The major objectives of the AMP are to implement alligator harvest programs under the concept of controlled annual harvests while sustaining the economic, aesthetic, and ecological values of alligators as a renewable natural resource. 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. The experience of harvesting an alligator can provide a lifetime of memories and campfire stories. If you enjoy the Swamp People and want to make some extra cash, this is an excellent opportunity. If you happen to harvest a tagged or marked alligator, report your tag to 352-357-0190 to ensure the viability of the population. Alligator Harvest Permits can be purchased if you choose a quota hunt and must be held by a member of the alligator hunting party. There is no clear-cut winner in this game. Each period corresponds to a hunting period that starts Aug. 15. 11, 1967). Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Angie Douthit, South County Inshore & Freshwater: December 2021, 2020 Roland Martin Marine Center Series Results. Unlike commercial trapping seen on TV, hunters follow strict guidelines to hunt in FL. In some states, alligator hunting is only allowed during a specific season and with a permit, while in other states no permit is required. The largest in Sarasota County was 12 feet, 6 inches out of Curry Creek. Thats not what a Florida doctor took out, state says, Florida man gets 6 years for bilking millions in PPP loans. The American alligator can be found from parts of the Florida Keys all the way to the western panhandle. 18 U.S. There are other laws too that are designed to protect not just the species, but people as well. More: Lake O's lower level debated by stakeholders. The 2,500 hunter sample size is more than adequate, statistically, to produce precise . 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. Because of its lightweight frame and lack of power, the 22 rimfire is a popular hunting rifle. 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 Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) which permits the harvest of alligators that are determined to be a threat to wildlife, to the public, or the publics pets, livestock, or property. By 1987, the gator population was defined as "recovered," and the statewide hunt wasinstituted in 1988. 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. 2012). Previously, alligators were on an endangered species list but made a huge rebound, becoming somewhat of a dangerous presence. 1939-60: Commercial harvest averages 18,005 per year; 1962-72: Louisiana's alligator season is closed statewide; officials turn attention to research and management of the resource; . A permit is required to hunt alligators in Florida and can be obtained through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. Most were sold for boots, shoes, saddles and other leather goods. The new reduction is going to add up to some money.. In that first year, officials counted just 8,600 nests. For the upcoming 2015 season there are 4,827 permits issued. Each permit authorizes the taking of two alligators within a specified Harvest Unit. 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. If you want to catch gator trout consistently, youve got to target them. Alligator ranching began in the mid-1980s and relied on ranchers collecting eggs from nests in the wild and hatching them on their own. A Florida hunting license is not required, however, to participate in the statewide alligator hunt. Clanton's theory why: Water levels in many of the state's waterways have been low for many years, allowing more large alligators to be harvested. Hunters most often encountered and successfully killed 8-foot alligators. Currently, the Commissions AMP administers five programs: Under AMP the harvesting of alligators is strictly regulated and the penalty is stiff for even first time offenders. 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. The Florida alligator hunting laws are quite simple. Also on FTW: Watch as a bear gets touchy-feely with a shocked jogger. 169 0 obj <> endobj 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. A safari jeep full of tourists were observing two fighting rhinos when the animals suddenly turned their attention on the jeep and charged. Striking the right balance is tricky, and species conservation is really no different. 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. Each year, a total of 5,000 hunting permits are issued, and hunters can only hunt two alligators during each season. 2d 1095, 1097 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002). 27 Seelbinder v. County of Volusia, 827 So. 1:41. The FWC Office of Licensing and Permitting can only reprint permits after the permit holder has requested that it be done so. Elsey said the hunting and ranching program differs from some other methods of species conservation. Alligator Sport Hunter licenses are $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents. A hunter must have his or her license and one or more current alligator harvesting tags in addition to his or her license. Orange Lake ranked third with 3,110 alligators hunted. "A$WH2/NV@L %`700@g`` J Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. The largest in Manatee was 12 feet, 9 inches hunted at an unspecified location in the 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. All indications are that the program is working, Elsey said. 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. 37 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alligator Management Program, http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/alligator/. For alligators that are 3 feet long, the percentage is higher. Hunting is one of those important tools in the species management toolbox. 3d 915, 918-19 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012). Their skins are used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles. Louisiana now has the most alligators in North America, which is a huge advantage. Search for alligator harvest information using the CITES tag number or permit holder name. The advisory also means the public should avoid fishing and boating. Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.1. In addition to the state program, some Florida counties issue a county- wide alligator harvest permit. Alligator meat currently sells for around $20 a pound, which is quite high. 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. October 5, 2022 by Arnold. Louisianas alligator harvest, which dates back centuries and has a significant economic impact on the state, continues to this day. 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. 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. 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. FWC holds training seminars prior to the season to help informed the public on the requirements within the harvesting program. This year, officials counted 58,100 nests, a record number. Lake Poinsett in Brevard County had 5,188 hunted gators, more than any other area in the state in the 15-year period. In addition, the hide can be tanned and made into leather products. Of nonvenomous animal fatalities, a majority (approximately 72 per year) resulted from interactions with mammals or dogs (Forrester et al. County-wide permits allow hunting in most public water bodies within that specific Florida county. Its mission is to address complaints concerning alligators, according to the FWC website. To apply, applicants must be legal Louisiana residents at least 16 years old and possess a valid hunting license. Though alligators are found most often in freshwater, they can tolerate some levels of saltwater for a short period of time. You have permission to edit this article. Alligator hunting is regulated by state wildlife agencies, and laws vary from state to state. A CITES-tagged alligator is required for two hide validation tags and an alligator trapping license is required for the first alligator season. Everybody knows we got alligators all over the place, he said. Alligator hunting is frequently used to remove large gators from areas. Since 1988, the FWCC has successfully offered an alligator hunting season in Florida. 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. More than 15,000 applications were submitted for 7,679 permits to hunt alligators during . Alligators were hunted to near extinction in the 1950's and early 1960's, but protective action by state and federal governments helped keep them from disappearing completely. 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