Florida’s alligator hunting season is fast approaching, and hunters eager to participate now have an exciting opportunity. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) will start accepting applications for the new Alligator Super Hunt this Friday.
The Alligator Super Hunt offers hunters an extended hunting period of 10 weeks to harvest two alligators. Unlike the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program, which only allows one application per hunter, the Super Hunt operates on a lottery system where hunters can increase their chances of selection by submitting multiple applications at $5 each.
While the regular alligator hunting season in Florida spans from August 15 to November 8, participants in the Alligator Super Hunt will have until December 31 to harvest their allotted two gators. Moreover, permit holders for the Super Hunt will have access to most legally accessible alligator management units.
The FWC will issue between 5 and 100 permits annually for the Alligator Super Hunt, with the quota being determined on a yearly basis. Applications for both the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program and the new Super Hunt will be open from May 3 at 10 a.m. until June 3.
It’s essential to note that a countywide alligator harvest permit does not grant access to specific harvest units.
Hunters have various legal methods for harvesting alligators, including fishing rods with weighted treble hooks, artificial lures, baited wooded pegs, hand-line snatch hooks, hand-held catch poles, and bang sticks.
Additionally, those participating in Florida’s Statewide Alligator Harvest program can use bows, crossbows, pre-charged pneumatic airbows, gigs, harpoons, spears, and spearguns.
The FWC estimates that there are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida, and the state’s recreational alligator harvest, initiated in 1988, has been hailed as a model for sustainable resource use.
Applications for both the Alligator Super Hunt and the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program can be submitted at any tax collector’s office, license agent, or online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
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