Alligator hunting is the capture and killing of gators. With the appropriate licenses and tags, the American alligator can legally be hunted in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. The states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas all distribute alligator hunting licenses.

Methods

There is no single method of alligator hunting. Depending on the circumstances, hunters commonly use a combination of the following: * hook and line * bow and arrow * gig and snare * firearm The use of a hook and line is the most common method. It involves securing a sturdy hook and line to a tree or pole in the ground. The hook is commonly baited with fish or chicken quarter. After the bait is taken, the hunter returns to draw in and dispatch the gator. Allowed methods of hunting vary by state, in South Carolina an alligator must be captured before being killed with either a handgun or bangstick. A bangstick is a specialized underwater firearm fired only when in direct contact with the target.

History

Historically, unregulated hunting has led to dramatic decreases in alligator populations. In 1973 the American alligator was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967 under a law that was a precursor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Since the species' recovery, alligator hunting programs have been established in the majority of U.S. States in the alligator's habitat range.

Products

The main products of alligator hunting are

alligator meat Alligator meat is the meat from alligators that is for consumption. It has been used both historically and in contemporary times in various cuisines of the Southern United States. Alligator eggs are also for consumption. Alligator meat is high ...

and skin. Alligator skins have been harvested since the 1800s. Alligator skin was used in the manufacture of boots, belts, and saddles. In the early 1900s some states began the commercial tanning of alligator skin. The increased popularity of alligator leather lead to the rise of

alligator farm A crocodile farm or alligator farm is an establishment for breeding and raising of crocodilians in order to produce crocodile and alligator meat, leather from crocodile and alligator skin, and other goods. Many species of both alligators an ...

ing, now a $60 million industry. Following the global economic recession of 2008, demand for wild alligator skins declined dramatically. In the state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

the number of reported skins dropped from 35,625 to 9,139 in one year.

References

{{reflist Hunting by game Alligatoridae