gators! am i missing something here?

[recurve shooter]

ok i know why gators were originaly protected, and it was for good cause. but trust me, these fellas are FAR from threatened down here anymore. i see far more gators that deer, rabbits, or even squirrels in my neck of the woods. i came on here and started blabbing without doing my research, but i believe the only way to get gator tags is to own an area of swamp land and you get so many tags per acre. my question is why the heck cant the average fella take one or two per year? i mean i know that if every hunter out there was taking them, they would be depleted again in no time, but if the folks that live in or near gator country could have one or two tags per year, it would make things much more interesting. i mean why is a big animal that is just as common as deer down here so heavily protected when everyone can take six of the relativly sparse deer?

again im sure one of you guys can clear this up, but it just dont make any sence to me. 

[HatchA]

Interesting topic!

I *acquired* an episode of Redneck Adventures TV Show where they're boating around at night in a swampland, handgrabbing frogs up out of the water.  They grab a couple of 'gators too.  Are they allowed to do that?

[mullet]

 I'm putting in for my permits this week.It is fairly easy to get one here. It allows you to take two gators in Florida.

[recurve shooter]

hatchA, im not completly sure, but i dont think you can do that. i know you cant kill them without tags, but i dont know about just grabbing them, although i can only imagine its illegle.  i dont really know lol.

[Kegan]

Where are you?

Different states have different regulations. Like Eddie said, I believe FL lets you apply for tags regardless of whether you "own gator land" or not.

[Hillbilly]

Georgia and SC have lottery-type drawings for alligator permits. You don't even have to be a resident to get one if you have money. As far as I know, you can't legally kill a gator here in NC.

[beetlebailey1977]

South Carolina's draw is open now until June 15th.  There will be 1200 tags this year.  Plus they are offering a special WMA tag also.

[mullet]

Hatch, the way the permits work in Florida is I pay about $260 for the permit and "two helpers" pay about $50 for a helpers permit. Most people here charge around a thousand dollars to take a "tourist " for those permits plus tips. I don't play that game, I hunt for meat and nobody will buy a hide under 8' here.

[recurve shooter]

im in south louisiana. i never bothered to look it up before  i came on here throwin a hissy fit, so i'll do that soon. im sure they have a lottery for it, so i'll find it and see what i can do with that. thanks for all the info guys. but its midnight and im up early to pack up my gear, random squirrel season is open here till the end of this month, so ima take the bp rifle out and see what i can pop, soo i'll look up the tag lotto info when i get back from that lol.

[Rick Wallace]

Northwest Florida is full of them to,,as far as I know we cant take them either. More gators than squirrells,,,,dont make sense to me