40 Miss. Code. R. § 2-5.2 - ALLIGATOR HUNTING SEASON FOR PRIVATE LANDS

A. An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) hunting season, hereby referred to as the "Private Lands Alligator Hunting Season," will be opened on private lands, according to restrictions below:

B. Location: Private lands only of Adams, Attala, Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, Claiborne, Copiah, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Leake, Leflore, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Rankin, Sharkey, Simpson, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson, Winston, and Yazoo Counties.

C. Dates: Starting at 12:00 Noon CDT on the last Friday in August and ending at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, 24 days thereafter.

D. Applicant restrictions and requirements:

1. Only one (1) application may be submitted per property.

2. The applicant's property must contain a minimum of 20 acres of privately owned permanent surface water in an open county to qualify for an Alligator Harvest Voucher. (Public water is not eligible).

3. Alligator Harvest Vouchers will be issued at the rate of one (1) voucher for the first 20 acres of surface water and one (1) additional voucher is available for each additional 100 acres of surface water in contiguous ownership by the applicant.

4. Upon receipt of the application, surface water acreage of the applicant's property will be evaluated by the MDWFP. The rate of permit issuance may be increased or decreased based upon supporting biological information as provided by the Department.

5. Applicants must obtain and submit an application with the following information by July 1:

a. A private lands alligator hunting permit application.

b. Proof of ownership by providing a copy of the landowner's current property tax receipt for the property for which the applicant is submitting.

c. A copy of the property deed with a complete property description.

d. In addition to the above, a leaseholder may submit applications signed by the landowner and must provide a copy of a current exclusive hunting rights lease agreement, and each of the following:

i. A legible map or aerial photo of the property labeled with property boundaries; and

ii. A county map indicating the general location of the applicant's property within the county.

6. Obtaining Applications: Applications are available on-line at www.mdwfp.com/alligator. They may also be obtained at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Jackson Office, or at any MDWFP Regional Office Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Completed applications must be received at the MDWFP Jackson Office by July 1. Incomplete or illegible applications will not be considered.

7. Mail completed applications to: MDWFP - Wildlife Bureau, Attention: Private Lands - Alligator, 1505 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211-6374.

E. Private Lands Alligator Harvest Voucher:

1. Each Private Lands Alligator Harvest Voucher (PLAHV) is valid upon the purchase of one (1) Private Lands Alligator Possession Permit (PLAPP), which is valid for the harvest of two (2) alligators per bag limit restrictions (see section H Bag Limit). A separate PLAPP is required for each PLAHV.

2. Qualifying applicants will be mailed a PLAHV for each alligator hunting permit allowed for each property along with alligator hunting regulations and instructions.

3. The landowner may transfer any or all PLAHVs to anyone (Resident or Nonresident) 16 years of age or older.

4. Each PLAHV must be signed by the landowner and the transferee and completely filled out with the transferee's personal information.

5. The PLAHV, properly signed, must be in the possession of the permitted hunter while hunting alligators.

F. Training Course: The Mississippi Alligator Hunting Training Course is strongly encouraged. The Mississippi Alligator Hunting Training Course is provided online via the MDWFP Alligator Program Webpage at www.mdwfp.com/alligator.

G. Harvest Reporting and Tagging:

1. Temporary Alligator Possession Tag(s) (TAPT) will be issued with the purchase of each PLAPP.

2. The TAPT must be attached to each alligator immediately after being dispatched and prior to moving or transporting.

3. An on-line Alligator Harvest Report is mandatory. Failure to complete a timely report will result in revocation of the properties application and subsequent hunting permits in the following year.

4. The Alligator Harvest Report must be submitted to the Department no later than 24 hours after the season closes.

5. Upon harvest validation, a federal CITES tag will be mailed to the hunter. The TAPT must remain attached to the alligator until the CITES tag is attached.

6. No alligator, alligator hide, or parts may be transported across state lines without proper licenses, permits, and tags.

7. No alligator hide, meat, or parts may be transported within the state without proper licenses, permits, and tags.

8. No alligator or alligator parts may be left in the possession of another person/buyer in another state without a federal CITES tag or number.

9. Violations of alligator tagging/reporting regulations may include federal violations.

H. Bag limit:

1. Each PLAHV together with a PLAPP possessed by a person allows the harvest of two (2) alligators four (4) feet in length or longer.

2. Only one (1) alligator may exceed seven (7) feet in total length per permit.

3. All alligators must be pursued/hunted/taken from the property registered by the permitted landowner.

4. No alligators may be pursued/hunted/taken from public waters.

I. Capture and Dispatch Methods:

1. The use of bait or baited hooks is prohibited.

2. During daylight hours:

a. During daylight hours (from 1/2 hour prior to sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset) unrestrained alligators may only be taken with:

i. Center-fire rifles chambered in 0.277 in./7.035mm (.270/7mm) or larger and shotguns (12 or 10 gauge only) with slugs only.

ii. "Bangsticks" chambered in .38 caliber or larger may be used.

b. No firearm may be discharged across or into any public waters.

c. Any dead or wounded alligators must be retrieved immediately. Hunters must make a reasonable prudent effort to retrieve any wounded alligator. Failure to do so is unlawful.

d. No shotgun ammunition other than slugs, #6, #7, #7.5, #8, and #9 size shot or smaller may be in possession of the hunting party.

e. Nighttime capture methods are also legal during daylight hours.

3. During nighttime hours:

a. During nighttime hours (from 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before sunrise) alligators must be captured alive prior to shooting or otherwise dispatching the animal. It is unlawful to kill an unrestrained alligator.

b. Restrained is defined as an alligator that has a noose or snare secured around the head, neck, or leg in a manner that the alligator is controlled.

c. Capture methods are restricted to handheld snares, snatch hooks (handheld or rod/reel), harpoons (with attached line/buoy), and bowfishing equipment (longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, or crossbows w/ line attached from bow to arrow or line/buoy, bowfishing arrow tips only, no broadheads, and no tips containing cartridges, or other explosive devices).

d. All alligators must be dispatched or released immediately after capture.

e. Any alligator that is captured with a harpoon or bowfishing equipment must be reduced to the bag and may not be released.

f. Firearms used for dispatching an alligator during nighttime hours are restricted to long-barreled, shoulder-fired shotguns with only shot size #6, #7, #7.5, #8, or #9 ammunition and bangsticks chambered in .38 caliber or larger. All shotguns and bangsticks must be cased and unloaded at all times until a restraining line has been attached to the alligator. No rifles or pistols are allowed.

g. No firearm or bangstick may be discharged within 100 yards of any residence, building, boat ramp, or occupied campsite.

h. Any person or vessel that possesses equipment used to capture or harvest an alligator must be on a permitted property in the immediate vicinity of a person who possesses a valid Private Lands Alligator Possession Permit at any time while located in an area that may contain alligators. To do otherwise is illegal and considered hunting without a permit.

J. License Requirements:

1. No one may pursue/hunt alligators on any private property unless the property is permitted by the Department.

2. Anyone hunting alligators on property permitted by the Department must be in the immediate vicinity of a holder of a Private Lands Alligator Possession Permit.

K. Private Lands Alligator Hunting Permit (PLAPP):

1. The cost of the PLAPP is $100 for residents and $200 for non-residents.

2. The holder of a PLAPP must also purchase and have on their person a combination resident or nonresident hunting/fishing license and an Alligator Hunting License. Lifetime License holders are exempt from the $25 Alligator Hunting License.

3. The cost of the Alligator Hunting License is twenty-five dollars ($25).

4. To possess a PLAPP you must be a qualifying landowner with a PLAHV or have a PLAHV transferred to your name by a qualifying landowner including signed permission by the landowner as provided on the application (see section E. Private Lands Alligator Hunting Voucher).

L. Resident Alligator Hunting Assistant: All residents in the hunting party who are sixteen (16) years of age or older are required to purchase and have on their person a combination-type hunting/fishing license and an Alligator Hunting License ($25).

a. Residents 65 years of age or older may purchase a Senior Exempt Lifetime License ($5) in lieu of a combination-type hunting/fishing license.

b. Residents who meets disability license exemptions, may purchase a Disabled Exempt License in lieu of a combination-type hunting/fishing license.

c. Lifetime License holders are exempt from the $25 Alligator Hunting License

M. Non-resident Alligator Hunting Assistant: Any non-residents in the hunting party who are sixteen (16) years of age or older are required to purchase and have on their person a Nonresident All Game-type Hunting License and an Alligator Hunting License ($25). Lifetime License holders are exempt from the $25 Alligator Hunting License.

N. Any holder of a valid Alligator Hunting License may partake in any part of the alligator hunting process while in the immediate vicinity of a holder of a PLAPP on permitted property.

O. All licenses are non-transferable and non-refundable.

P. Any person who hunts or attempts to hunt alligators without obtaining a permit and/or license as per regulations set forth herein shall be guilty of a Class I violation of miss. code ann. § 49-7-47 and upon conviction shall be punished according to Miss. Code Ann. § 49-7-141.

Q. Any violation of any other provision of this Rule shall be a Class III violation and punishable as provided in Miss. Code Ann. § 49-7-101.

Notes

40 Miss. Code. R. § 2-5.2

MISS. CODE ANN. §§ 49-1-29, 49-4-4, and 49-7-47.

Revised April 2014 Revised March 2015; Amended 5/29/2015 Revised March 2016 Amended 5/22/2016 Revised March 2017 Amended 5/25/2017 Revised March 2018 Amended 5/28/2018 Amended 7/18/2019 Amended 6/18/2020 Amended 5/23/2022