40 Miss. Code. R. § 2-5.4 - [Effective until 3/28/2024] ALLIGATOR HUNTING SEASON FOR PELAHATCHIE BAY (RANKIN COUNTY)
A. An American alligator (Alligator
mississippiensis) hunting season will be opened in portions of
Pelahatchie Bay on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in the State of Mississippi and
is hereby referred to as the following with described restrictions.
1. SEASON DATES: As described below, an
alligator hunting season will be open from 12 p.m. on the first Friday in May
and ending at 12 p.m. on the following Monday and from 12 p.m. on the second
Friday in May and ending at 12 p.m. on the following Monday, for persons issued
special permits as described below:
2. PELAHATCHIE BAY HUNTING ZONE DESCRIPTION:
Only the portions of the waterway of Pelahatchie Bay on Ross Barnett Reservoir
between North Shore Parkway and Hwy 471. The following areas of Pelahatchie Bay
are closed to vessels in the act of alligator hunting:
a. All areas of the south shoreline and for
100 yards away from the shoreline between North Shore Parkway and Eagle's Point
Dr.
b. All areas of the north
shoreline and for 100 yards away from the shoreline between North Shore Parkway
and Northwind Dr.
c. All other
portions of Ross Barnett Reservoir are closed to alligator hunting.
B. APPLICATIONS:
1. Applications will be accepted by an
electronic web-based process via the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) website only.
2. Applicants must resident at least 16 years
of age or older.
3. Applicants who
possess a Lifetime License are eligible to apply.
4. Applicants must possess a valid
pre-requisite license to apply.
5.
Dates of application acceptance will be announced on the MDWFP
website.
6. An electronic
processing fee may be charged.
7.
Persons are limited to one (1) application each.
a. Each applicant may apply with a qualifying
partner.
b. If drawn, both
applicants are eligible to purchase an Alligator Possession Permit, but both
permittees must participate from within the same vessel.
8. The applicant is responsible for providing
a correct email address during the application process.
9. The email address provided by the
applicant will be the method of notifications from the MDWFP, to notify drawn
applicants, and for important messages and documents.
C. PERMITS:
1. Only residents of the State of Mississippi
who are sixteen (16) years of age or older may purchase an Alligator Possession
Permit (Permit) (see License Requirements).
2. Non-residents may participate as alligator
hunting assistants (see License Requirements).
3. Persons must have a valid resident
Mississippi hunting license and a Mississippi Alligator Hunting License to
purchase a Permit.
4. Any Lifetime
License holder may apply to purchase a Permit.
5. Alligator permits and/or licenses are
required of anyone 16 years of age or older. There are no exemptions for over
65 years of age or physical disability.
6. Permits will be available for purchase
only by persons who have successfully made application for a Pelahatchie Bay
Alligator Permit and have been drawn by the MDWFP alligator hunting permit
drawing system.
7. All persons
drawn for a permit will be notified by email, as provided by the applicant, and
permits must be purchased electronically as directed by the
Department.
8. All permit sales
require immediate payment prior to the deadline, as directed by the Department
and all sales are non-refundable and non-transferable.
a. Persons are limited to one (1) permit per
person.
b. Permits will be valid
for only specific dates in May 2023 as determined by the Department.
D. 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.
E. HUNTING REGULATIONS:
1. Persons eligible: Only residents of the
State of Mississippi who are sixteen (16) years of age or older may apply for
an Alligator Possession Permit (see License Requirements).
Non-residents may participate as alligator hunting assistants (see
License Requirements).
2.
Bag limit: Each person receiving an Alligator Possession Permit will be allowed
to harvest two (2) alligators six (6) feet in length or longer (both alligators
may exceed six (6) feet in length).
3. At the time of application, customers may
submit a partner to be drawn as a permitted hunting partner.
a. Upon being drawn, both applicants are
eligible to purchase an Alligator Possession Permit, however both drawn
partners must participate from the same vessel.
b. One drawn partner may hunt without the
other partner being present, but both partners cannot hunt from separate
vessels.
4. All vessels
and participating hunters must launch and remove vessels from the Pelahatchie
Shore Park boat ramp. No other ramps may be used.
5. Capture and Dispatch Methods:
a. Use of bait is prohibited.
b. Alligators must be captured alive prior to
shooting or otherwise dispatching the animal. It is unlawful to shoot or kill
an unrestrained alligator.
c.
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.
d. Capture methods are restricted to
hand-held snares, snatch hooks (hand-held 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
devises).
e. The use of fishing
lures or other devices (with hooks attached) for the purpose of catching
alligators in the mouth is prohibited.
f. All alligators must be dispatched or
released immediately after capture and prior to transporting (No firearm may be
discharged within 100 yards of any residence, building, boat ramp, boat house,
or any public or private pier).
g.
Any alligator that is captured with a harpoon or bowfishing equipment must be
reduced to the bag and may not be released.
h. Firearms used for dispatching an alligator
are restricted to longbarreled, shoulder-fired shotguns with only shot size #6,
#7, #7.5, #8, or #9 ammunition. No other ammunition may be in possession. No
bangsticks are allowed.
i. No
pistols or rifles are allowed.
j.
All shotguns must be cased and unloaded at all times until a restraining line
has been attached to the alligator.
k. No other firearm or ammunition may be in
possession of the permittee or hunting party.
l. No firearm may be discharged within 100
yards of any residence, building, boat ramp, boat house, public or private
pier, bridge, road, or occupied campsite.
m. Any person or vessel that possesses
equipment used to capture or harvest an alligator must be in the immediate
vicinity of a person who possesses a valid Alligator Possession Permit at any
time while located in the hunting area. To do otherwise is illegal and
considered hunting without a permit.
n. The possession of alcohol or alcoholic
beverages is prohibited for any person in the act of alligator hunting, nor may
it be contained in any vessel in the act of alligator hunting. It is prohibited
to be in the act of alligator hunting while under the influence of intoxicating
beverages.
o. Nothing within this
Rule shall supersede any other municipal laws, including discharge of firearms
within a municipality.
p. The use
of drones, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), or any remotely operated vehicle or
vessel to assist in the location, pursuit, and/or take of alligators is
prohibited.
F. HARVEST REPORTING AND TAGGING:
1. TAGGING:
a. Two Temporary Possession Tags will be
provided with the purchase of an Alligator Possession Permit.
b. The Temporary Alligator Possession Tags
are not valid without a current Alligator Possession Permit.
c. A Temporary Alligator Possession Tag must
be signed and attached to the alligator's leg immediately after being
dispatched and prior to moving or transporting.
d. Alligators must have a federal CITES tag
attached before transferring the alligator or alligator parts to the possession
of another person/buyer in another state.
2. ONLINE REPORTING:
a. Each permittee must submit an on-line
harvest report and survey via www.mdwfp.com.
b. Each permit holder must be complete the
online report prior to leaving the hunt zone each day of hunting
effort.
c. Failure to comply will
result in loss of alligator hunting privileges.
d. Federal CITES tags will be mailed to
permittees upon receipt of a completed Harvest Report.
G. LICENSE AND PERMIT
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Alligator Hunting Permittee:
a. All alligator hunting permittees (permit
holder) must purchase and have on their person an Alligator Hunting License and
Alligator Possession Permit.
b. In
addition, a combination resident hunting/fishing license is required to
purchase the Alligator Possession Permit and Alligator Hunting License. For the
purpose of this Rule, all Lifetime Licenses are considered a combination
hunting/fishing license.
i. Residents 65
years of age or older may possess a Senior Exempt Lifetime License in lieu of a
combination hunting/fishing license.
ii. Residents who meet disability license
exemptions may possess a Disabled Exempt License in lieu of a combination
hunting/fishing license.
iii.
Lifetime License holders are exempt from the $25 Alligator Hunting
License.
c. The cost of
the Alligator Hunting License is twenty-five dollars ($25).
d. The cost of the Alligator Possession
Permit is one hundred dollars ($100).
e. All alligator licenses and permits are
non-refundable and non-transferable.
2. Alligator Hunting Assistant:
a. Anyone, any age, resident, or non-resident
may participate as an alligator hunting assistant of a permit holder, as
provided below:
i. 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 hunting/fishing license and an
Alligator Hunting License. For the purpose of this Rule, all Lifetime Licenses
are considered a combination hunting/fishing license. There are no other
exemptions.
ii. 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 Non-resident-All Game Hunting License and
an Alligator Hunting License. For the purpose of this Admin Rule, all Lifetime
Licenses are considered a combination hunting/fishing license. There are no
exemptions.
iii. Residents 65 years
of age or older may possess a Senior Exempt Lifetime License in lieu of a
combination hunting/fishing license.
iv. Residents who meet disability license
exemptions may possess a Disabled Exempt License in lieu of a combination
hunting/fishing license.
v.
Lifetime License holders are exempt from the $25 Alligator Hunting
License.
b. All
alligator licenses and permits are non-refundable and
non-transferable.
H. Any person who hunts or attempts to hunt
alligators without obtaining a permit and/or is not hunting within the
immediate vicinity of a permit holder 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 as provided in MISS. CODE. ANN. §
49-7-141.
I. 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
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