Back in the 1960s, alligators were close to being completely eliminated from Texas due to habitat loss and unchecked hunting. It took nearly two decades worth of dedicated conservation work to remove the reptiles from the federal endangered species list and allow the resumption of alligator hunting season.
Now, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is proposing a drastic increase for next year’s alligator hunting season.
It was announced on November 4 that the TPWD was proposing to triple the alligator hunting season for 22 counties in Southeast Texas, expand the methods used to harvest the reptiles, and allow for nighttime hunts on private property.
If these measures are approved, the alligator hunting season in those designated counties would grow to 61 days and run from September 1 through October 31. As of writing, the season currently lasts 20 days from September 10 through September 30.
It’s important to note that the nighttime changes would only pertain to private, individual properties and would not expand nighttime alligator hunting to public waters. Additionally, pre-existing harvest limits in those 22 Southeast Texas counties would remain in place. The only changes would be the length of time the season would run and the methods approved for hunting.
The TPWD noted that alligator populations are on the rise throughout Texas, but the hunting of these reptiles has declined, leading to an overpopulation issue. As a direct result, the department is receiving more nuisance complaints from residents about alligators.
Regarding the change in hunting practices, TPWD believes that Texans are shying away from harvesting alligators because hide and commercial meat markets have rapidly changed over the years.
According to Chron, TPWD said that the wild alligator market was “once lucrative but now nearly non-existent,” hence the need for the proposed changes. The organization also hopes that agricultural operations and wetlands will benefit from a smaller alligator population since the reptiles often cause complications for crawfish and rice farmers.
Counties and methods for alligator hunting season
If the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s alligator hunting season proposal is approved, these 22 counties, which are considered “core alligator hunting counties,” would see those changes mentioned above:
- Trinity
- Orange
- Angelina
- Tyler
- Brazoria
- Victoria
- Calhoun
- Jackson
- Polk
- Chambers
- San Jacinto
- Sabine
- Jasper
- Nacogdoches
- Jefferson
- Matagorda
- Liberty
- Newton
- Refugio
- San Augustine
- Hardin
- Galveston
Snatch hooks, bang sticks, and archery equipment would also be permitted as approved methods for hunting alligators within those select counties. Snatch hooks are essentially weighted treble hooks that are then attached to rod-and-reel fishing lines or restraining lines to help capture the reptiles.
Bangs sticks are a specialty item that help hunters dispatch alligators that have already been caught with legal hunting devices.
For archery equipment, essentially the TPWD would expand the existing list of individual bow types that have been previously approved to hunt alligators to the broader “lawful archery equipment” term to allow hunters to use what they already have.
It’s unclear as to when the TPWD would potentially approve the new regulations, but the public has the ability to weigh in with their opinions in the meantime by contacting the department directly.
To do so, please reach out to Jonathan Warner, TPWD’s Alligator Program Leader, via email at jonathan.warner@tpwd.texas.gov or by phone at 409-736-3625.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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