Alligator Hunters End Season With Good Haul

LITTLE ROCK – The second and final weekend of Arkansas’s first alligator hunt went much the same as the first weekend. Several hunters, who did not take an alligator during the first weekend, were successful during the final weekend of hunting.

Over half of the hunters that were awarded permits harvested an alligator. In all, 21 hunters picked up their trophies before the Oct. 1 close of the season. On the first weekend, 12 permit holders bagged alligators. The two hunts were held Sept. 21-24 and Sept. 28-Oct. 1. A total of 40 permits were available to Arkansas hunters. Twenty-three of the tags were offered through a computer draw with the other 17 permits going directly to private landowners who assign the tag to the person of their choice. There were about 2,800 applicants for the permits.

Each applicant was required to have a valid resident big game license. Hunters were also required to attend one of three training workshops in August to become eligible to take an alligator. Applicants were allowed to hunt both weekends to harvest their alligator. The bag limit is one alligator at least 4 feet long.

AGFC wildlife technician Mike Harris said the hunt in Zone 1 ended with an 80 percent success rate. “That seems to be somewhat higher than anyone anticipated. Only three permit holders were unsuccessful in Zone 1,” Harris said. “One public land permit and two private land permits went unfilled,” he added.

Successful hunters on the final weekend included:

Drew Wilson, 3 Lakes, Miller County, 5 foot 10 inch, male
Dexter Boyce, Lester Sitzes, III Bois D’Arc WMA, Hempstead County, 7 foot 2 inch female
Mike Goodwin, 27 Cutoff, Hempstead County, 8 foot 6 inch male
Kayla Chesshir, Hendricks Ranch, Sevier County, 7 foot 7 inch male
Robert Whitlock, 51 Cutoff, Hempstead County, 7 foot 6 inch female
Jason Berry, private land, Arkansas County, 8 foot 5 ½ inch female
Sloan Hampton, private land, Arkansas County, 9 foot male
Rogers Cockrell, private land, Drew County, 7 foot 11 ¼ inch female
Harold Damron, Merisach Lake, Arkansas County, 4 foot 9 ¼ inch female