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Ever hanker to hunt alligator?
Well now it’s possible. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is offering hunters the opportunity to apply for permits to hunt gators in zones 1 and 3 for the 2011 alligator hunting season.
According to information from the AG&FC, there will be two permits available in zone 1 for the Bois d’Arc Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Also in zone 1, there is a single permit available for Lake Erling and one for Little River. Two permits can be obtained for Millwood Lake, with the hunting area from the Highway 71 Bridge to the dam.
According to the AG&FC, there are 10 permits available for private lands at-large.
In zone 3, there are 12 permits available for the Lower Arkansas River Wetland Complex and eight for private lands at-large.
Applications for the permits can be made online through June 30. No paper applications will be accepted. For help, those wanting to apply can call an AG&FC a regional office, or 501-223-6300.
Hunters must be 16 or older as of Sept. 16 to apply. However, any hunter with 12 or more AG&FC violations points are not eligible to apply for a permit. According to the AG&FC, only Arkansas residents or holders of Lifetime Sportsman’s Permits can apply.
For those lucky enough to get permits, they are only allowed to bag one alligator and it must be at least four feet long. The hunting of gators is allowed 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the approved seasons.
The seasons, according to the AG&FC, are Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 23-26.
In addition, the successful applicants must attend a mandatory hunter orientation class at one of the following locations: the AG&FC Hope regional office on Aug. 6; the Monticello regional office on Aug. 6; or on Aug. 13 at the Little Rock regional office.
Under the AG&FC guidelines, a hunter can have up to three assistants in their boat, but only the permit holder is allowed to snare, harpoon and kill an alligator.
The hunter’s assistants must also have a valid Arkansas hunting license.
To make things more interesting, the alligators must be snared or harpooned using hand-held devices and a hand-held restraining device before it is killed. The use of any other equipment is prohibited.
Once restrained an alligator may only be killed by a shotgun or a shotgun shell-loaded bangstick, using shot no larger than No. 4 common shot. The permit holder can only do this.
After the gator has been caught and killed it must be tagged with a temporary alligator possession tag immediately and taken to an official check station within 12 hours of being killed.
Ever hanker to hunt alligator?
Well now it’s possible. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is offering hunters the opportunity to apply for permits to hunt gators in zones 1 and 3 for the 2011 alligator hunting season.
According to information from the AG&FC, there will be two permits available in zone 1 for the Bois d’Arc Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Also in zone 1, there is a single permit available for Lake Erling and one for Little River. Two permits can be obtained for Millwood Lake, with the hunting area from the Highway 71 Bridge to the dam.
According to the AG&FC, there are 10 permits available for private lands at-large.
In zone 3, there are 12 permits available for the Lower Arkansas River Wetland Complex and eight for private lands at-large.
Applications for the permits can be made online through June 30. No paper applications will be accepted. For help, those wanting to apply can call an AG&FC a regional office, or 501-223-6300.
Hunters must be 16 or older as of Sept. 16 to apply. However, any hunter with 12 or more AG&FC violations points are not eligible to apply for a permit. According to the AG&FC, only Arkansas residents or holders of Lifetime Sportsman’s Permits can apply.
For those lucky enough to get permits, they are only allowed to bag one alligator and it must be at least four feet long. The hunting of gators is allowed 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the approved seasons.
The seasons, according to the AG&FC, are Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 23-26.
In addition, the successful applicants must attend a mandatory hunter orientation class at one of the following locations: the AG&FC Hope regional office on Aug. 6; the Monticello regional office on Aug. 6; or on Aug. 13 at the Little Rock regional office.
Under the AG&FC guidelines, a hunter can have up to three assistants in their boat, but only the permit holder is allowed to snare, harpoon and kill an alligator.
The hunter’s assistants must also have a valid Arkansas hunting license.
To make things more interesting, the alligators must be snared or harpooned using hand-held devices and a hand-held restraining device before it is killed. The use of any other equipment is prohibited.
Once restrained an alligator may only be killed by a shotgun or a shotgun shell-loaded bangstick, using shot no larger than No. 4 common shot. The permit holder can only do this.
After the gator has been caught and killed it must be tagged with a temporary alligator possession tag immediately and taken to an official check station within 12 hours of being killed.
