Gator hunting registration underway

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Early Tuesday morning, hunters began registering online for the chance to hunt and bag a gator in Alabama.

The great gator hunt

Two summer weekends the past seven years have offered hunters a shot at challenging Alabama's biggest reptile.

The annual gator hunt is a limited affair that stirs up a lot of excitement.

Keith Gauldin, an Alabama wildlife biologist said, "There's really not a lot, as far as hunting goes, during that time of year and these people are ecstatic doing this kind of activity."

This year, there are three alligator hunting regions in Alabama: the Mobile-Tensaw delta, the wiregrass region of southeast Alabama, and the west-central region north of I-84.

Last year, a hunter caught a 14-foot monster in the latter. Gauldin said he doesn't think one that large has been caught in the delta.

"Typically, in the delta, our larger ones are a little bit above 13 feet," Gauldin said.

Tag "lottery"

A lot of people want to get in on the action. The popularity of gator hunting means far more register than the 295 people who'll be chosen.

"People need to realize this is a random drawing application process so just because they complete an application doesn't mean they're going to get drawn for the alligator application tag itself," Gauldin said.

Potential alligator hunters can register on Alabama Outdoors' website . There is a fee of $6 to register and multiple applications are accepted. A further increase in odds is possibly by registering for all three hunts.

Still, no matter how many times you register, you'll only be able to tag one gator.

If your name is drawn you'll have to attend a workshop to learn the rules of a safe catch.

"Once they attend that workshop they have the know-how to go out and harvest their alligator," Gauldinsaid.