Gator-trapping responsibilities could be in your hands

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

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Gator trappers remove a nuisance gator from the Eastlake Woodlands subdivision last year. A woman died after being attacked by a gator there last May.

Last year's alligator hunting season saw a record number of kills.

That's partly because of a six-week lengthening of the season and also because of the high numbers of gators. Those numbers may again reach record levels when the season begins in August, as lawmakers are toying with the idea of letting regular citizens handle their own gator control problems.

State wildlife commissioners are looking into letting homeowners handle nuisance gators themselves - as long as the reptiles are less than four feet long. The state contends it is a safe and efficient plan, as long as homeowners follow certain criteria.

The homeowner would be required to contact the FWC's gator nuisance hotline and get approval to trap or kill the gator. Or the person could call a certified wildlife trapper for a fee. Harry Dutton with the FWC's alligator management program said the new plan is good management.

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"Currently when an alligator less than four feet in length has to be responded to, we have to relay this information to our regional law enforcement staff for their action,'' Dutton said. "This deters our officers from focusing on our core mission and depending on staff availability may result in a delayed response."

There is a potential problem, however.

Not all wildlife trappers respond to gators less than four feet long. In that case, would a person be forced to deal with the nuisance gator on their own?

Dutton said this and other issues would have to be worked out before any new laws move forward. Alligator hunting permits went on sale Tuesday for the season that runs Aug. 15 through Nov. 1. More than 4,500 permits will be made available.

Hunters killed 6,419 alligators during last year's 11-week season, a record for licensed kills, wildlife officials said. Biologists estimate there are up to 2 million alligators in Florida.