Louisiana Alligator Hunters Face Fines For Illegal Activity

(KMDL-FM) There is nothing more "Louisiana" than alligator hunting. They made a popular TV show about it. Country stars take time out of their tours to hunt the beasts. The state of Louisiana even has a recreational hunting season. It certainly seems as if it would be an adventure.

But like every adventure that involves the state's lands and waterways, a government agency needs to regulate the ebb and flow of hunters and wildlife. The department that does that in Louisiana is the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

LDWF Agents Cite Hunters in St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes

Recently, agents of LDWF were involved in two separate alligator incidents. No, the agents weren't pursued or attacked by the reptiles; the agents' involvement came after the alligators in question had already faced human interaction.

The first incident happened in St. Martin Parish, where Blair Weber of Brusly and Clifford Legrange of Plaquemines were cited for cutting a live alligator from a line before reaching the hunter's quota.

LDWF agents had been tipped off in a complaint about illegal alligator hunting activity in West Fork Bayou in St. Martin Parish. That's where agents observed the pair checking the line before cutting the creature loose.

According to an LDWF Press Release, Louisiana's alligator hunting regulations require hunters to inspect their hooks and lines daily and remove all captured alligators. Hooks and lines must be removed once a hunter's quota has been reached. If an alligator is captured after the quota has been met, the hunter is required to release the alligator in the most humane manner possible. Cutting a live alligator from a line prior to reaching the hunter's quota brings up to a $350 fine.

The second alligator incident happened one week later in St. Mary Parish. Agents acted on a complaint that an alligator had been shot along the Franklin Canal. Upon arrival, agents observed a dead alligator tied up to the bank. The animal's body appeared to have been intentionally covered with brush and limbs.

Agents made contact with Kim Regan of Franklin, where they learned that Regan was responsible for the shooting of the alligator. It was noted that Regan did not possess a license to legally shoot an alligator.

According to an LDWF Press Release, intentional concealment of wildlife brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Taking an alligator without a license carries a $250 to $500 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Reagan also faces civil restitution totaling $250 for the illegally taken alligator.

When Does Louisiana's Recreational Alligator Hunting Season Open?

Louisiana's recreational alligator hunting season will open on October 1st and will run through Halloween. Credentials and tags are required to participate in the hunt, and those are being assigned via a lottery through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife. We were informed that applications for the lottery are still being processed. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.

Now, if you're not good at hunting alligators with a small weapon. Maybe you'd do better harvesting them with your car. Oh, there are nine other animals you might meet by accident on your way to go 'gator hunting.

10 Animals Your Most Likely To Meet By Accident While Driving in Louisiana

When you're known as the Sportsman's Paradise, you're going to have a lot of animals, and that's exactly the case in Louisiana. Unfortunately, car-animal crashes happen quite a lot; in fact, over 14,000 have been reported in just the past five years across the state. So, what animals are you most likely to run into while driving? Here are the Top 10 according to Louisiana governmental records and estimates.

Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells