Applications must be submitted by July 15; hunts will be conducted Aug. 26 – Oct. 1
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is conducting a lottery to award alligator tags to provide the general public with harvest opportunities.
According to a press release, a random computer drawing from eligible hunters submitting applications will determine who receives tags from five Coastal and Nongame Resources Division Wildlife Management Areas, 15 Division WMAs, one U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property and 25 public lakes for the 2015 harvest.
The CNR Division WMAs include: Atchafalaya Delta WMA in St. Mary Parish; Pass a Loutre WMA in Plaquemines Parish; Pointe aux Chenes WMA in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, Salvador/Timken WMAs in St. Charles Parish and Lake Boeuf WMA in Lafourche Parish.
The Wildlife Division WMAs/USACOE properties include: Big Lake WMA in Tensas Parish, Boeuf WMA in Caldwell Parish, Buckhorn WMA in Tensas Parish, Elm Hall WMA in Assumption Parish, Grassy Lake WMA in Avoyelles Parish, Joyce WMA in Tangipahoa Parish, Manchac WMA in St. John the Baptist Parish, Maurepas Swamp WMA in St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ascension, Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes, Sherburne WMA (state portion only) in Pointe Coupee and St. Martin parishes, Spring Bayou WMA in Avoyelles Parish, Pearl River WMA in St. Tammany Parish, Richard K. Yancey WMA in Concordia Parish, Dewey W. Wills WMA in LaSalle and Catahoula parishes and Russell Sage WMA in Ouachita and Morehouse parishes.
The USACOE property includes Indian Bayou Area (USACOE) in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes.
The public lakes include: Lake Bistineau in Webster, Bossier and Bienville parishes; Lake Wallace inCaddo Parish; Black/Cypress Lake and Ivan Lake in Bossier Parish; Cross Lake in Caddo Parish; Kepler Lake in Bienville Parish; Bayou Desiard North in Ouachita Parish; Caney Lake in Jackson Parish; Bartholomew Lake in Ouachita and Morehouse parishes; Kincaid Lake in Rapides Parish; Indian Creek in Rapides Parish; Cotile Lake in Rapides Parish; Nantachie Lake in Grant Parish; Saline Lake in Winn Parish; Toledo Bend in Desoto and Sabine parishes; Lake Bruin in Tensas Parish; Lake Concordia in Concordia Parish; Lake St. John in Tensas Parish; Lake St. Joseph in Tensas Parish; Anacoco Lake and Vernon Lake in Vernon Parish; Caddo Lake in Caddo Parish; Black Lake in Natchitoches Parish; Bundicks Lake in Beauregard Parish and Lake D’Arbonne in Union Parish.
Interested participants may print out an application from LDWF’s website, or request an application by phone for CNR Division WMAs at 337-373-0032 or Wildlife Division WMAs and public lakes at 225-765-2346.
To assist applicants in selecting specific harvest locations, LDWF has posted the percentage of lottery alligator harvest applicants selected in 2014 by WMA or public lake, which can be viewed here.
Applications and non-refundable application fees ($5) must be submitted to the address indicated on corresponding applications and be postmarked by July 5, 2015. Only one of the three available lottery alligator harvest applications (CNR Division WMA, Wildlife Division WMA or Wildlife Division Public Lakes) may be submitted per applicant. Additional applications will result in voiding all applications submitted by the applicant.
The lottery alligator harvests will be conducted between Aug. 26 and Oct. 1, 2015. Exact harvest dates will vary by WMA or public lake, and will be specified at the time selected hunters are notified, according to the release.
Selected hunters may be assigned specific areas to conduct alligator harvest activities on certain WMAs/public lakes, the release states.
Applicants must be a legal Louisiana resident and 16 years of age or older. All successful applicants will be required to purchase an alligator hunting license ($25). Successful applicants for WMAs will be required to submit payments ($40) for each alligator tag allocated, according to the release.
All applicants meeting the application requirements will be entered into a random computer drawing, which will take place by August 2015, and selected hunters will be notified by mail.
