The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will select eligible alligator hunters through a lottery selection system on five LDWF Coastal & Nongame Resources (CNR) Division Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), 15 LDWF Wildlife Division WMAs, one U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) property and 25 public lakes for the 2017 alligator harvest season.
Interested participants may print out an application from LDWF’s website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/lottery-hunts 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 WMAs/public lakes, LDWF has posted the percentage of lottery alligator harvest applicants selected in 2016 by WMA or public lake on its website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/lottery-alligator-harvest-program.
Here are the eligible areas:
CNR DIVISION WMAs
Atchafalaya Delta WMA, St. Mary Parish
Pass a Loutre WMA, Plaquemines Parish
Pointe aux Chenes WMA, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes
Salvador/Timken WMAs, St. Charles Parish
Lake Boeuf WMA, Lafourche Parish
WILDLIFE DIVISION WMAs/USACE PROPERTIES
Big Lake WMA, Tensas Parish
Boeuf WMA, Caldwell Parish
Buckhorn WMA, Tensas Parish
Elm Hall WMA, Assumption Parish
Grassy Lake WMA, Avoyelles Parish
Joyce WMA, Tangipahoa Parish
Manchac WMA, St. John the Baptist Parish
Maurepas Swamp WMA, St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ascension, Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes
Sherburne WMA (state portion only), Pointe Coupee and St. Martin parishes
Spring Bayou WMA, Avoyelles Parish
Pearl River WMA, St. Tammany Parish
Richard K. Yancey WMA, Concordia Parish
Dewey W. Wills WMA, LaSalle and Catahoula parishes
Russell Sage WMA, Ouachita and Morehouse parishes
USACE PROPERTY
Indian Bayou Area (USACE), St. Landry and St. Martin parishes
PUBLIC LAKES
Lake Bistineau, Webster, Bossier and Bienville parishes
Lake Wallace, Caddo Parish
Black/Cypress Lake and Ivan Lake, Bossier Parish
Cross Lake, Caddo Parish
Kepler Lake, Bienville Parish
Bayou Desiard North, Ouachita Parish
Caney Lake, Jackson Parish
Bartholomew Lake, Ouachita and Morehouse parishes
Kincaid Lake, Rapides Parish
Indian Creek, Rapides Parish
Cotile Lake, Rapides Parish
Nantachie Lake, Grant Parish
Saline Lake, Winn Parish
Toledo Bend, Desoto and Sabine parishes
Lake Bruin, Tensas Parish
Lake Concordia, Concordia Parish
Lake St. John, Tensas Parish
Lake St. Joseph, Tensas Parish
Anacoco Lake and Vernon Lake, Vernon Parish
Caddo Lake, Caddo Parish
Black Lake, Natchitoches Parish
Bundicks Lake, Beauregard Parish
Lake D’Arbonne, Union Parish
Applications and non-refundable application fees ($5) must be submitted to the address indicated on corresponding applications and be postmarked by July 5, 2017. 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 of the applicant.
The lottery alligator harvests will be conducted Aug. 30-Oct. 5. Exact harvest dates will vary by WMA/public lakes and will be specified at the time selected hunters are notified. Selected hunters may be assigned specific areas to conduct alligator harvest activities on certain WMAs/public lakes.
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.
All applicants meeting the application requirements will be entered into a randomized computer drawing, which will take place by August of 2017. Selected hunters will be notified by mail.
For more information concerning CNR Division WMAs, contact Jeb Linscombe at 337-373-0032 or jlinscombe@wlf.la.gov. For more information concerning Wildlife Division WMAs or public lakes, contact Steve Smith at 225-765-2346 or ssmith@wlf.la.gov.