The Florida alligator hunting laws are quite simple. Alligator ranching began in the mid-1980s and relied on ranchers collecting eggs from nests in the wild and hatching them on their own. The West Zone will open its doors on September 1. For alligators that are 3 feet long, the percentage is higher. In addition, the state's hunting program allows about 40,000 wild alligators to be harvested each year. 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. Where regulations existed, mostly on a local level, enforcement was lacking.6 Hunting during that era was also less recreational in nature and more about obtaining alligator hides for sale. Dont wait, because the tags are limited and will be gone quickly. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is another one of those enduring symbols of Florida. This year, officials counted 58,100 nests, a record number. Most farming operations obtain their stocks via this program.
The Florida record for weight is a 1,043 pound (13 feet 10.5inch long) alligator taken from Orange Lake in Alachua County. In addition to the state program, some Florida counties issue a county- wide alligator harvest permit. When first tagged, the alligator measured 6.4 feet, meaning it grew an average of 8.6 inches each year over nine years. 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. When you think of Florida, images of sandy beaches, orange groves dotted with fragrant white blossoms, or the many cypress swamps and wetlands might come to mind. Alligators may only be harvested by residents who do not own land and are accompanied by an alligator guide during the sport season. The experience of harvesting an alligator can provide a lifetime of memories and campfire stories. Alligators can be hunted using a variety of methods, including firearms, bows, and spears. In 2011, the programs combined had more than 8,000 hunted, the most of any year between 2000 and 2015. Those who pursue alligator hunting, on the other hand, can make a little money. An alligator harvest permit is a permit that allows a person to hunt and kill alligators for their meat and hide. Population Decline 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. The second-most common was 7 feet, followed by 7 feet, 6 inches. 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 addition, the hide can be tanned and made into leather products. Yet it also is a point of controversy between the FWCC and animal rights advocates based on fundamental disagreements over both the need for the program, and also the methods employed to manage the population. The FWC Office of Licensing and Permitting can only reprint permits after the permit holder has requested that it be done so. Between 1880 and 1933, more than 3.5 million alligators were killed, a rate greater than 64,000 per year. If you happen to harvest a tagged or marked alligator, report your tag to 352-357-0190 to ensure the viability of the population. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issues hunting licenses for alligators. The largest in Sarasota County was 12 feet, 6 inches out of Curry Creek. That hunting took a big bite out of the wild gator population, and by 1962 hunting was outlawed. Of those, the largest was 13 feet, 6 inches, found in August in the Kissimmee River. In addition to providing permit holders with a much desired opportunity to experience alligator hunting in Florida, alligator meat is a delicious and healthy choice. In May, lottery applications are due. There are many alligators in Florida, but in Louisiana, the most common are in coastal marshes, and they live in freshwater rivers, lakes, and swamps. 48 (Mar. Louisiana has an alligator harvest that dates back hundreds of years. 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. There are an estimated 800,000 alligators on ranches and more than a million in the wild in Louisiana. 191 0 obj
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Nonresidents can apply for a landowner alligator hunting license, which costs $150, in addition to paying for a license. There is no federal law against alligator hunting, so it is generally legal in the United States. Choosing a hunting rifle should consider the caliber, weight, and power of the gun. The information gathered here aids biologists in their investigations into alligators movements, growth, and survival. An Alligator Trapping License, a Harvest Permit, and two CITES tags will be awarded to the applicant who successfully completes the application process. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the state is home to about 1.3 million of the freshwater reptiles. This program is a model for other states and countries to properly manage and conserve important animal species. Alligators, grouped by age and size, inhabit a pool Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at the Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington. Larger calibers have a higher energy expended rate, but this also increases the chances of projectiles tearing up something. So after you see one, try using a dimmed or filtered light as you approach. After harvesting the alligators, move them from where they were captured to where they were harvested within 24 hours. In 2000, that was reduced to 14 percent, and in 2007, to 12 percent. When they get larger, the scales are too big. The . Alligators or alligator hides cannot be sold to the general public unless they are purchased from a fur buyer or dealer. Owner John Price checks on his alligators Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at the Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington. "There's going to be an abundance of alligators out there. On average, over the past 20 years, there have been approximately 10 unprovoked alligator bites per year on people in Florida, the majority of which were considered major requiring medical care beyond first aid to treat the wounds.19 Approximately 7 percent of these unprovoked encounters resulted in a fatality.20. Between Thursday and Nov. 1, Florida's population of 1.3 million alligators may drop by about 15,000. In 1975, the American alligator was also listed as an Appendix I species during the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), thereby prohibiting the export of alligator hides.13. 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. When an alligator hunter reaches his or her quota, all hooks and lines must be removed from the water. The extent of this duty will depend on several factors, such as the status of the victim, knowledge of the owner, and knowledge of the victim. The current state record alligator length is 14 feet 3.5 inches taken from Lake Washington in Brevard County. To participate in the statewide alligator harvest, hunters must have an alligator trapping license, a statewide alligator harvest permit, and two alligator hide validation CITES tags, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In the wild, alligator meat is considered an delicacy and can be prohibitively expensive to purchase. 35 Michael R. Conover, Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts: The Science of Wildlife Damage Management 48 (2002). Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington, photographed Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. Alligators at that size have scales that are the right size to be made into belts, wallets, watchbands and the like, Price explained. 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 establishment of alligator hunting in Florida in 1988 was made necessary by the states need to control alligator populations. 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). In addition, the states hunting program allows about 40,000 wild alligators to be harvested each year. Alligator hunting was established in 1988, due to the growing need for population control over the 1.3 million alligators in Florida. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Farris Bryant Building
All told, alligator ranching is estimated to be a $100 million industry in Louisiana, Elsey said. 18 U.S. While accompanied by a guide, a non-resident or person who is not a resident of the state may harvest alligators as a sport hunter on private property without the use of a hunting license or permission. Ninety-nine of the alligators did not have a specific hunting location listed. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676
Recreational hunting is just one part of the FWCs overall approach to managing the alligator population. If you think you can harvest an alligator like they do in the TV Reality Series Swamp People, then think again. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. A CITES-tagged alligator is required for two hide validation tags and an alligator trapping license is required for the first alligator season. Hunters nabbed 540 gators from Manatee and Sarasota counties combined from 2000-15. 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. A safari jeep full of tourists were observing two fighting rhinos when the animals suddenly turned their attention on the jeep and charged. For example, the presence of poison ivy on a property may carry with it a lower level of due care than the presence of a 12-foot bull alligator. Accurate estimates of species counts coupled with the issuance of the right number of hunting permits can take much-needed pressure off a species that is often competing for a portion of an insufficient supply of habitat or food.33 Hunting also provides recreational opportunities as well as a revenue source to the state through licensing, gear, guides, meat, and hide sales.34 Moreover, hunting offers the added benefit of reducing the possibility of human-animal impacts.35 Florida witnessed this most recently in the much publicized and highly controversial black bear hunt.36 However, hunting for charismatic mega-fauna like the black bear generally attracts a different type and level of attention than the hunting of the mysterious and ominous alligator. As expected, and in an effort to manage the total numbers taken, alligator hunting permits carry with them many restrictions. It wasnt all that long ago that the alligators fate in Florida was in question. Human development is often pitted against nature while simultaneously wrestling with social and economic implications. That samenumber will be the distance,infeet, from the tip of the animal'ssnout to the tip of its tail. 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. Orange Lake ranked third with 3,110 alligators hunted. To inculcate in its members the principles of duty and service to the public, to improve the administration of justice, and to advance the science of jurisprudence.
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. So what is the explanation given by experts? Whereas, the American crocodile is brown/tan in color with dark splotches on the sides and tail; it has a narrow snout; and the fourth tooth of its lower jaw projects outside the upper jaw. You can pick up your areas local edition at over 11,000 marine specific businesses, retail outlets or big box stores. 46 See Care 2 Petitions, Stop the Alligator Hunt!, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-alligator-hunt/. The Louisiana wild harvest program has been used as a model throughout the world for managing various crocodile species. In order to hunt alligators, you need a license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. So associated with and prevalent in the state, it was designated as the official state reptile by the Florida Legislature in 1987.2 Just take a drive across State Road 84, or Alligator Alley as it is often referred to by native south Floridians, and glance over into the dark tannic acid waters of the drainage canals that parallel this mostly desolate road. Florida, the sunshine state teeming with alligators. 3d 915, 918-19 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). Its really amazing when contrasted with the growth rate of an 11-foot, 1-inch alligator harvested by hunter Cory Stewart at the end of August. County-wide permits allow hunting in most public water bodies within that specific Florida county. 17 University of Florida Bureau of Economic Business Research, Florida Estimates of Population 2015, available at http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/population-demographics/data/PopulationEstimates2015.pdf. The statewide numbers aren't quite so dramatic. It is rare to document alligators of this size class with annual growth rates of this magnitude, the MWDFP stated on Facebook. If you do not have a Florida drivers license or an identification card, you cannot apply online. Only sunrise and sunset are permitted as harvesting hours for alligator. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes alligator protection very seriously. 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. tags will not be replaced unless they have been reported as stolen or lost. He is the environmental services and facilities director for the City of Tallahassee. This column is submitted on behalf of the Animal Law Section, Ralph A. DeMeo, chair, and Deborah C. Brown, editor. "There's just a fraction of the really large alligators around now compared to what there used to be when I first started hunting," Clanton said. Alligator Sport Hunter licenses are $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents. in a smaller area. 169 0 obj
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Ranchers wont actually be able to return the lower percentage until 2018 at the earliest. Alligator Protections Under the Law Rather, officials see the alligators as a resource, and they want to encourage wise utilization of that resource.. 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. Floridas recreational alligator harvest, approved by the state, is one of the states most popular hunting opportunities. endstream
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<. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. In private land, you can buy tags for free. After careful consideration, and backed by research,32 Florida reinitiated statewide alligator harvesting in 1988. Numerous alligator encounters have been documented and reported by the media, many of which ended in serious injury or death. For 2015 there are five hunting periods which must be declared on your permit application and they are; Period 1, 5:00pm August 15th until 10:00am August 22nd; Period 2, 5:00pm August 22nd until 10:00am August 29th; Period 3, 5:00pm August 29th until 10:00am September 5th; Period 4, 5:00pm September 5th until 10:00am September 12th; and finally Period 5, 5:00pm September 12th until 10:00am November 1st for those participants who have any unused tags after their assigned harvest period. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. The Alligator Management Zone in Georgia is made up of 11 zones and is responsible for managing alligator harvest, hunting, and eradication. Phase 1 random drawing application deadlines are May 17 at 10 a.m. and May 27 at 5 p.m. A permit allows hunters to harvest two alligators from a designated harvest unit or county. Each permit allows its holder to harvesttwo alligators, so up to 15,358 alligators could be killed this season. In order to ensure that population trends didnt reverse course, many other statutory and regulatory protections were implemented and remain in place today. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Frequent discoveries in backyard swimming pools, garages, and on roads are the norm in some areas. You can complete the alligator harvest report form online or by submitting a printed hardcopy. More: Lake O's lower level debated by stakeholders. Captured alligators should be killed immediately and their meat cooled as quickly as possible. There is no clear-cut winner in this game. 15 See Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Are Alligators Posing a New Threat to Humans?. Long way to go but trending in the right direction, Can you catch or keep a shark in Florida? 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. The Alligator Harvest Report Form must be completed by permit holders in order to harvest alligator. Hunting season generally runs from August 15 through November 1 of each year. Alligator hunting is a popular sport in Louisiana. An alligatormust be at least 18 inches long from snoutto tail to harvest. It debuted in 2010 and quickly became a smash hit. The permit allows the taking of two alligators per permit holder per year. Alligators are tagged with unique identifiers that can be used to track their movements and locations. They relate to the taking of nuisance alligators, alligator farming, selling of alligator products, and much more. Permits are assigned in each unit or county based on a calendar year. When it comes to alligators in Louisiana, you must have a hunting license. FWC will issue over 7,300 alligator harvest permits this year. If you are new to the sport, then do your research, plan your hunt a year in advance, hire a qualified guide or outfitter, and hope the permit lottery falls in your favor. In that first year, officials counted just 8,600 nests. More than 300 hunters in Louisiana are estimated to have killed 800 alligators thanks to the states lottery system, which operates on nearly 40 wildlife management areas and public lakes throughout the state. Each permit authorizes the taking of two alligators within a specified Harvest Unit. "It is rare to document alligators of this size class with annual growth rates of this magnitude," the MWDFP stated on Facebook It's really amazing when contrasted with the growth rate of an. Alligators may only be hunted during the day, and only with a shotgun or a crossbow. Another important protection involves the duty of an owner or occupant to warn others regarding the presence or potential of a dangerous condition, such as wild animals. Hunting American alligators for sport is permitted by law in certain circumstances and with a state license. Thats a direct addition to the bottom line, he said. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. At least two people died in 2022 from alligator attacks Credit: Getty How many alligator attacks took place in 2022? Recreational hunting is just one part of the FWC's overall approach to managing the alligator population. 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. 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). Alligators were listed as an endangered species by Florida in 1967 and added to the federal list when theEndangered Species Act wassigned into law in 1973. That extra foot-and-a-half of water spread out over the marshes along Lake O's western and northern shores would "give alligators a lot more places to hide," Clanton said. Thats an annual growth rate of 1.9 inches per year. Alligator hunters must have a valid Florida hunting license, and must take an alligator hunting safety course. Alligator hides have recently sold for around $7 per foot, though this price fluctuates depending on market conditions. 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. Each year, alligator management units are established with harvest quotas that provide recreational opportunities and maintain alligator populations at targeted levels. Between Thursday and Nov. 1,Florida's population of1.3 million alligators may drop by about 15,000. Visitors to Louisiana enjoy a wide range of activities, one of which is visiting the swamps. 47 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2016 Guide to Alligator Hunting in Florida, http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/alligator/. A link to the Florida alligator harvest statistics by year (Provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation . Of nonvenomous animal fatalities, a majority (approximately 72 per year) resulted from interactions with mammals or dogs (Forrester et al. Its a little opposed to the method of total protection, hands-off, she said. People enjoy the excitement of the hunt as well as the excitement of seeing an alligator in the wild. All sales have been completed, and no refunds will be provided to those who completed the application. Alligators for sale and shipping. All indications are that the program is working, Elsey said. People have observed alligators feeding on carp floating in the waterways following a die-off and feeding on live carp. Although alligators can be found in ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, swamps, and bayous in Louisiana, they are most common in our coastal marshes. Its a well-known fact that Florida has a lot of alligators. Wild Alligator Harvest Summaries By Year 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 "I think it's going to be an exceptionally good year for alligator hunting,"saidLewis Clanton of Fort Pierce,an alligator hunting guide for 23 years. Each year, hunters with alligator tags apply for the season to begin. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. But the proposal approved last month by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission means ranchers wont have to return as many to the wild, so they will have more to sell. "Alligators are a conservation success story inFlorida,"FWC spokesperson Tammy Sapp said in an email. The Burmese python is now distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and areas to the north including Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Forest. 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how many alligators are harvested in florida each year