Gator Hunting? Alabama Registration for Alligator Hunting Open Now!
Luke Cuenco 06.04.21
Gator hunting is something that I’ve always wanted to try out. Having grown up primarily in the Pacific Northwest, these scaly critters were always somewhat foreign to me outside of the zoo or Discovery Channel. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has just opened up online registration for their annual regulated gator hunting season which lasts from June 1st till July 14th.
Gator Hunting? Alabama Registration for Alligator Hunting Open Now!
Unfortunately, it seems that even I if was going to make the trek down to Alabama to hunt, at best I’d only be able to participate as a “hunting assistant.” Alabama has very strict hunting regulations surrounding gators and one of them is that you must be both a current resident of Alabama and be in possession of an Alabama Lifetime Hunting License to even apply for an Alligator Possession Tag.
Only persons eligible to hunt as residents of the State of Alabama who are 16 years of age or older or current holders of an Alabama Lifetime Hunting License may apply for an Alligator Possession Tag. Non-residents may only participate as alligator hunting assistants. See License Requirements.
For questions about a particular hunt or for general, policy-related questions, contact the following:
South West / Delta: (251) 626-5474
West Central Alabama: (205) 339-5716
South East Alabama: (334) 347-1298
Eufaula: (334) 347-1298
Coastal: (251) 626-5474
For those of you lucky enough to apply for a tag, only 260 total tags will be distributed amongst the 5 zones listed above. The total cost for a single tag is $22 and you can apply for up to 5 tags (one for each zone). While the tags will be distributed amongst the various zones, some areas will feature more tags presumably because of the increased amount of alligators in the area that can be hunted without destabilizing conservation efforts.
- Southwest Alabama Zone – 100 Tags
- Coastal Zone – 50 Tags
- Southeast Alabama Zone – 40 Tags
- West Central Alabama Zone – 50 Tags
- Lake Eufaula Zone – 20 Tags
If you happen to get a hold of one or more tags there are a few important notes you should keep in mind that apply specifically to Alligator hunting. First, the use of bait is illegal for hunting alligators. Aside from the Lake Eufaula zone, there is no minimum length requirement for gators harvested (there is an 8 foot minimum for the Eufaula). While other types of hunting are generally prohibited during nighttime hours, Alligator hunting hours are officially posted as lasting from sunset to sunrise (again Lake Eufaula is different with hunting taking place 24 hours per day).
Alligators are truly unique hunting prey and I hope that one day I’ll get to experience an alligator hunt. Alligators routinely grow to be well over 10 feet in length and can weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds. From the few times, I’ve tried alligator meat I can say that it’s quite tasty and a treat to try out every so often. For more information on this year’s Alabama Aligator hunt and to register for your own tag you can visit the following link.
