nance, Annual Harvest Helps Alligators to Flourish, Orlando Sentinel (Sept. 7, 2016), available at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-gator-hunt-pro-front-burner-09062016-20160907-story.html. Increased Human Interaction 38 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2016 Guide to Alligator Hunting in Florida. The Private Lands Alligator Management Program allows the harvest of non-hatchling alligators on private landholdings and government owned 3 or leased land with a documented, harvestable alligator population. Each year, a total of 5,000 hunting permits are issued, and hunters can only hunt two alligators during each season. With over 1 million print readers per month and the industrys most expansive distribution network, we have emerged as one of the largest outdoor publications in the United States and abroad, thus solidifying our place as a preferred resource. Hunting or fishing are not required in Florida for the alligator hunting season. Recreational hunting is just one part of the FWCs overall approach to managing the alligator population. Louisianas alligator harvest, which dates back centuries and has a significant economic impact on the state, continues to this day. 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