FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The party hadn’t been gliding across Lake Okeechobee long when they encountered an 11-foot gator. Many would be scared, but for the group participating in the first day of alligator hunting season, it was a promising sign.
Florida’s gator hunting season runs Aug. 15 to Nov. 1. This year, more than 20,000 applicants competed for 7,300 permits to hunt Florida’s ancient reptiles, according to Tammy Sapp, a spokesperson for the state’s Division of Hunting and Game Management.
“I’m excited. It’s a fun time to look forward to, that’s for sure,” said George Green, a seasoned hunter and native Florida resident. Green and his hunting party, which included rookie Rob Jindracek, landed an 11-foot, 1-inch gator the second night they went out.
After holding a spot on the endangered species list for nearly 20 years, alligators made a rebound and became legal to hunt in Florida in 1988. Since then, the annual harvesting season helps maintain targeted gator populations. Now, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that there are roughly 1.3 million alligators in the state.
Permits to harvest gator are awarded through a random lottery system. This year, his first time applying, Jindracek secured one of the coveted permits.
“I do know these guys that are really into it, and like I said, it’s my first time,” he said. “I entered the lottery and I won, and they were like ‘Man that’s a big deal.’”
Jindracek is looking forward to making gator bites, which are small pieces of gator meat that are usually breaded and fried. Hunters who score gators normally eat the meat, and some harvest the hide for belts, wallets and other items.
“It was the rush of doing it, of actually being out there and all that, but my thing is more the meat that comes off of it,” he said.
Hunters now have the option to spend more time each day harvesting gators if they so choose. The state announced in May that gators could be hunted 24 hours a day instead of restricted to 17. Hunting now is allowed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving hunters additional hours of daylight.
“Allowing hunting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. provides participants more time to hunt during the day when it’s easier to navigate a boat, work with hunting equipment, and introduce new participants to alligator hunting,” Sapp said.
For Jindracek and Green, the extra hours don’t make a huge difference.
“I usually don’t find it very fun to hunt during the middle of the day,” Green said. “It’s very hot and there’s a lot of boats out there and things like that. So it will not affect me as much as maybe somebody else.”
Although permit-holders are now allowed to hunt during the busier times of day, Sapp said the waterways shouldn’t get too congested.
“We expect little interaction between the various user groups sharing Florida’s public waterbodies,” Sapp said. “Those participating in the statewide alligator harvest will seek areas where others are not recreating and that feature the wetland type habitats where alligators are more likely to occur.”
Green figured he’s been hunting gators for about 10 to 15 seasons, applying for the lottery every year. While he enjoys hunting, he also loves helping people share that experience.
“My favorite part of the hunt is exposing people … to that very unusual activity that we have available to us here in Florida,” Green said.
