Gator hunting

[downoffthemountain]

I've always been interested in the idea, but after what I discovered right in my yard last night, I'm motivated.
My place is right on the bayou adjacent to Big Branch. When I walked out to get the mail last night, a guy was fishing off the bridge adjacent to my property. He walked over & asked me how I got along with the 14' gator he'd seen hanging out in my yard. I told him I didn't know I had anything that size hanging around. It was apparently just enjoying the afternoon sun on the bank right there where I've been walking my new puppy. I knew of a 7'er that hung around but not this guy and in the past year that I've been here, I've never seen any of them actually up in the yard before.
Needless to say, the pup just had all free-roaming priveleges revoked and I'm filling out the application for a hunting tag. Season opens here 4 weeks from today. For the next few weeks, climbing in/out of my canoe will take on a new light.
I printed out all the regs and have read thru them. I know you have to have "so much" land/habitat to qualify for a tag. The place I'm renting is roughly 13 ac. with about 7 of it being marsh and "per google maps" about 9000' of shore line. I would hope that that is enough to qualify for a tag.
Does anybody actually know how much habitat it takes to qualify?
Yak-a-lou?
Where-yak?
Anybody else?

[Where Y'ak?]

I don't know what the formula is. My basic understanding is that they have a formula that takes into account the location and size of the property in deciding how many tags to allot.

Last year was a very poor alligator season. Poor in that there was no price on the hides and many, many tags went unused. That only means that the population is even higher this year.

I was picked for the lottery last year and had three tags for Pearl River WMA. I filled two of them, but the last one went unfilled because I was holding out for an even larger one that I was seeing. It was fun and I've put in for this year's lottery which should be picked soon. The largr gator in the photo is a 10 footer. If you have a 14' in your yard, that really is a beast.

If you don't have any luck getting tags for your property, you may be able to call the local nuisance trapper to come and remove the big beast before he snacks on your puppy--or you.

Good luck.

[Branch_Office]

Call "Billy the Exterminator" lol...

[Yak-a-Lou]

Sorry but I've no idea what their formula may be. Other than that, Where Yak covered it very well (as usual).

Try to make certain that no one in the area is feeding such a beast. That includes dumping edible stuff like fish carcasses in the water with any regularity whatsoever. The retired guy who lives upstream and dumps fish guts off his dock three times a week could be the reason he stays around, if he does stay around.

[downoffthemountain]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, but Steve most of all. Where Y'ak, I saved that picture from when you posted it last year. Friends & family back home were more than impressed. I will put my application in for a private land tag and see what happens. I'd be tempted to put in for the public land lottery but without a boat (other than my trusty canoe)that seems more than a bit impractical. If I don't qualify, I may very well have a nuisance trapper give me a hand. Having a 7' gator living in the neighborhood is interesting. Having a 14' gator move in is a liability - for both me and the dog - as you said. I'm not aware of anyone local feeding them, but I can't say what gets dumped off the bridge sometimes. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Occupant]

Call your local animal control. They have someone already contracted for gators. They may come and trap him for free. Zoos love big gators.

[Yak-a-Lou]

Call your local animal control. They have someone already contracted for gators. They may come and trap him for free. Zoos love big gators.

Doesn't work that way. Nuisance alligator trappers are regulated through LDWF. To get the ball rolling, call 1-800-442-2511. The trappers are independent and get paid by selling the meat and hide.

[Occupant]

MMMMM!, Thanks for the education .

[LuvDaTigers]

14' sounds like typical fisherman embellishment. That's big. Real BIG. But it does sound like you've got a fairly large bull alligator near your property, it just may not be 14'. And alligators love dogs, you're doing the right thing with the pup keeping him on tighter reigns.
Personally, YAL close your eyes and ears, if it was my property I'd take care of any big gator like that. Anything over 7 foot could be a problem for your dog. And if you have any neighbors feeding the gator, make sure you shoot that particular gator and your neighbor. Just kidding about the neighbor, though I'd probably call the police or WLF on neighbors that are feeding gators. They're putting everyone around you in danger.

[Occupant]

Gators are like relatives : They travel in packs and go, where there is food! "I have been told" "No correction needed, if false"