Alligator hunting season kicks off

SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) - Alligator hunting season kicked off Thursday night.

Dozens of hunters picked up their gator tags at the Department of Conservation Offices to get started.

Of the more than 5,000 requests for gator tags, conservation officials said only 125 of them were randomly handed out to hunters.

Authorities said one tag means one gator. Sportsmen from around the region said they have to make that one tag count.

"We all pool together and as long as somebody gets a tag, we all go," said Taylor Thames, a gator hunting veteran.

Thames said he had to come back for the 7th annual kickoff of the Alabama gator hunting season on the south delta.

He says last year he caught a whopping 10-foot-5, 523 pound beast.

"Outdoing myself from last year is going to be tough," he said. “You're talking about a trophy gator, once in a lifetime. We've got one spotted this year that he’s a good ten, pushing 11 (feet)."

Like him, many hunters hit the water early despite the rainy weather.

Conservation officials said hunters have been preparing for this night all week long.

"We've had just about all week long - folks in and out," said conservation enforcement officer Kevin Hill.

The weighing station opens up at 8 p.m. and will close at 6 a.m.

Hunters will also have a chance to go out Friday and Saturday before the hunt continues the following weekend.