Hunting alligators may be an experience unlike any other adventure. To participate, however, you need to get your online quota application in before midnight July 31. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, 850 applicants will be selected for the 2014 alligator hunting season which runs Sept. 6-Oct. 5.
In 2013, a total of 246 alligators were harvested with an average length of 8’2” and the longest gator measuring 13’11.”
“We anticipate that alligator quota hunt application interest will be on par with past years, and expect more than 10,000 applicants,” said John Bowers, Chief of the Game Management Section. “If you have been fortunate enough to be selected for an alligator hunting permit, be sure to encourage friends and others to apply for the experience of a lifetime.”
In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of natural wetland habitats including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat small mammals, aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
How to Apply
To apply, go to www.gohuntgeorgia.com/hunting/quota. Applicants must be sure to enter their Social Security Number correctly when creating an account to ensure the transfer of any priority points from previous seasons. Those applying also need to be sure to keep their email address current in order to receive quota updates, confirmations and any notices about quota hunts.
Applicants can check their application status through their account after the July 31 deadline. Selected hunters will receive a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August.
Want to know more about alligator hunting in Georgia? Check out the newest video on the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/georgiawildlife and select “2014 Georgia Alligator Season.”
For more information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/Hunting/Alligator .
Be the first to comment