In order to hunt alligators, you need a license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Each year, alligator management units are established with harvest quotas that provide recreational opportunities and maintain alligator populations at targeted levels. 2d 1095, 1097 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002). The Florida alligator hunting laws are quite simple. When it comes to the business of hunting alligators, which has become a lucrative business across the state in recent years for their skin and meat, Florida residents and non-residents aged 18 or older can register for a permit, which allows for hunting two gators. 26 Hanrahan v. Hometown America LLC, 90 So. The species, along with many others, was a casualty of habitat loss and hydrologic alterations beginning in the late 1800s and early 1900s as much of Floridas wetlands and swamps were drained for flood control, navigation, and agriculture and to make way for roads, housing, and future development. The FWC established an annual statewide recreational alligator harvest opportunity in 1988 that has been recognized as a model program for the sustainable use of a renewable natural resource. 2012). %PDF-1.5 % 48 (Mar. FWC holds training seminars prior to the season to help informed the public on the requirements within the harvesting program. Only time will tell whether harvesting will remain a viable tool for population control. After an extended period of exploitation and an attempt to mitigate the resulting decline in alligator populations, in 1967 the American alligator was placed on the list of endangered species and protected from harvesting. Hunting with alligator tags enables you to keep track of your catches and learn more about them. While necessary to support a growing population and economy, these chemicals were believed to be contributing to a variety of maladies, such as endocrine disruption, decrease in egg viability, and neural decline.7 Eutrophication of water bodies and fertilizer runoff also affected the alligator.8 Green algae that choked water bodies and prevented light infiltration to the water column caused an imbalance in the food chain affecting the availability of prey.9 As a result of these various factors, the population of alligators declined. Heres what to know, Signs of Everglades recovery emerge. The price per foot for a whole alligator is estimated to be $22 in 2011, and the price per foot for a skinned alligator is $24. 3 Exploring Florida, Florida Census: 1940, http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/docs/c/census/1940.htm. It debuted in 2010 and quickly became a smash hit. As expected, and in an effort to manage the total numbers taken, alligator hunting permits carry with them many restrictions. Each winner will receive a $25 alligator hunting license and a $40 alligator tag. This year, officials counted 58,100 nests, a record number. Its a little opposed to the method of total protection, hands-off, she said. Alligator hunting is only allowed in certain areas of the state, and you can only hunt during specific times of the year. A number of Burmese pythons have been found in the Florida Keys, but there is not yet confirmation of a . They're carnivorous predators, and it's not unusual for them to lose teeth on a difficult kill. The Alligator Farming Program which raises alligators for commercial harvest. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. 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Recreational hunting is just one part of the FWC's overall approach to managing the alligator population. Thats a direct addition to the bottom line, he said. The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. Customers who have a valid FWC Resident Disability License are exempt from the purchase of an Alligator Trapping Agent License. Its imperative that anyone permitted to harvest alligators be aware of, and abide by the regulations. Louisianas alligator harvest, which dates back centuries and has a significant economic impact on the state, continues to this day. In addition to the number of chances and percentage of applicants selected, the department has posted a map with a list of the 48 areas. Swamp People follows a group of alligator hunters as they hunt alligators during Louisianas 60-day alligator hunting season. 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. It is legal, however, to keep an alligator in some states. 201 0 obj <>stream Between Thursday and Nov. 1,Florida's population of1.3 million alligators may drop by about 15,000. Alligator hunting is frequently used to remove large gators from areas. 21 F.A.C.R. In private land, you can buy tags for free. For example, it is illegal to intentionally feed, or entice with feed, any crocodilian unless held in captivity under a permit issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) or otherwise provided.21 Feeding can cause alligators to lose their fear of people, an important evolutionary trait that benefits both people and animal. Because of its larger caliber, he believes it is possible to put more energy into a shot, but it is also possible to damage something in the process. ONLY IN FLORIDA: WATCH A MANATEE CHASE AN ALLIGATOR AT A FLORIDA PARK. The statewide numbers aren't quite so dramatic. When first tagged, the alligator measured 6.4 feet, meaning it grew an average of 8.6 inches each year over nine years. 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. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676 Hunting or fishing are not required in Florida for the alligator hunting season. Alligator skin is used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles, while alligator oil is used to grease cotton mills and steam engines. The nuisance program is one of five components of Floridas comprehensive Alligator Management Program. Attacks like this are horrifying, but relatively uncommon, considering there are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida, and more than 21 million people. 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. The permit is valid for one year from the date of purchase. Alligator hunting season runs Aug. 15 to Nov. 1 in Florida. Catching just one gator trout heavier than 5 pounds is a different story. The proposal must go through a public comment period. "You get up close and personal with alligatorswhen you hunt them," Clanton said, "because you have to catch them before you can kill them.". That samenumber will be the distance,infeet, from the tip of the animal'ssnout to the tip of its tail. This program provides an opportunity for ranchers to collect over 350,000 alligator eggs, trappers to harvest over 28,000 wild alligators, and farmers to harvest over 250,000 farm-raised alligators annually. For example, in 1967 after consultation with the states and scientists, the U.S. Alligator Protections Under the Law "A$WH2/NV@L %`700@g`` J After all, these creatures ranging in sizefrom foot-long hatchlings to an 8-footer that stared unblinkingly from 6 feet away are his business, and business is about to get a little better on his 15-acre ranch near Abita Springs. ALLIGATOR FACT SHEET HISTORY The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has changed little from its original form some 180 million years ago. Providing recreational opportunities and revenue, hunting decreases competition for a finite supply of food and habitat, and reduces the likelihood of human-species interactions. 10 32 Federal Register No. Protecting People Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Hunter success ([alligators harvested/tags issued] 100) during each year of the statewide annual alligator harvest in Louisiana, USA, 1985-2015. 23 See Post v. Lunney, 261 So. The Statewide Alligator Harvest Program enables the harvest of non- hatchling alligators, those greater than 18-inches, on specific public waters or within specific counties. Alligators that are nuisance animals can be removed from their natural habitat or relocated to another location if they are deemed a threat. The Louisiana wild harvest program has been used as a model throughout the world for managing various crocodile species. Louisiana alligator hunting regulations state that lottery hunters can only be assigned six lines for each of the three alligator tags they are issued. In 2020, there were 16,172 applications for hunting permits spread across 69 hunting units, as well as 65 additional licenses throughout the county. We use asterisks (*) to indicate data points not used in analysis because of the deleterious effects on alligator nesting of Hurricane Rita (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008). Within the past five years, the number of alligator hides obtained through wild harvesting is approximately 6,500-7,000 per year while farm-raised alligator harvesting has provided a supply of hides ranging from 15-18,000 per year. They are quick and it only takes a second to lose a finger, a hand, or worse. Applicants can apply for limited entry and quotas permits online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com (sign in) or by completing the Application Form and presenting it to a license agent or tax collectors office. 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. 36 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2015 Florida Black Bear Hunt Summary Report; David Shiffman, 298 Bears Killed in Florida Hunt that Ignored Science, Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2015, available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/10/29/298-bears-killed-in-florida-hunt-that-ignored-science/?utm_term=.42cf5cfab9a9. Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees, Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, Wild Alligator Harvests by Harvest Program, Table of officially-measured, large Florida alligators, Alligator Meat Processors and Hide Buyers, See a full list of our Social Media accounts. SNAP is administered through contract for the removal of specific nuisance alligators. Alligator hides have recently sold for around $7 per foot, though this price fluctuates depending on market conditions. Since at least 1962, WRD has used scientifically valid, survey methodology to get estimates of not only deer harvest, but also harvest estimates of other game species. Orange Lake ranked third with 3,110 alligators hunted. A Florida alligator trapping license or harvest permit costs $272, while two hide validation CITES tags for non-residents cost $22. Instead, the gators will be congregated ("congre-gatored"?) In the upcoming season, which will begin on August 19, 2022 and end on October 3, 2022, SUNSET will be open all summer. 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. The permit allows the taking of two alligators per permit holder per year. From 1948 to 2021, there were 442 . The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issues hunting licenses for alligators. There was a problem saving your notification. When selecting a hunting rifle, it is critical to consider its weight, caliber, and power. 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. Luckily for themand not so much for usalligators will regrow their teeth quickly. The business of nuisance alligator removal is certainly not in jeopardy. The alligator population in this state is estimated at 1.3 million alligators of every size and has been stable for many years. Alligator meat currently sells for around $20 a pound, which is quite high. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Alligators are tagged with unique identifiers that can be used to track their movements and locations. Someone who is authorized to hunt a permit holder may assist them in their hunt. 4 Exploring Florida, Florida Census: 1980, http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/docs/c/census/1980.htm. The Statewide Alligator Harvest Program enables the harvest of non- hatchling alligators, those greater than 18-inches, on specific public waters or within specific counties. Habitat preferences and several physical characteristics distinguish the American alligator from the American crocodile. John Price is a Louisiana rancher. 7 See, e.g., Endocrine Disruptors Start a Medical Revolution: From Alligators to Humans, Science Daily (Jan. 5, 2014), available at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140105102505.htm. Photos of the alligator, hunters and tag courtesy of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Louisiana has an alligator harvest that dates back hundreds of years. 32 See Keith Wood, Gator Hunting in the Sunshine State, NRA American Hunter (June 11, 2012), available at https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2012/6/11/gator-hunting-in-the-sunshine-state/. The largest in Sarasota County was 12 feet, 6 inches out of Curry Creek. Growing up to 14 feet in length,18 with 75 to 80 sharp teeth, and thousands of pounds per square inch of bite strength, many of the human encounters with this apex predator end in serious injury and sometimes death. , to keep an alligator Trapping license or harvest permit costs $ 272 while., Wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc an average of 8.6 inches each year over nine years alligators! And Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan if they are deemed a threat overall approach to the... S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL ( 850 ) 488-4676 hunting or fishing are not required in.... 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