Louisiana residents will have an excellent chance to get their hands on some alligator hunting equipment. The American alligator is the largest land reptile in North America. The . Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees, Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, See a full list of our Social Media accounts. Price, like all Louisiana alligator ranchers, doesnt breed alligators at his ranch. 0 Its not always easy to tell when its time to take a reptile, but it generally goes something like this: $500 for the reptile 7 feet or smaller, and $500 for the reptiles over 7 feet. Fish and Wildlife Service, Species Profile for American Alligator, http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=C000. ~ From the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. For alligators that are 3 feet long, the percentage is higher. Interest in alligators as a source of meat and leather dates back to the early 19th century. However, the act was amended in 1969 to cover amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and crustaceans, including an increase in penalties and even prison time. At least two people died in 2022 from alligator attacks Credit: Getty How many alligator attacks took place in 2022? Louisiana and Florida have approximately one million alligators, while Louisiana has approximately two million alligators. 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. Its mission is to address complaints concerning alligators, according to the FWC website. The current state record alligator length is 14 feet 3.5 inches taken from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The statewide alligator hunt is the only hunt in the country that is open to the general public. 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. Generally, owners or occupants do not have an obligation to warn others about the dangers of animals living in their natural habitats or to protect them from wild animal attacks.22 However, an owner must still exercise ordinary due care in managing their property, and failure to exercise ordinary care could give rise to a cause of action for negligence, particularly for invitees.23. More: Nuisance alligator found in Indian River Lagoon at Sewall's Point. The Alligator Management Zone in Georgia is made up of 11 zones and is responsible for managing alligator harvest, hunting, and eradication. Mark Shirley, a Vermilion Parish alligator rancher who has been in the business for 20 years, said the progress is easy to see. Over the years, many different law and policy approaches to reaching this proper balance have been attempted, ranging from the more traditional command-and-control regulatory approach to the more modern market-based approach,28 for example. The percentages are based on estimates of how many hatchlings would have survived in natural conditions. Although alligators can be found in ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, swamps, and bayous in Louisiana, they are most common in our coastal marshes. 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. BY FAIMON A. ROBERTS III | froberts@theadvocate.com. Ranchers wont actually be able to return the lower percentage until 2018 at the earliest. Human development is often pitted against nature while simultaneously wrestling with social and economic implications. On hooks and lines, alligator hunters may use firearms (except shotguns) to harvest free swimming alligators or dispatch them. 169 0 obj <> endobj 1:41. 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. Alligator meat currently sells for around $20 a pound, which is quite high. When it comes to alligators in Louisiana, you must have a hunting license. There are other laws too that are designed to protect not just the species, but people as well. One star-studded, two for future leaders, Theres a new rule to keep these cuties away from crab traps in Florida. If all you can see of an alligator is its head floating on top of the water, here'show to determine its length: Lower water levels should make alligator hunting atLake Okeechobeeespecially good, Clanton said. The number of gators harvested in the state last year reached a 10-year high. Every county in Florida, except Miami-Dade and Monroe, were issued alligator hunting permits in 2016.39 The largest number of county-wide permits were issued in Lake, Polk, and St. Johns counties situated in the central and northeast area of Florida.40 Harvest units are more specific and may apply to a particular lake, impoundment, or section of river, for example. 21 F.A.C.R. It wont happen immediately, however. A Florida hunting license is not required, however, to participate in the statewide alligator hunt. A permit is required to hunt alligators in Florida and can be obtained through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Alligator hunting is estimated to pay an average of $10,000 per season. Alligator conservation is a success story in Florida. More than 87,000 between 2000 and 2015 by the FWC, which coordinates two gator hunting programs: the statewide nuisance alligator program and the recreational statewide alligator harvest program. To get an estimate on the population size, officials flew helicopters over the marsh in straight lines, which remains the best way to estimate the population size. 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. The business of nuisance alligator removal is certainly not in jeopardy. 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. The American alligator is a reptile scientifically classified in the Family Alligatoridae. hbbd```b``"fHH &o^DY;`,X 2023 Coastal Angler Magazine Franchising, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Lake Okeechobee fishing report for March, 2022 by Capt. Troy and Jacob Landry, who hunt gators, have made their mark as celebrities. Since the time 2003-2005, this area of the Mississippi Delta has seen a tremendous increase in the Asian carp population, the MWDFP stated. The change only the third in the three-decade history of the state's alligator ranching program also means that Louisianas gator population is rebounding from historic lows reached in the middle of the last century and may be approaching a healthy level. 22 See Palumbo v. State Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 487 So. Alligator hunting is a popular sport in Louisiana. The toll-free number is 1-866-FWC- GATOR (1-866-392-4286). Each year, hunters with alligator tags apply for the season to begin. You have permission to edit this article. In addition to the state program, some Florida counties issue a county- wide alligator harvest permit. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions Statewide Alligator Harvest Program offers permits for the harvest of two gators per year. Wild alligators can be taken in any size during the open season, with no size limits. Their skins are used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles. The alligator trapping license/harvest permit and two hide validation CITES tags are $272 for residents of Florida, $22 for disabled Florida residents, and $1,022 for non-residents. 23 See Post v. Lunney, 261 So. It wasnt all that long ago that the alligators fate in Florida was in question. On May 31, 2022, a 47-year-old man, later identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, was found dead in John S. Taylor Park in Largo, Florida, with one arm torn off.. Paul Cozzie, the director of Parks and Conservation Resources in Pinellas County, told The New York Times that "he . 2012). Only sunrise and sunset are permitted as harvesting hours for alligator. That hunting took a big bite out of the wild gator population, and by 1962 hunting was outlawed. An alligatormust be at least 18 inches long from snoutto tail to harvest. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The alligator harvest season typically runs from September 1st to October 31st in Florida, and alligators can only be hunted during this time period. Ninety-nine of the alligators did not have a specific hunting location listed. Most of them are then sold for their hides, meat and other parts. It is a popular hunting sport in Louisiana and Florida. Scaling back: As alligator population grows, state considers putting fewer back into wild. The information gathered here aids biologists in their investigations into alligators movements, growth, and survival. 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. %PDF-1.5 % In the upcoming season, which will begin on August 19, 2022 and end on October 3, 2022, SUNSET will be open all summer. A larger caliber would be more powerful, but it would also increase the likelihood of causing damage. The proposal must go through a public comment period. 24 Latin, of a wild nature or disposition. The cut from 12 percent to 10 percent for alligators that are at least 48 inches long may seem small, but it's nevertheless a boon for ranchers and a sign that Louisiana's efforts to bolster the populationof wild alligators are paying off. 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. Population Decline 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. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. As their population rebounded, today reaching an estimated 1.2 million in Florida, species management is necessary. The FWC conducts alligator research on public waters throughout the state. John Price is a Louisiana rancher. Each period corresponds to a hunting period that starts Aug. 15. A specific zone is chosen and a hunter will be chosen. Between Thursday and Nov. 1, Florida's population of 1.3 million alligators may drop by about 15,000. Alligator hunting is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and permits can be obtained through their website. Despite the lessening of restrictions, the annual hunt is anything but a free-for-all, and state regulations limit the amount of participants and how many alligators are harvested. 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. Alligator hunting season runs Aug. 15 to Nov. 1 in Florida. Alligators have been a part of Floridas environment for thousands of years and records of commercial utilization of alligators in Florida date back into the late 1800s. 37 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alligator Management Program, http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/alligator/. 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. Its a win-win-win, said Ruth Elsey, a biologist manager with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. If an owner voluntarily decides to warn his or her guests, the owner could become liable if the warning or precautions are not sufficient and someone is nevertheless injured.27. All told, alligator ranching is estimated to be a $100 million industry in Louisiana, Elsey said. (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. Most were sold for boots, shoes, saddles and other leather goods. A CITES-tagged alligator is required for two hide validation tags and an alligator trapping license is required for the first alligator season. 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. Alligator hunting is frequently used to remove large gators from areas. When selecting a hunting rifle, it is critical to consider its weight, caliber, and power. The Alligator Farming Program which raises alligators for commercial harvest. Alligators less than 4 feet long can be relocated. Numerous alligator encounters have been documented and reported by the media, many of which ended in serious injury or death. The license costs $272 for residents and $1,022 for non-residents. 11 See, e.g., Erin Chapman, The Most Powerful Environmental Law on the Books, PBS News (July 9, 2010), available at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/video-the-most-powerful-environmental-law-on-the-books/2123/. Each year, a total of 5,000 hunting permits are issued, and hunters can only hunt two alligators during each season. Alligator hunting is typically a nighttime activity;legal huntinghours statewide are 5 p.m. to10 a.m. 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. It was one of more than 8,000 nuisance gators harvested in 2017, and . Captured alligators should be killed immediately and their meat cooled as quickly as possible. In addition, the hide can be tanned and made into leather products. Also on FTW: Watch as a bear gets touchy-feely with a shocked jogger. And ranchers win by being able to sell a marketable product. The permit allows the taking of two alligators per permit holder per year. 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. Preference is given to Florida residents who have completed an approved alligator hunting course. Each guide must have a valid alligator tag. County-wide permits allow hunting in most public water bodies within that specific Florida county. 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. Nonresidents can apply for a landowner alligator hunting license, which costs $150, in addition to paying for a license. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the state is home to about 1.3 million of the freshwater reptiles. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676 They are quick and it only takes a second to lose a finger, a hand, or worse. For those closer to 5 feet, its slightly lower. Alligators at that size have scales that are the right size to be made into belts, wallets, watchbands and the like, Price explained. Alligator skin is used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles, while alligator oil is used to grease cotton mills and steam engines. 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. 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. Harvest can only take place during the day, not at night. People enjoy the excitement of the hunt as well as the excitement of seeing an alligator in the wild. In order to ensure that population trends didnt reverse course, many other statutory and regulatory protections were implemented and remain in place today. In 2000, that was reduced to 14 percent, and in 2007, to 12 percent. The largest in Manatee was 12 feet, 9 inches hunted at an unspecified location in the county. 18 U.S. 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. Since 1988, the FWCC has successfully offered an alligator hunting season in Florida. If you are one of the fortunate few that received a harvest permit and are not familiar with the hunt, you can hire a guide or outfitter as long as they are a licensed alligator trapper or agent. 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. Alligators may only be hunted during the day, and only with a shotgun or a crossbow. 14 See Stephanie Pappas, Cannibalism Weeds Out Baby Alligators, Live Science (May 29, 2011), available at http://www.livescience.com/14368-cannibalism-baby-alligators-florida.html. The commission publishes data showing where the gators were hunted and how many were hunted each year, as well as the carcass size. In Louisiana and Florida, alligators are responsible for a significant portion of the ecosystem. 1 Quote attributed to Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State (1933-44) and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 for his role in organizing the United Nations. If you want to trap an alligator, youll need to purchase an Alligator Trapping License as well as two CITES tags. Long way to go but trending in the right direction, Can you catch or keep a shark in Florida? In addition, the state's hunting program allows about 40,000 wild alligators to be harvested each year. "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. The statewide numbers aren't quite so dramatic. 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. Do you have a hunting permit or license in Florida to hunt alligators? Don'tshine the light in its eyes the entire time, but rather wave your light on and off its eyes. The nuisance program is one of five components of Floridas comprehensive Alligator Management Program. Today, it is thought that there are fewer alligators being hunted, so the cast of Swamp People may make some money as well. It is rare to document alligators of this size class with annual growth rates of this magnitude, the MWDFP stated on Facebook. Louisiana residents are eligible for a $40 lottery-generated alligator hunting tag. 27 Seelbinder v. County of Volusia, 827 So. Customers who have a valid FWC Resident Disability License are exempt from the purchase of an Alligator Trapping Agent License. Visitors to Louisiana enjoy a wide range of activities, one of which is visiting the swamps. Alligator management programs implemented by FWC emphasize the conservation of alligator populations for their ecological, aesthetic, and economic values while providing for public use and safety. More than 15,000 applications were submitted for 7,679 permits to hunt alligators during . Louisiana, you must have a hunting period that starts Aug. 15 to Nov. 1, Florida #... Can apply for the harvest of two alligators during scientifically classified in the statewide alligator is! Their investigations into alligators movements, growth, and survival has approximately two million alligators, Louisiana. Participate in the statewide alligator hunt to be a $ 100 million in! 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