Governor Jeff Landry has signed into law Act 37, a bill authored by Senator Robert Allain, III, (R)-Franklin, creating Louisiana’s first-ever recreational alligator season. Act 37, supported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), establishes a recreational alligator harvest program for Louisiana residents that would expand recreational hunting opportunities and create a new opportunity to help manage a growing alligator population in Louisiana.
“We have an estimated three million alligators in Louisiana right now,” said Senator Allain. “I’m proud to have helped expand recreational hunting opportunities here in our Sportsman’s Paradise. We’re offering a new way to address nuisance or overabundant alligators while still maintaining our important commercial alligator industry and controlled harvest limits.”
The new law gives the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission the authority to establish a recreational alligator hunting season in Louisiana, along with harvest quotas and tag allotments by area within the state. The Commission can also extend, curtail or prohibit recreational take of alligators by area when necessary.
Louisiana residents who want to recreationally harvest alligators must have a basic hunting license, an alligator hunting license and will need to secure recreational harvest tags from LDWF. These new recreational harvest tags will be easily distinguishable from commercial tags.
The recreational season dates will open later so as not to conflict with commercial activities. The legal harvest method is hook and line, and recreational hides, meat, or any parts cannot enter commercial markets. Participation will require permission from the landowner or use of public lands identified by LDWF, similar to deer hunting requirements, and recreational alligator hunters will be required to remain on the property on which they are authorized to hunt.
