Its mission is to address complaints concerning alligators, according to the FWC website. Hunting as a Management Tool Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 169 0 obj <> endobj Asian carp. For Price, the change means one thing. This year the Army Corps of Engineers allowed Lake O to drop lower than normal in an effort to help grass grow on the lake's bottom and help reduce the need for massive discharges that can cause harmful algae blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina, and Wisconsin are among the states represented. 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. Each guide must have a valid alligator tag. Couple from Discovery TV show hunt gators in Florida, Lake O's lower level debated by stakeholders, Nuisance alligator found in Indian River Lagoon at Sewall's Point, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Association, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The correct answer to this question is both. tags will not be replaced unless they have been reported as stolen or lost. 2023 Coastal Angler Magazine Franchising, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Lake Okeechobee fishing report for March, 2022 by Capt. Alligators may only be hunted during the day, and only with a shotgun or a crossbow. In addition to the number of chances and percentage of applicants selected, the department has posted a map with a list of the 48 areas. Alligators are wary of bright lights. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its2022 Agency Regulatory Plan. 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. 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. No longer on the list of endangered species, today the prognosis for their long-term survival appears favorable. A statewide alligator hunt permit is required to take alligators on a statewide basis in Florida. A larger caliber would be more powerful, but it would also increase the likelihood of causing damage. The Florida record for weight is a 1,043 pound (13 feet 10.5inch long) alligator taken from Orange Lake in Alachua County. Each year, alligator management units are established with harvest quotas that provide recreational opportunities and maintain alligator populations at targeted levels. The FWC receives over 15,000 applications each year and only issues around 7,000 permits. Since the time 2003-2005, this area of the Mississippi Delta has seen a tremendous increase in the Asian carp population, the MWDFP stated. Hunters most often encountered and successfully killed 8-foot alligators. The program, based on science, incorporates many restrictions to ensure alligator populations remain healthy and stable. 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. This program is a model for other states and countries to properly manage and conserve important animal species. This change in status allowed the FWC to initiate management of the nuisance alligator problem through harvesting which continues today. All indications are that the program is working, Elsey said. The current state record alligator length is 14 feet 3.5 inches taken from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The second-most common was 7 feet, followed by 7 feet, 6 inches. 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The harvesting of alligator is available in a variety of locations, including coastal, upland, and public lakes, but the coastal and upland WMAs provide the most opportunities. Alligators may only be harvested by residents who do not own land and are accompanied by an alligator guide during the sport season. Florida, the sunshine state teeming with alligators. The statewide alligator hunt does not permit guests. Only sunrise and sunset are permitted as harvesting hours for alligator. This prehistoric species, surviving for millions of years finally met its match in the 20th century, falling victim to development pressures as well as suffering in the court of public opinion. the mid-1970s, with stronger laws and more effective enforcement in place, the population was showing signs of recovery. Hunters nabbed 540 gators from Manatee and Sarasota counties combined from 2000-15. (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. The FWC Office of Licensing and Permitting can only reprint permits after the permit holder has requested that it be done so. Their skins are used to make boots, shoes, belts, and saddles. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. Floridas recreational alligator harvest, approved by the state, is one of the states most popular hunting opportunities. Less than a decade later, officials began an attempt to count the wild alligators in an effort to develop a program that would satisfy the commercial demand while allowing the population to recover. 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 FWC estimates that the state is home to approximately 1.3m alligators of every size across its 67 counties, which offer around 6.7m acres of suitable wetland habitats for the animals. 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. 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; . Press, 2014). Alligator hunting is only allowed in certain areas of the state, and you can only hunt during specific times of the year. Alligator trapping licenses cost significantly more to obtain from out-of-state applicants than they do to residents of Florida. You find them in all the suitable habitats around the state: coastal marshland, rivers, bayous and swamps.. ALLIGATOR FACT SHEET HISTORY The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has changed little from its original form some 180 million years ago. 2015). This column is submitted on behalf of the Animal Law Section, Ralph A. DeMeo, chair, and Deborah C. Brown, editor. Each year, alligator management units are established with harvest quotas that provide recreational opportunities and maintain alligator populations at targeted levels. 68A-25.001 (2006) (Feeding or Enticement of Crocodilians Unlawful). These scenes, while perhaps clich, are nevertheless an accurate reflection of our diverse landscape, helping to capture part of Floridas unique essence, particularly to those living elsewhere. 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. Alligator hunting is regulated by state wildlife agencies, and laws vary from state to state. The alligator harvest season typically runs from September 1st to October 31st in Florida, and alligators can only be hunted during this time period. The commission publishes data showing where the gators were hunted and how many were hunted each year, as well as the carcass size. This year, officials counted 58,100 nests, a record number. Landowners win because they are able to make money by providing a good habitat. Alligator hunters must have a valid Florida hunting license, and must take an alligator hunting safety course. 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. However it is extremely physical and quite dangerous and should never be taken lightly. FWC holds training seminars prior to the season to help informed the public on the requirements within the harvesting program. Each year, an alligator hunting season is set aside between August 15 and November 1. 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). 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. Wild Alligator Harvest Summaries By Year 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 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. 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/. Protecting People The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. 2023 The Florida Bar. On hooks and lines, alligator hunters may use firearms (except shotguns) to harvest free swimming alligators or dispatch them. Alligators may not be hunted at night, and only during the daytime hours of sunrise to sunset. Follow Faimon A. Roberts III on Twitter, @faimon. 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