By: Macon Gravlee
Wanna go alligator hunting? If you are looking for the most exciting hunt of a life time you have just found it! Just head for the Florida Everglades. If you are an outdoors type person and you enjoy the sport of hunting as I do, you should sign up for one of the alligator hunts that are available.
These hunts will provide you with a full time, very experienced guide that has accumulated many years of familiarity in this type of work. Often times the guides that you get have been active hunters and fishermen in the state of Florida for several decades and have handled many alligator hunts over the years.
Usually the programs are conducted on private land such as cattle ranches, sugar cane and farm operations as well as around the citrus groves. Many of the guides have access to leased wetlands which are the preferred habitat of alligators. In addition you can find several that offer legal hunts conducted on either private or public waters located on federal or state owned land.
If you should elect to participate in one of the public water hunts that are conducted through out the state on a variety of public rivers, lakes or wetlands you will find that these hunts are encouraged by the Florida conservation commission. This commission designates what areas the hunting can be conducted on. Naturally state permits are required and the state provides over four thousand Alligator permits annually. Keep in mind that these permits are generally issued on a first come first serve basis.
The hunts are usually conducted around the Southern Florida area near Lake Okeechobee or in the Florida Everglades depending upon the permit obtained. The only time that these public hunts are conducted is during the months of August to November of each year.
In order to add to the excitement of the hunt they are usually conducted in the evening and by airboat. The guide will arrange all the necessary paperwork such as the permits, licenses and tags while all that is required from you is to be there. Hunts are available from mid April through October, and possibly other dates depending on weather conditions; alligators in northern Florida do hibernate in the winter. This is a very unique opportunity.
The typical Florida alligator season runs August through October. This is a very limited season and interferes with deer season for most. Our guide has licensed nuisance tags which allows them hunt alligators at any time, and very likely you will be hunting a problem gator which increases the excitement even more. You may very well be saving somebody s pet, child, or animal by removing these gators. The legal weapons that can be used for these hunts are bows and crossbow, harpoons and a bang stick.
Depending upon the type of weather for the evening of the hunt the client should see several hundred different alligators on their airboat trip. Since most of these hunts are close up you are certain to experience a thrilling adventure that will last you a lifetime.
