Alligators... in English, please?

[gander]

I have been hunting them for 15 years on our private property down here and still get confused by their wording, but I'll try to dumb it down for you.

Core counties- Pretty much the counties along the coast. Season is September 10-30. You must have a CITES tag beforehand. Gators must be caught on a baited line with a gear tag that has your name, number, license number and date on it. Also can bowfish them, but must have all the correct gear (arrow, detachable float the correct color and meet minimum size.) If you shoot one with a bow, make sure the arrow is still stuck in it good before you finish it with the gun... Can not shoot gators free swimming.

Non Core counties - pretty much every county in the state besides the core counties. It's a spring season that runs from April to June/July I believe. Must be on private property and once you kill the gator you have to contact TPWD within 24 or 48 hours and they will send you a tag. Same catching/killing methods but you can actually shoot and kill a gator free swimming from what I understand.

Never at any point in Texas can you hunt gators at night. They follow the same rules as deer hunting shooting hours. Also, make sure you before you ever take pictures with the gator you put the CITES tag in it's tail. Have the tags on you even if you are out on private property in a boat, don't wait to get back to land to tag it.

[Trumpkin]

Thanks for all the help fellas. Sounds like I'd need to find a pay to play hunt if I want to kill a gator around here.

[Voodoo]

Call your local game warden.

Better record the conversation

[donpablo]

Also can bowfish them, but must have all the correct gear (arrow, detachable float the correct color and meet minimum size.)... Can not shoot gators free swimming.

If you can't shoot them free swimming, why do you need a float?

[Voodoo]

Gotta hang a chicken inside a hog trap on the bank

[gander]

If you can't shoot them free swimming, why do you need a float?

Because by law, the gator is no longer free swimming, it is attached to a line, which the float is also attached to.

[donpablo]

Because by law, the gator is no longer free swimming, it is attached to a line, which the float is also attached to.

I see. I thought the line was attached to a tree but I'm assuming it's attached to the float as well?

[bow4my2]

I just know dem alligators are ornery cuz dey got dem teeth and no toothbrush

[Slew]

I still wanna Livescope one!!

[labman]

Man, typical TPWD confusion. We hunt gators in Arkansas, totally different rule set. Hunt only at night, means of harvest are by snare, harpoon and boom stick. No baiting, no treble hook throwing etc. Definitely makes it interesting. Fun hunt for sure, if you're able to snare or harpoon one, it's game on.

[donpablo]

WTH? How is this supposed to work?



So you don't catch them on a line?

[donpablo]

And I guess on this hunt you have to wrestle it into the boat.

[Quackerbox]

The dam B hunt is a management hunt to take smaller gators. It's the only one at night (pretty sure). That's the easiest way to catch the one you want

More than likely the laguna hunt is hook ok line then shoot

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[Mitchell8]

Laguna you tape the mouth shut before you wrestle into the boat cmon man

[donpablo]

The dam B hunt is a management hunt to take smaller gators. It's the only one at night (pretty sure). That's the easiest way to catch the one you want

More than likely the laguna hunt is hook ok line then shoot

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So you shoot it free swimming?

Laguna you tape the mouth shut before you wrestle into the boat cmon man