Alligator hunters, be on alert.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is currently accepting bids for alligator hunting on Wildlife Management Areas, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properties and state wildlife refuges for the 2022-2024 alligator harvest seasons through June 30.
Eligible alligator hunters are chosen through a bid system every three years on selected WMAs/Refuges/USACE properties.
A total of 36 alligator hunting opportunities are available for bid on 13 WMAs, one Refuge and two USACE properties. The number of alligator tags that will be issued to successful bidders in 2022 will range from 10-90 tags depending on the area awarded.
This bidding is done every three years. Annually, the commercial alligator harvest comes in the month of September and October.
“Alligators in Louisiana are not a game species like bass or waterfowl or deer. It’s actually commercial harvest … the meat is sold for human consumption and the skin is used to be turned into leather to make products,” said Vaughan McDonald of the LDWF. “We’ve had a suppressed market, largely because of coronavirus, the same way it’s affected other commodities. The cash value is quite low, but it’s still a commercial harvest in terms of our farm harvest and our wild harvest.”
Bids for alligator hunting will be accepted for several WMAs/refuges/USACE properties, including Salvador in St. Charles Parish. Others include: Grassy Lake, Spring Bayou, and Pomme de Terre (Avoyelles Parish), Attakapas (Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes), Sherburne – USACE lands (Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Martin parishes), Dewey W. Wills (La Salle and Catahoula parishes), Manchac (St. John Parish), Pearl River – North of Interstate 10, Pearl River – Between Interstate 10 and U.S. Hwy 90 and Pearl River – South of U.S. Hwy. 90 (St. Tammany Parish), Joyce (Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes), Maurepas Swamp (St. John, St. James, Ascension, and Livingston parishes), Indian Bayou – USACE property (St. Landry and St. Martin parishes), Atchafalaya Delta (St. Mary Parish), Pointe-aux-Chenes (Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes), Salvador (St. Charles Parish), Pass-a-Loutre (Plaquemines Parish) and St. Tammany Refuge (St. Tammany Parish).
Interested participants may review and print out the bid application notification and form from LDWF’s website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/alligator-hunting or request by phone at the phone numbers below, or request in writing from LDWF, Attn: Leslie Campbell, 2022-2024 WMA Alligator Harvest Bids, P.O. Box 62250, Lafayette, LA 70596.
An individual can apply and bid on more than one WMA/refuge/USACE property but will only be selected for one WMA/refuge/USACE property. Bidders applying for more than one area must indicate by preference (rank) their WMA/Refuge/USACE property choices.
Completed bid application forms must be received in P.O. Box 62250, Lafayette, LA 70596 or in Room 1009 of the LDWF Office at 200 Dulles Drive in Lafayette by 10 a.m. on June 30.
Bid opening will be held on June 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the LDWF Lafayette office. Winning bidders will be notified of selection by phone.
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