The 920 permits available statewide in 2014 were filled through a June drawing
Mississippi’s 2014 public alligator season runs from Aug. 29 through Sept. 8, but the drawing process was completed in June to fill the 920 permits available statewide.
Nearly 7,000 unique individuals applied, with over 20,000 applications filed. The system is a points-based system that gives preference to teams who have applied without success in the past.
It is a fair process, but as you’d expect it leaves a lot of people disappointed, including our featured Pascagoula team.
“You just go online and apply for the lottery and they’ll notify you if you are picked,” Cory Moore said. “You apply for a region; there are seven of them. We applied for one but you can apply for multiple regions. We applied for one and got drawn (in 2013).
“There are seven zones, five with 150 permits, one with 100 and then the Pearl River/Barnett Reservoir Zone only has 70 permits.”
The Pascagoula crew chose the Southeast zone, which lies south of I-20 and east of U.S. Highway 49, because their home waters of the Pascagoula River marsh are included in the zone.
“The first time you’re drawn you have to take a mandatory class,” Moore said. “Once you take it you don’t have to take it again.
“They teach you safety, biology, capture techniques and skinning techniques; they cover everything. It was very helpful for those of us who didn’t know anything about it.”
Why does Mississippi have an alligator season? Simply put, according to the MDWFP, the state’s alligator population is healthy and affords the hunting opportunity.
“Jackson County has the most alligators in the state,” Moore said. “It’s all about the biology.
It’s all about over-population, starvation of the animals if they get overpopulated and disease — there’s a purpose for it all.”
For more information on hunting alligators visit the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks online at mdwfp.com.
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