03-29-2007, 04:10 PM
LITTLE ROCK - For the first time in modern history, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is proposing an alligator hunting season.
The AGFC Wildlife Management Division submitted the proposed alligator hunting regulations at the Commission's March meeting. The Commission is expected to vote on the proposal in April. If approved by the Commission, AGFC then will submit the proposed regulations and the hunt plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its review and approval
Pending approval by the USFWS, 40 Temporary Alligator Possession Tags (TAPTs) will be available for certain public and private lands in southwest and southeast Arkansas. The proposed season would be the last two weekends in September.
Alligators are native to Arkansas, but they were removed from the landscape after the arrival of European settlers. In the 1970s, AGFC began a program to stock alligators in the state. The American alligator was listed as an endangered species at the time.
"It was an attempt to reintroduce a species that had been here but had been wiped out," explained Ricky Chastain, assistant chief of the AGFC Wildlife Management Division. "Any time you can take an animal off the endangered species list, that's a good thing."
Since the restocking effort in the 1970s, alligator numbers have grown in some areas of Arkansas, especially in southwest and southeast portions of the state. From 2002 to 2004, AGFC conducted alligator population surveys in known alligator habitats around the state. The alligator survey isn't designed to reveal the state's overall population, but rather an estimated number of alligators per mile of the survey routes. The NaturalState's alligator population ranges from 1 per mile to 30 per mile, with an average of 2.3 alligators per mile along AGFC population survey routes. By way of comparison, coastal areas of Louisiana, Texas and Florida can easily exceed 30 alligators per mile, while Arkansas' population estimates are comparable to similar habitats in Mississippi, South Carolina and North Carolina.
In addition to performing alligator surveys, AGFC also keeps records on nuisance alligator reports. AGFC forwarded information from the surveys and the nuisance reports to USFWS as part of the proposal for an alligator hunting season in the state.
Although the American alligator is no longer listed as an endangered species, it's still listed as threatened, and the Fish and Wildlife Service must approve any state's plan to hunt alligators.
According to Chastain, USFWS recently confirmed to AGFC that it can move forward with the final stage of planning for the proposed hunt, which is the submittal of actual hunting regulations and hunting plans to USFWS.
Hunting in Arkansas would be limited to certain areas in southwest and southeast Arkansas. Hunters would be allowed to harvest one alligator that is at least four feet long. Alligators must first be captured alive, using a hand-held snare or harpoon, prior to dispatching the animal. Hunting would be allowed at night, between one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise.
Only residents of the state of Arkansas who are 16 years of age or older would be allowed to apply for the non-transferable Temporary Alligator Possession Tag, which will cost $35. Non-residents may be allowed to participate as assistants to the alligator hunter. Hunters would be allowed a maximum of three assistants.
If approved by the USFWS, applications for the alligator possession tags would be accepted on-line only. Applicants will be able submit their on-line application directly or by calling the AGFC Little Rock office or any AGFC regional office and requesting the staff assist them with completing the on-line application process. A Web-site address and phone contact information will be available to the public provided the USFWS approves the Commission's alligator hunt plan. Only one application may be submitted per person. Any person submitting multiple applications would be withdrawn from the drawing process. Applicants who have been convicted of AGFC regulation violations and have accumulated 12 violation points within a three year period of application submission would be disqualified from the drawing and will have all their preference points reduced to zero. All drawn applicants will be notified by mail.
All drawn applicants would be required to attend and complete the alligator hunt training course provided by the AGFC.
Successful hunters must report to AGFC their take of an alligator within four hours of harvest, with details provided at the training course.
The AGFC Wildlife Management Division submitted the proposed alligator hunting regulations at the Commission's March meeting. The Commission is expected to vote on the proposal in April. If approved by the Commission, AGFC then will submit the proposed regulations and the hunt plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its review and approval
Pending approval by the USFWS, 40 Temporary Alligator Possession Tags (TAPTs) will be available for certain public and private lands in southwest and southeast Arkansas. The proposed season would be the last two weekends in September.
Alligators are native to Arkansas, but they were removed from the landscape after the arrival of European settlers. In the 1970s, AGFC began a program to stock alligators in the state. The American alligator was listed as an endangered species at the time.
"It was an attempt to reintroduce a species that had been here but had been wiped out," explained Ricky Chastain, assistant chief of the AGFC Wildlife Management Division. "Any time you can take an animal off the endangered species list, that's a good thing."
Since the restocking effort in the 1970s, alligator numbers have grown in some areas of Arkansas, especially in southwest and southeast portions of the state. From 2002 to 2004, AGFC conducted alligator population surveys in known alligator habitats around the state. The alligator survey isn't designed to reveal the state's overall population, but rather an estimated number of alligators per mile of the survey routes. The NaturalState's alligator population ranges from 1 per mile to 30 per mile, with an average of 2.3 alligators per mile along AGFC population survey routes. By way of comparison, coastal areas of Louisiana, Texas and Florida can easily exceed 30 alligators per mile, while Arkansas' population estimates are comparable to similar habitats in Mississippi, South Carolina and North Carolina.
In addition to performing alligator surveys, AGFC also keeps records on nuisance alligator reports. AGFC forwarded information from the surveys and the nuisance reports to USFWS as part of the proposal for an alligator hunting season in the state.
Although the American alligator is no longer listed as an endangered species, it's still listed as threatened, and the Fish and Wildlife Service must approve any state's plan to hunt alligators.
According to Chastain, USFWS recently confirmed to AGFC that it can move forward with the final stage of planning for the proposed hunt, which is the submittal of actual hunting regulations and hunting plans to USFWS.
Hunting in Arkansas would be limited to certain areas in southwest and southeast Arkansas. Hunters would be allowed to harvest one alligator that is at least four feet long. Alligators must first be captured alive, using a hand-held snare or harpoon, prior to dispatching the animal. Hunting would be allowed at night, between one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise.
Only residents of the state of Arkansas who are 16 years of age or older would be allowed to apply for the non-transferable Temporary Alligator Possession Tag, which will cost $35. Non-residents may be allowed to participate as assistants to the alligator hunter. Hunters would be allowed a maximum of three assistants.
If approved by the USFWS, applications for the alligator possession tags would be accepted on-line only. Applicants will be able submit their on-line application directly or by calling the AGFC Little Rock office or any AGFC regional office and requesting the staff assist them with completing the on-line application process. A Web-site address and phone contact information will be available to the public provided the USFWS approves the Commission's alligator hunt plan. Only one application may be submitted per person. Any person submitting multiple applications would be withdrawn from the drawing process. Applicants who have been convicted of AGFC regulation violations and have accumulated 12 violation points within a three year period of application submission would be disqualified from the drawing and will have all their preference points reduced to zero. All drawn applicants will be notified by mail.
All drawn applicants would be required to attend and complete the alligator hunt training course provided by the AGFC.
Successful hunters must report to AGFC their take of an alligator within four hours of harvest, with details provided at the training course.