The alligator hunting season is less than two months away and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has just released it’s “Applications for Drawings on Public Hunting Lands” for the 2011-12 hunting season. These gator hunts require a $3 entry fee per person and each selected hunter must pay the hunt fee ($80-130) and have a general hunting license ($25 resident; $315 non-resident). Public hunts take place on TPWD-owned wildlife management areas.
This year, a total of six wildlife management areas (WMA) will be offering alligator hunts in Texas. The areas offering hunts are Angelina Neches/Dam B, James Daughtry WMA, Gus Engeling WMA, Guadalupe Delta WMA, Mad Island WMA and J.D. Murphree WMA. The application deadline for these hunts is August 4 and no more than three persons can be submitted on an application card. In addition, an individual’s name and social security can only appear once on an application. In short, you can only apply for a public alligator hunt at a single WMA. More than one application, even if for different properties, will get you disqualified.
The Texas fall alligator season runs from September 10-30 each year. In general, the earlier hunt dates are better than the later hunt dates because hunters get the first shot at the gators, plus cold fronts that generally roll in shortly after the hunting season kicks off can make the big reptiles a little sluggish. The first two attachments above have all of the dates for the public hunting lands. The third attachment is the application for the special hunting permit.
It is always that the application deadline for these hunts are never for too long and no more than three persons can be submitted on an application card.