JACKSON — Mississippi’s public water alligator hunt applications opened Monday morning at 10 a.m. on the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks website.  The deadline for the draw applications is June 10.

Applications will be drawn on June 14, winners will be notified in an email from MDWFP and they have two days to purchase the alligator permit for $200 and license for $25. A second drawing will be held to fill any unsold alligator hunting permits.

In 2023, A MDWFP’s Alligator Program Coordinator Andrew Arnett reported 6,373 hunters applied for public water draw permits and 954 were drawn for tags. Hunters killed 838 alligators last year with the average length of gators at 7.69 feet.

MDWFP reports 3,705 hunters participated in alligator hunts with an average of 5.62 people per hunting party. Nearly double the number of alligators killed last year were caught and released. Mississippi regulations require hunters to catch alligators with a hook and line on a fishing pole before they are able to be brought up to the boat, secured by a larger hook and dispatched.

Alligator season brought in $287,925 for the MDWFP between possession tags, hunting licenses and other fees.

The 2024 Alligator public season will be from noon August 30 until noon September 9, 2024.