Not so long ago, the American alligator was critically endangered and hunting, or harvesting, them in any way was prohibited. Today, three states allow alligator hunting and in at least one of them - Florida - there are so many of the critters they have become a nuisance. The opportunities to take an alligator nowadays are so numerous and complicated that they defy easy summary. Suffice it to say, they fall into two categories - outfitted and/or guided opportunities; and on-your-own opportunities. The latter are the most economical, but they are also the hardest to pull off if you live outside an alligator-hunting state. Guided opportunities vary widely in price and in the quality of the animals available. What follows is a partial listing of guides who offer alligator hunts in Louisiana where such hunts are legal, along with information that will allow you to run down even more guided hunts:
This state only allows non-residents to hunt alligators through a resident hunter or guide who has alligator tags, which are issued to landowners by the Department of Wildlife and. All non-residents need to do is buy a $150 alligator hunting license and contact the Department for a list of "Potential Guides for Alligator Sport Hunters," which consists of about 28 people in southern Louisiana who usually receive alligator tags and are likely to accommodate clients. The season usually runs from early September through early October, so now is the time to start contacting tag holders to inquire about openings. As this was written in late April, several fellows we called on the alligator list still had openings. For example, Leroy Matherne says he usually receives about 50 alligator tags every year but accommodates only about four paid clients. He charges $2,500 to $3,000 for an all-inclusive, five-day trophy alligator hunt, which almost always produces alligators of eight feet or more. Matherne says he takes several 10-foot-plus alligators every year, including one or two 12-footers. He uses baited hooks on lines to catch alligators, and allows clients to pass on taking a gator for themselves if it is not large enough. Hunters are accommodated in........(continued)
