Online registration for the 13th annual regulated alligator hunts opens June 5 at 8 a.m. Registration must be completed by 8 a.m. on July 11.
A total of 260 Alligator Possession Tags will be distributed among four hunting zones. The administrative fee to apply for an Alligator Possession Tag is $22, and individuals may register one time per zone.
While the tag is free, the selected hunters and their assistants are required to have valid hunting licenses in their possession while hunting.
Only Alabama residents and Alabama lifetime license holders ages 16 years or older may apply for tags. Alabama lifetime license holders may apply for an Alligator Possession Tag even if they have moved out of the state.
To register for the 2018 alligator hunts, click here.
Hunters will be randomly selected by computer to receive one Alligator Possession Tag each. The tags are non-transferable. The random selection process will utilize a preference point system. The system increases the likelihood of repeat registrants being selected for a hunt as long as the applicant continues to apply.
The more years an applicant participates in the registration, the higher the likelihood of being selected. If an applicant does not register for the hunt in a given year or is selected and accepts a tag for a hunt, the preference point status is forfeited.
Applicants can check their selection status after noon on July 11.
Those selected to receive a tag must confirm their acceptance online by 8 a.m. on July 18. After that date, alternates will be notified to fill any vacancies.
Applicants drawn for the hunt must attend a mandatory, zone-specific Alligator Training Course provided by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. If hunters have attended a previous training course for their selected zone, they may be exempted from this requirement.
If selected for an Alligator Possession Tag at two or more locations, hunters must choose which location they would like to hunt. The slot for locations not chosen will be filled from a list of randomly selected alternates.
Hunting zones, total tags issued per zone and hunt dates:
Southwest Alabama Zone – 150 Tags. Locations: Private and public waters in Baldwin and Mobile counties, and private and public waters in Washington, Clarke and Monroe counties that lie east of U.S. Highway 43 and south of U.S. Highway 84. 2018 Dates: Sunset on August 9, until sunrise on August 12. Sunset on August 16, until sunrise on August 19.
Southeast Alabama Zone – 40 Tags. Locations: Private and public waters in Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Russell counties (excluding public Alabama state waters in Walter F. George Reservoir/Lake Eufaula and its navigable tributaries). 2018 Dates: Sunset on August 11, until sunrise on September 3.
West Central Alabama Zone – 50 Tags. Locations: Private and public waters in Monroe (north of U.S. Highway 84), Wilcox and Dallas counties. 2018 Dates: Sunset on August 9, until sunrise on August 12. Sunset on August 16, until sunrise on August 19.
Lake Eufaula Zone – 20 Tags. Location: Public state waters only in the Walter F. George Reservoir/Lake Eufaula and its navigable tributaries, south of Alabama Highway 208 at Omaha Bridge (excludes Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge). 2018 Dates: Sunset August 17, until sunrise October 1.
An 8-foot minimum length requirement is in effect for alligators harvested in the Lake Eufaula Zone. There is no minimum length for hunts in the other zones.
Hunting hours are official sunset to official sunrise in the Southwest, Southeast and West Central Zones. For the Lake Eufaula Zone, hunting is allowed both daytime and nighttime hours. All Alabama hunting and boating regulations must be followed.