The first spring alligator hunting season in Texas will begin April 1, 2007. Listed as endangered a few decades ago, alligators these days are keeping game wardens busy as they respond to calls about the scaly reptiles being spotted alongside highways, behind strip malls, and in the manmade lakes of gated housing developments.

Florida was the first to begin protecting the alligators during the 1940s, followed by other Gulf of Mexico states. Texas enacted complete protection in 1969, after alligators here had all but disappeared.

The species made a comeback and was removed from the endangered species list in 1985, prompting states to gradually phase hunting back in. Hunting in the Southern states such as Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and Texas have resulted in the killing of approximately 35,000 to 40,000 alligators a year.


Why is a new hunting season opening?

Amazingly, game wardens are still receiving calls from residents complaining about alligators in their area. Texas state officials have decided that opening a new hunting season, loosening restrictions and expanding the hunting areas from 22 Texas counties to the rest of the state will help control the alligator population.

Texas Parks & Wildlife specialist Amos Cooper said, "The bottom line is their habitat is expanding. People who have never seen an alligator, they start complaining. So they (state officials) decided that they needed to do something. This is one method that they chose to solve that problem."

What is different about the new season?

Larry Janik, an El Campo-based alligator farmer and state-contracted nuisance control hunter, said he was shocked by the loosened restrictions. "We don't hunt any other animal or creature while it has a nest full of eggs," he said.

The spring hunting season starts from April 1 to June 30, March 1 through May 30 is the peak time for breeding and nesting in which females typically lay over 35 eggs. The eggs incubate for about 2 months, and the female will watch and defend the nest during this time. They are easy targets as soon as the nest is found.

The regulations prior to this year required that hunters will hook, snag, or snare alligators under legal means and then shoot them. Hunters outside of the "core counties" are now allowed to shoot at alligators as long as they are in private land and a pond or lake is privately owned. With landowner consent, hunters may anchor a hook and line on private property and place the line in public water, then use a firearm to dispatch the alligator after it is caught. This is to avoid hunters shooting across public waters and placing the public in danger.

What are the requirements to hunt an alligator in Texas?

Anyone hunting alligators in Texas must possess a valid hunting license and all alligators must be tagged.  Below is an excerpt from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department guidelines.

LAWFUL MEANS OF CATCHING ALLIGATORS:

• hook and line
• alligator gig
• A lawful gig is a pole or staff equipped with at least one of the following:
  - immovable prongs;
  - two or more spring-loaded grasping arms; or
  - a detachable head.
• lawful archery equipment and barbed arrow
• hand-held snare with integral locking mechanism
• lawful firearms (in non-core counties ONLY).

Why are the core counties not participating in the new season?

A total of 22 counties comprise the TPWD's "core" alligator hunting area, all of which are located in the Southeast Texas area. The open season for alligators in those counties is restricted to Sept. 10-30. That season has been conducted ever since the animal was taken off the endangered species list. It will remain in effect this year as well. The spring season will not be available in these counties, where alligator hunting is part of the region's economy. In those areas, Cooper said, the state doesn't want to risk depleting the population by expanding hunting.

These counties have been able to use the alligator hunting season as a way to generate income. Several businesses depend on this recreational activity in order to keep their doors open. Alligator skin is used for belts, boots, purses, and wallets. The skulls, teeth, and claws are also sold for educational and decorative purposes. Landowners charge hunters for the opportunity to catch the alligators on their land. There are also tanneries which specialize in alligator skin, and those that sell alligator meat. 

Yes, alligator meat is edible! Take a look at the appetizer section of a popular restaurant menu below along with a recipe for Fried Alligator Nuggets.

FRIED ALLIGATOR NUGGETS 5 lbs. of alligator meat 1 Bottle of Tabasco Buttermilk, flour, juice of 2 lemons, salt and pepper Season alligator meat with salt and pepper and marinate in Tabasco sauce and lemon for one hour. Then marinate meat in buttermilk for one additional hour. Roll in flour and fry 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Alligators are an example of how a species can go from being endangered to becoming a nuisance to the community. Whether it is because of humans invading their natural habitat or because of overpopulation, the state has decided that the best way to deal with complaints about these reptiles is to leave it up to the public to hunt them. Hopefully, there will be enough control that we do not endanger the species once again.

For more regulations, guidelines and recipes visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

Gator meat adds bite to your cooking

On a recent warm day, my family went kayaking at Armand Bayou, enjoying the sight of alligators sunning themselves along the banks. Afterward, we stopped for lunch at Dickinson Seafood, where a sign announced that fried alligator was on the menu. We immediately thought of the line from “The Big Lebowski”: “Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you.”

In the case of Texas alligators, though, it’s a one-sided affair. Alligators here aren’t known to attack humans, but locals have a number of opportunities for eating gator, either in restaurants or at home.

Dickinson Seafood serves gator as an appetizer. Fried in crispy strips, the meat has a little more, well, bite than chicken.

“I like it because it’s tangy, and it’s a crispier texture,” server Jill Stewart said. “We serve a fantastic selection of seafood, in all sorts of combinations, and the alligator is a great way to start.

“I’d never had it before I started working here, but I really like it,” Stewart said. “It was a new taste for me, because I’m from Iowa, and there definitely aren’t alligators there.”

Laura Moore sells gator meat to intrepid local cooks at her family’s seafood stand, Mr. Moore’s Sonshine Seafood.

“We sell more than I thought we would,” Moore said. “People fry it, mostly. They also put it in stews and gumbos, or grill it.”

Alligator, the other, other, other white meat, is actually a healthy choice, at least before frying. Lower in cholesterol than chicken, a serving of gator meat has only 110 calories and two grams of fat.

Moore sells frozen alligator meat in one-pound packages, as do some area grocery stores.

“Our gator meat comes from Anahuac,” Moore said. “I look for the whitest meat I can find — that’s the sign of quality.”

Whiter meat is also less gamey tasting.