sports
Louisiana gears up for first recreational alligator hunt in more than 50 years
State to offer up to 5,000 trappers chance to snare reptiles whose numbers have risen to 3m from fewer than 100,000
TL;DR
- Louisiana is holding its first recreational alligator hunt since 1962.
- The state's alligator population has recovered to over 3 million.
- Up to 5,000 licensed hunters can apply for tags through a lottery system.
- The hunt is strictly non-commercial, with no selling of meat or hides permitted.
- Participants must have a basic hunting license and use hook and line trapping methods.
- Firearms are only allowed for dispatching captured alligators.