More St. Charles Parish people on the hunt for gator

Applications being taken for alligator lottery

Applications for this year’s alligator lottery hunt on Salvador-Timpkin wildlife management areas are expected to grow to nearly 100, but only 10 people can win the opportunity.

“It’s growing every year,” said Shane Granier, biologist manager of the management areas in southeastern St. Charles Parish. “There is a growing popularity of recreational alligator hunting throughout the state.”

Applications have typically averaged 40 to 80 a year since the program started around 2010.

“The total does appear to be trending upward,” Granier said of lottery applications for the area that includes the two wildlife management areas (WMAs) of Salvador and Timpkin although they are managed together.

Lottery applications will be accepted until July 5 on public lakes throughout Louisiana. Lottery winners will be able to hunt from Aug. 26 to Oct. 1.

All applicants meeting the application requirements will be entered into a randomized computer drawing, which will take place by August. Selected hunters will be notified by mail.For Salvador/Timpkin applicants, 10 people will get 30 tags or be allowed to each harvest up to three alligators.

“We have more alligators than we had last year and that’s been growing the last 15 to 20 years,” Granier said. “It led to the ability to harvest alligators. From what I know, I’m pretty sure it’s on an upward trend. We certainly are not having any problems.”

The lottery is for the public while the commercial harvest is reserved for contract trappers, who are allowed a much larger number of tags.

Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the lottery hunts are aimed at addressing the public’s desire to harvest a few alligators without impacting the commercial harvest, Granier said. LDWF directs commercial harvests by targeting the size of alligators or areas to hunt.

With the lottery, LDWF will select eligible alligator hunters that will be allowed to target five coastal and nongame resources division management areas, 15 wildlife division WMAs, one U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property and 25 public lakes for the 2015 alligator harvest season.

WMAs include Salvador/Timken in St. Charles Parish, as well as the Atchafalaya Delta in St. Mary Parish, Pass a Loutre in Plaquemines Parish, Point au Chene in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes and Lake Boeuf in Lafourche Parish.

Interested participants may print out an application from LDWF’s website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/lottery-hunts or request an application by phone for CNR Division WMAs at (337) 373-0032 or Wildlife Division WMAs and public lakes at (225) 765-2346.

Applications and a non-refundable application fee of $5 must be submitted to the address indicated on corresponding applications and be postmarked by July 5.

Only one of the three available lottery alligator harvest applications (CNR Division WMA, Wildlife Division WMA or Wildlife Division Public Lakes) may be submitted per applicant.

Additional applications will result in voiding all applications submitted by the applicant.

Applicants must be a legal Louisiana resident and 16 years of age or older.  All successful applicants will be required to purchase an alligator hunting license for $25.