Catching a gator

When it comes to lotteries, most people tend to think of the Louisiana Power Ball, Mega Millions, Lotto, Pick 3 or something of that nature. Most people don’t think of an alligator lottery. But the Louisiana Depart-ment of Wildlife and Fisheries will be receiving applications for their annual Wildlife Management Area, Corps of Engineers, and Public Lakes Alligator Lottery through June 30.
If you haven’t participated in this lottery, it’s something you should think about doing. A few years ago, both my wife, Christine, and I put in for this fun adventure. She was the lucky winner and I got to tag along and be her helper.
We put in for the Atchafalaya Delta WMA, where 10 hunter opportunities were available. Each opportunity allows a hunter to harvest 3 alligators. As it worked out, Christine fished the Wax Lake Delta portion of the WMA that I was more familiar with.
Over the years she and I had fished alligators commercially together, where I pretty much handled setting and baiting the lines, as well as shooting and pulling them in the boat.
When she won the lottery, she said she wanted to do everything herself.
“Well OK,” I said to her. “How can I be of help?”
Leading up to the season, I spent weekends cutting poles and stobs for her, attaching hooks to lines, and gathering clothes pins for her to set and adjust the bait above the water.
You’re allowed to set lines out the day before the season opens, so I took a vacation day that Friday.
We got up before daylight to make the 35 minute run down the Calumet Cut to set her six lines — the number each alligator hunter is allowed. When we arrived on the Delta, the sun was a beautiful orange ball just coming up on the eastern horizon. The water was slick like glass, with baitfish popping everywhere, as they fell prey to hungry redfish that cut them out of their schools with ease.
Just the experience of an Atchafalaya Delta morning is worth the price of a lottery ticket. When you put in for the alligator lottery it will cost you $5 for the application fee and $2 more for a transaction fee.
The Wax Delta side of the WMA has a sandy bottom and can be difficult to shove a long pole in to, but Christine managed and succeeded in setting all of her lines before midmorning.
The next day was like deja vu of the previous day. The sunrise, the bait fish popping, the slick calm waters all were a repeat. Only this time we had the excitement of checking Christine’s lines.
The LDWF conducts alligator lottery harvests on 19 WMAs, 28 public lakes, and 1 Army Corps of Engineers property. Application success rates depend on what public WMA or lake you put in for. Some are as low as 8 percent, while others are as high as 59 percent success rate. The Atchafalaya Delta has a 14 percent success rate.
There are additional fees if you happen to be selected for the lottery. Hunters will be required to purchase a $25 alligator license and pay an additional $40 fee for each alligator tag.
Louisiana’s wild alligator harvest is managed from a commercial standpoint. For the past several years there has been little demand for reptile hides worldwide. The price per foot from buyers has been in the single digits and so low, many land companies in recent years have elected to not fish them commercially and turned their tags in.
Don’t let prices stop you from this opportunity. Deer hunters don’t think twice about spending $400 to $750 to shoulder mount big whitetail deer. An alligator head makes for a terrific mount. Moreover, if you choose to tan your alligator hides, they can be made into quality products, or hung in your “man cave,” making an excellent keepsake.
Additionally, alligator meat can be delicious when properly handled. There are bunches of alligator recipes out there. All you have to do is a web search to find something delicious.
When we arrived at Christine’s first set, the line was pulled off of the pole and stretched out into the deep water. This was a perfect way to start. Typically, when this occurs the line can be gently pulled up and the alligator will come up quietly.
When the alligator’s head rose above the water, Christine dispatched it with her .22 rifle. After tagging it we got a rough measurement that looked to be about 7 feet, 8 inches.
As it turned out, she was a pretty good alligator hunter. Christine caught two more gators that both turned out to be near clones of each other at 7 foot, 4 inches.
Christine tagged out and had an experience of a lifetime she’ll never forget.
For those interested in putting in for the alligator lottery go to la-web.s3licensing.com. For more information email LAalligatorprogram@wlf.la.gov. For information on alligator hide care go to www.louisianaalligators.com/hide-care.html.