Alligator population rose from fewer than 100,000 to 3 million since 1962 ban
Louisiana will hold its first recreational alligator hunt in more than 50 years this autumn, with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries accepting lottery applications through Monday for up to 5,000 tags in a season set to open 1 October across eight zones statewide.
The state fish and wildlife commission banned alligator hunting in 1962 after decades of unregulated killing for meat and hides drove the population below 100,000. The species has since recovered to an estimated 3 million in the wild, a level the department said supports a public hunt without harming the existing commercial industry.
“Louisiana now has a robust alligator resource capable of providing sustainable recreational harvest opportunities to Louisiana residents without negatively impacting a highly valuable commercial industry that provides more than $250m annually to Louisiana’s economy,” the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a statement.
Although a 10-year ban ended in 1972, hunting has since been restricted to tightly regulated commercial harvesting. The upcoming season marks the first time members of the public can legally trap the animals for sport or recreation.
Applicants can enter the lottery for up to two tags per person. State residents will pay $25 for each zone they hunt, and out-of-state participants will pay $150, on top of a $50 application fee. The season runs for one month across eight zones.
The hunt has been designated strictly non-commercial; trappers cannot sell the meat or skin. Participants must already hold a basic hunting license issued by the department and are limited to hook and line trapping. The state said the restriction distinguishes legal hunters from poachers, who often use poles or other methods. Firearms may be used only to kill captured alligators, not to shoot free-swimming reptiles.
Florida introduced a similarly regulated statewide program in 1988 after conservation efforts there restored alligator numbers to levels that supported recreational hunting.