LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas hunters managed the second-highest harvest of alligators on record during the last two weekends in the sloughs and swamps of The Natural State. The 181-alligator harvest falls short of last year’s record effort of 202 alligators checked, but maintains the overall upward trend in what is still a relatively new opportunity for hunters.

Amanda Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Herpetologist, said she was pleased with the healthy harvest, particularly the hunt’s higher-than-normal success rate.

“Typically we see about one-third of public land tags filled, but this year we had 54 percent success rate on public land,” Bryant said. “And 96 percent of the private land quota was filled.”

*GATOR ON TRAILER*
*Cody Gourley and his uncle, Jason Mitchell, took the largest alligator of the 2024 hunting season, this 12-foot, 6-inch Millwood Lake monster. Photo courtesy Cody Gourley.*

This year’s weather may have increased the harvest, as Hurricane Helene may have caused a few hunters to check an alligator during the first weekend who normally would have held out for a larger one.

“Most unfilled alligator tags are because people hold out for a larger alligator than what they’re seeing, but maybe some of the forecasted rain had people more willing to take a little smaller alligator,” Bryant said. “Then the last weekend turned out pretty nice after all, and we continued to see decent numbers taken throughout the end of the season.”

Cody Gourley of Amity was one of those hunters whose patience paid off when he wrestled a 12-foot, 6-inch beast to the side of his boat on Millwood Lake during the second weekend of the hunt.

“We went out the first weekend and saw 70 to 75 gators per night, but we just couldn’t get close enough to a big one to make it happen,” Gourley said. “I tried to use a harpoon on one or two, but I couldn’t get it to stick. The second weekend, I was getting to the point that any alligator would have been good for me. My uncle said we should hold out until midnight that Saturday night before we looked for a smaller gator. At about 9:30, we saw this one and knew it was in that larger category.”

Gourley says he rigged up a snare for his second weekend, using instructions from the AGFC’s website.

*FORKLIFT GATOR*
*Temeren Pfaffenberg checked this 12-foot, 1-inch alligator from private land in Alligator Management Zone 2, the largest from that zone during this year’s hunt.*

“The snare was a much more intimate experience,” Gourley said. “We had to be right there within 8 feet of that gator before I could loop on the first snare. Then once we snared it, it was a fight.”

Gourley said he was in a 14-foot boat to be able to reach backwaters other hunters couldn’t.

“When the gator came up and I saw just how big it was, I was shocked,” Gourley said. “We couldn’t even get it in the boat, so we had to float it beside us as we made our way back to the ramp. It was unlike any hunt I’ve ever been on.”

Biologists have received a few calls from local anglers who were concerned about the alligator population in Millwood becoming too large, and Bryant says the harvest on the lake was encouraging.

“We had eight public tags for Millwood this year, and six of those were filled.” Bryant said. “It’s great to see so many of the tags being filled here, and hopefully it’s a step toward reducing the perception of human-wildlife conflict in this area.”

Bryant says increased harvest, especially on private land, has contributed to fewer nuisance calls in south Arkansas in the last few years.

“We see a strong relationship between the added harvest opportunity and lower nuisance calls,” Bryant said. “Some of it may be because people are more accustomed to seeing alligators now than they did 20 to 30 years ago, but a lot has to do with the private land hunt enabling landowners to handle the nuisance alligator on their own during the hunt.”

*TAILGATOR*
*Chris Ryall shared this image of his 10-foot, 9-inch alligator taken in Alligator Management Zone 3. Photo courtesy Chris Ryall.*

This year, Alligator Management Zone 1 (southwest Arkansas) and AMZ 3 (southeast Arkansas) tied for the most alligators harvested.

“Usually Zone 3 has the most harvest, but this year was evenly split at 87 alligators each,” Bryant said. “Alligator Management Zone 2 [south-central Arkansas] had seven alligators checked.”

Alligator hunting is by permit only in Arkansas. The AGFC issued 50 public hunting permits through a public draw system, with hunting allowed only on designated areas of certain WMAs, lakes and rivers in south Arkansas.

Alligator hunting on private property is managed through a quota system. Anyone may purchase a private land alligator hunting permit, but hunting season ends early if the quota for the alligator zone is met. This year, all zones remained open during the entire hunting season.

Alligator hunting in Arkansas is open from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the last two weekends each September. All alligators must be snared or harpooned by hand and subdued before being dispatched. Visit www.agfc.com/alligator for more information.

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas is known as the “natural state” for a reason, and the abundant wildlife is a major contributor to the reputation. Lions and tigers, not so much. Bears — sure, here and there. But for residents across the state’s southern tier of counties, alligators make more than the occasional appearance.

KNOW YOUR ZONE — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has established fize management zones in Arkansas, three of which alllow permitted hunts in September each year. (Graphic courtesy AGFC.)

In Miller County, for example, spotting the occasional reptile is just part of life. Jen Caraway, Miller County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said they’re not uncommon in areas where waterways are essential to agricultural operations.

“There’s not much you can do if you encounter one, other than stay clear and call it in,” Caraway said.

Decades ago, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in the United States were hunted nearly to extinction. In 1973, they were identified in the Endangered Species Act, but were ultimately removed from the list in 1987 once their population numbers rebounded.

Becky McPeake, extension wildlife biologist for the Division of Agriculture, said alligators have managed to thrive throughout much of the south in the intervening years.

“We’ve had great success reintroducing them to Arkansas,” McPeake said. The state lies at the northern edge of the animal’s natural range, she said, with most of the northern half of Arkansas being simply too cool an environment for alligators to survive.

Sometimes, McPeake said, alligators are just part of the neighborhood, including one known specimen that nests near a site of frequent field research.

“Whenever we go out there to do any kind of research or environmental survey, the first thing we do is locate it," she said. "Once we know where it is, we can avoid it.

“Honestly, they prefer to avoid people,” McPeake said. “It’s when they become used to being around people that they become dangerous. Some people want to feed them for some strange reason. Please don’t. It can have terrible consequences for both people and pets.”

McPeake said that if a person spots an alligator, they should stay at least 60 feet away from it, whether it’s on land or in a body of water. She said that one way to help livestock avoid crossing paths with alligators is to make sure they have their own secure sources of drinking water.

“We recommend that producers maintain water tanks for their livestock, rather than letting the livestock drink from ponds,” she said.

In November 2023, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, introduced a new nuisance wildlife hotline. The number, 833-345-0315, is intended to respond to reports of wildlife that may pose a threat to people, livestock or property. The number is monitored 24 hours a day.

The commission has published annual Alligator Management Reports since 2007 and has records of alligator nuisance reports dating back to 2000. In that year, the commission reported 11 nuisance reports across the state’s five alligator management zones. The number has varied year to year, peaking in 2009 with 108 complaints across all three zones. In 2023, the commission reported 57 alligator nuisance complaints.

Among the five alligator management zones, alligator sport hunting is only allowed in the three southern-most zones (Zone 4 includes about a dozen counties in the northeastern corner of the state; Zone 5 includes most of the counties covering the northwestern third of the state).

Alligator hunting on public lands is limited to Alligator Management Zone 1, the southwest corner of the state, and Zone 3, the southeast corner of the state. These permits are drawn, so some luck is involved. Alligator hunting on private land is allowed in any of the three zones, including Alligator Management Zone 2, which encompasses more than 16 counties in central and south-central Arkansas. Private Land Alligator Permits can be purchased outright.

The hunting dates for either permit include two four-day periods in mid-September. In 2023, Arkansas hunters set a record for alligator harvest, bagging 202 alligators on public and private lands.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Hunters haul 181 alligators in 18th annual hunting season

Alligators a steady presence in Arkansas