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Most Alligator Hunting Permits Have Been Bagged

Tribune photo by Frank Sergeant

Josh Garland of Thonotosassa hauls up a 10 foot alligator. Garland uses 14/0 treble hooks and 150-pound test fiber line to winch in the giant reptiles.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 4, 2008

TAMPA - Hunters have snapped up nearly all the available permits for this year's alligator hunting season, leaving only about 100 this morning of the roughly 4,800 permits that were to be issued.

In the first six hours after the permits were made available, starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 4,555 were issued.

And that is despite computer problems that slowed the process enough that some people might have given up.

Officials at the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which issues the permits, say the remaining permits might not last through the day. They almost certainly will be gone by midnight June 9, when the application period ends.

The permit includes tags allowing a hunter to take two alligators. The permits are issued for specific areas, and the hunter can only take alligators from that area.

Most of the remaining permits are for the Lake Poinsett area of the St. Johns River.

The rush of applicants overwhelmed the computer system handling the process. The application process stopped when the computer system became too jammed, and people had to begin again.

Some people gave up and got no permit.

Others got permits but received no notification and might not know they were successful.

You can check the commission Web site for hunting locations for available permits as well as whether your application was successful.

For available permits, go to this site: https://hfwa.centraltechnology.net/fl_quota/public...

To check your application status, go to this site: https://hfwa.centraltechnology.net/fl_quota/public...

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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