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Time is running out for hunters wanting to participate in this year’s statewide alligator harvest. Alligator harvest permits will remain on sale through Sept. 20 on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alligator harvest areas and hunt dates are listed at MyFWC.com/alligator “Alligator Harvest Permit Availability.” Permit holders are allowed to take two alligators from designated areas during specific harvest periods running through Oct. 8.
Permits can be purchased at any county tax collector’s office, license agent (retail outlet that sells hunting and fishing licenses), online at MyFWC.com/license or by calling toll-free 1-888-HUNT-FLORIDA (486-8356) from anywhere in the United States or Canada.
To secure a permit, applicants must submit payment for an alligator trapping license and two alligator-hide validation tags, or provide proof of a valid alligator trapping license (must be valid through Oct. 8) plus pay the fee for two hide validation tags. No other hunting licenses are required.
The cost for a resident alligator trapping license and hide validation tags is $272, and nonresidents pay $1,022. For each alligator taken, the hunter must complete and send in an alligator harvest report form to the FWC. Data gathered from these forms enable FWC biologists to monitor population trends and impacts on the annual harvest.
A resident or nonresident alligator trapping agent license also is available to consumers for $52. This license allows the holder to assist a trapper in taking alligators but only in the presence of the permitted trapper. All persons seeking a harvest permit must be at least 18 years old by Sept. 1, and only one harvest permit per person will be issued.
For more information on how to get involved in these exciting alligator hunts, visit MyFWC.com/alligator and click on “Statewide Hunts.”
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