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TAMPA, Fla. - Alligator hunting season is around the corner, and those looking to bag a gator in Florida now have another option.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission will begin accepting applications for the new Alligator Super Hunt on Friday.
The Alligator Super Hunt gives hunters 10 more weeks to get two alligators and, while it is based on a lottery system like the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program, hunters can pay $5 per application and apply as many times as they want to increase their chances of being randomly selected.
The Statewide Alligator Harvest Program only allows hunters to apply once for the drawing.
READ: Alligator on MacDill Air Force Base runway caught on camera being wrangled by FWC officers
Alligator hunting season in Florida runs from Aug. 15 through Nov. 8, but those selected for the Alligator Super Hunt will have until Dec. 31 to harvest two gators.
Alligator Super Hunt permittees will also be allowed to hunt at most legally accessible alligator management units.
FWC says it will have between 5 and 100 permits available per year and the quota for the Super Alligator Hunt will be established annually.
Applications for the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program and the new Alligator Super Hunt open May 3 at 10 a.m. and run through June 3.
READ: Florida gator mating season begins soon: Here’s what to know
FWC states a countywide alligator harvest permit does not allow you to hunt in any of the specific harvest units.
Courtesy: FWC
According to the FWC, the legal ways to get alligators include:
- Fishing rods using a weighted treble hook
- Fishing rods using artificial lures
- Baited wooded pegs (must be less than 2 inches long) using a fishing rod or hand-held line
- Hand-line snatch hooks
- Hand-held catch poles or similar devices
- Bang sticks (the only firearm you’re allowed to use for alligator hunting)
Legal methods to get gators for those participating in Florida’s Statewide Alligator Harvest program include:
- Bows
- Crossbows
- Pre-charged pneumatic airbows
- Gigs
- Harpoons
- Spears
- Spearguns
Courtesy: FWC
FWC estimates that there are about 1.3 million alligators in Florida and its statewide recreational alligator harvest, which began in 1988, has been recognized as a model for the sustainable use of a renewable resource.
READ: 'He's all the way inside:' 911 call sheds light on seven-foot gator found in Venice home
Applications for 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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