Louisiana Opens Recreational Alligator Hunt | New Orleans News

Louisiana just launched its first-ever recreational alligator hunt, letting regular folks apply for a chance to bag gators—separate from the commercial industry. Applications opened July 25, with hunts running October 1–31 across eight zones. Sparked by new law Act 37, the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved the program in May, allowing up to 5,000 hunters to be selected via lottery. Each winner gets two tags per zone (non-transferable), but can’t sell or trade any part of the gator—or use tags for guided hunts. Applicants must be 16+, Louisiana residents with hunter education, pay $50 per zone ($25 sports license if selected), and face strict rules to protect the booming population now exceeding three million. Zones B and C offer the most spots—1,250 each. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c8251f48e2a59971