191 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<8CBFE19D2ED2B647BBAA00E4105AE958>]/Index[169 33]/Info 168 0 R/Length 108/Prev 365416/Root 170 0 R/Size 202/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream The use of baited hooks, gig-equipped bang sticks, or firearms for taking alligators is prohibited except that bang sticks are permitted for taking alligators attached to a restraining line. ALLIGATOR FACT SHEET HISTORY The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has changed little from its original form some 180 million years ago. Heres what to know, Signs of Everglades recovery emerge. The nuisance program is one of five components of Floridas comprehensive Alligator Management Program. Striking the right balance is tricky, and species conservation is really no different. Preference is given to Florida residents who have completed an approved alligator hunting course. Some will say this is never an option and that human development should yield to the alligators; after all, they have been around for millions of years longer than humans.30 Others will contend that there is no such thing as a good alligator and, therefore, their complete elimination from Florida would be welcomed, perhaps like the disease-carrying mosquito.31 The vast majority of Florida residents, however, fall somewhere in between. While necessary to support a growing population and economy, these chemicals were believed to be contributing to a variety of maladies, such as endocrine disruption, decrease in egg viability, and neural decline.7 Eutrophication of water bodies and fertilizer runoff also affected the alligator.8 Green algae that choked water bodies and prevented light infiltration to the water column caused an imbalance in the food chain affecting the availability of prey.9 As a result of these various factors, the population of alligators declined. So what is the explanation given by experts? Hunting or fishing are not required in Florida for the alligator hunting season. Choosing the right firearm for hunting can be a difficult task. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. "I think it's going to be an exceptionally good year for alligator hunting,"saidLewis Clanton of Fort Pierce,an alligator hunting guide for 23 years. Though alligators are found most often in freshwater, they can tolerate some levels of saltwater for a short period of time. The commission publishes data showing where the gators were hunted and how many were hunted each year, as well as the carcass size. Its imperative that anyone permitted to harvest alligators be aware of, and abide by the regulations. Thats not what a Florida doctor took out, state says, Florida man gets 6 years for bilking millions in PPP loans. In 2014 there were 5,862 permits issued and 7,374 alligators were harvested. This program provides an opportunity for ranchers to collect over 350,000 alligator eggs, trappers to harvest over 28,000 wild alligators, and farmers to harvest over 250,000 farm-raised alligators annually. 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. The average male alligator size is approximately 11 feet and the average female is around 8 feet long, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. A larger caliber would be more powerful, but it would also increase the likelihood of causing damage. Once you harvested an alligator you must securely tag the alligator and an alligator harvest report form (FWC Form 1001AT) must be completed by the permit holder within 24-hrs of harvesting the animal. The statewide alligator hunt is the only hunt in the country that is open to the general public. You can pick up your areas local edition at over 11,000 marine specific businesses, retail outlets or big box stores. For people under the age of 15, a license to participate is not required. %%EOF Photos of the alligator, hunters and tag courtesy of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Do you have a hunting permit or license in Florida to hunt alligators? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions Statewide Alligator Harvest Program offers permits for the harvest of two gators per year. When an alligator hunter reaches his or her quota, all hooks and lines must be removed from the water. 28 See Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Market Mechanisms: Understanding the Options (Apr. We use asterisks (*) to indicate data points not used in analysis because of the deleterious effects on alligator nesting of Hurricane Rita (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008). Alligators that are nuisance animals can be removed from their natural habitat or relocated to another location if they are deemed a threat. It wont happen immediately, however. An alligatormust be at least 18 inches long from snoutto tail to harvest. 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. in a smaller area. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676 Alligator trapping licenses cost significantly more to obtain from out-of-state applicants than they do to residents of Florida. If you do not have a permit, you are not permitted to shoot or kill alligators. 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. Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees, Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, Wild Alligator Harvests by Harvest Program, Table of officially-measured, large Florida alligators, Alligator Meat Processors and Hide Buyers, See a full list of our Social Media accounts. Its a little opposed to the method of total protection, hands-off, she said. If you submit false information or multiple applications, you will be disqualified. 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. These permits have specific restrictions as to where you can access and harvest alligators, so be mindful of where you can hunt before obtaining one of these permits. 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. Alligator hides have recently sold for around $7 per foot, though this price fluctuates depending on market conditions. People have observed alligators feeding on carp floating in the waterways following a die-off and feeding on live carp. Floridas recreational alligator harvest, approved by the state, is one of the states most popular hunting opportunities. Who has more alligators, Louisiana or Florida? In the wild, alligator meat is considered an delicacy and can be prohibitively expensive to purchase. A number of Burmese pythons have been found in the Florida Keys, but there is not yet confirmation of a . This column is submitted on behalf of the Animal Law Section, Ralph A. DeMeo, chair, and Deborah C. Brown, editor. 46 See Care 2 Petitions, Stop the Alligator Hunt!, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-alligator-hunt/. 13 See U.S. Population Decline The Private Lands Alligator Management Program allows the harvest of non-hatchling alligators on private landholdings and government owned 3 or leased land with a documented, harvestable alligator population. Alligator hunting was established in 1988, due to the growing need for population control over the 1.3 million alligators in Florida. 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. When it comes to alligators in Louisiana, you must have a hunting license. hb```f`` 1 EY8:{f5@d\( v10tt4@:0 - = h.`aa>xUC@0/ U@ , H2Ns5 E% It wasnt all that long ago that the alligators fate in Florida was in question. It is a popular hunting sport in Louisiana and Florida. This venue is open from August 5 to September 1 (the season is 60 days long). Many alligators have been marked for research by biologists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Alligators for sale and shipping. 23 See Post v. Lunney, 261 So. Rather, officials see the alligators as a resource, and they want to encourage wise utilization of that resource.. One star-studded, two for future leaders, Theres a new rule to keep these cuties away from crab traps in Florida. On average, over the past 20 years, there have been approximately 10 unprovoked alligator bites per year on people in Florida, the majority of which were considered major requiring medical care beyond first aid to treat the wounds.19 Approximately 7 percent of these unprovoked encounters resulted in a fatality.20. Alligators less than 4 feet long can be relocated. From 1948 to 2021, there were 442 . Because of its larger caliber, he believes it is possible to put more energy into a shot, but it is also possible to damage something in the process. 620 S. Meridian St. Tallahassee, FL (850) 488-4676 Alligator Sport Hunter licenses are $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents. In 2011, 8,103 gators were taken, well up above the number just a . It is not possible to transfer Alligator Hunt permits in the state of Florida. Hunting as a Management Tool The current state record alligator length is 14 feet 3.5 inches taken from Lake Washington in Brevard County. Copyright 1999 - 2023 State of Florida. 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/. Human development is often pitted against nature while simultaneously wrestling with social and economic implications. Alligator hunting is regulated by state wildlife agencies, and laws vary from state to state. Instead, he collects the eggs every summer from wild gators' nests on private land. Each year, hunters with alligator tags apply for the season to begin. Alligator conservation is a success story in Florida. Mark Shirley, a Vermilion Parish alligator rancher who has been in the business for 20 years, said the progress is easy to see. In 2011, the programs combined had more than 8,000 hunted, the most of any year between 2000 and 2015. The species, along with many others, was a casualty of habitat loss and hydrologic alterations beginning in the late 1800s and early 1900s as much of Floridas wetlands and swamps were drained for flood control, navigation, and agriculture and to make way for roads, housing, and future development. The state of Florida and the federal government recognized the problem and took action. Hunting season generally runs from August 15 through November 1 of each year. Hunters are required to report any lost tags to the relevant authorities if they believe the tags have been lost. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Farris Bryant Building Alligators are a popular topic of discussion in a number of states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. The Louisiana state government allows hunters to take down alligators as part of an outdoor adventure that allows visitors to see some of the states wildlife. Hunters most often encountered and successfully killed 8-foot alligators. Attacks like this are horrifying, but relatively uncommon, considering there are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida, and more than 21 million people. Owner John Price checks on his alligators Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at the Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington. 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. Hunting season typically runs from late August to early November. The program has helped waterfowl, fish species and fur bearers, and that has benefited marsh-oriented businesses, like swamp tour companies and airboat operators. More than 15,000 applications were submitted for7,679 permits to hunt alligators during the 11-week season, according to theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Alligator harvest permits will be required for the following dates: On the FWC website, there are numerous helpful tools for making these decisions. The American alligator is a reptile scientifically classified in the Family Alligatoridae. You find them in all the suitable habitats around the state: coastal marshland, rivers, bayous and swamps.. Permits are randomly assigned during Phase I, II, and III, and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis during Phase IV. You have permission to edit this article. 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. In that first year, officials counted just 8,600 nests. The Public Water Alligator Egg and Hatchling Collecting Program permits and supervises the collection of alligator eggs and hatchlings from public waters by licensed alligator farmers. This year, officials counted 58,100 nests, a record number. Indeed, alligator ranchers across the state got some good news last month: The commission that regulates their industry voted to lower the proportion of ranched alligators that must be returned to the wild, starting next year. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes alligator protection very seriously. Protecting People 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. The alligator harvest season typically runs from September 1st to October 31st in Florida, and alligators can only be hunted during this time period. They can swim and eat, and their numbers have risen dramatically in recent years as a result of their popularity as pets. After harvesting the alligators, move them from where they were captured to where they were harvested within 24 hours. The ubiquitous nature of alligators in Florida might make it difficult for Florida residents, whether landowners, invitees, or trespassers to claim they were not aware of the potential presence of alligators in lakes, ponds, and rivers. The American alligator is the largest land reptile in North America. ", 'Naked and Afraid': Couple from Discovery TV show hunt gators 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. Alligators at that size have scales that are the right size to be made into belts, wallets, watchbands and the like, Price explained. Frequent discoveries in backyard swimming pools, garages, and on roads are the norm in some areas. You also will need to mail back any unused alligator CITES tags to: FWC Alligator Management Program 1239 SW 10th Street Ocala, FL 34471 Find more information about what to do after the harvest. 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. 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. Any alligator longer than 18 inches is fair game. Ordinary care, however, does not mean the owner must prevent all injuries, but rather that the owner should use reasonable care to discover dangerous conditions on the property and to protect visitors from or inform visitors about those discovered conditions. 25 Wamser v. City of St. Petersburg, 330 So. All sales have been completed, and no refunds will be provided to those who completed the application. 9 Forman, Richard T., Urban Ecology: Science of Cities 178-179 (Cambridge Univ. Fish and Wildlife Service, Species Profile for American Alligator, http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=C000. 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