Recreational Alligator Harvest Lottery to Open Aug. 20, LDWF Announces

Baton Rouge, Aug 18, 2026 - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) recreational alligator harvest lottery will open Thursday (Aug. 20) through Aug. 30. LDWF will conduct the recreational season on eight harvest zones beginning Oct. 1-31.

Please note: This is for the recently adopted recreational alligator lottery and not the longstanding commercial alligator lottery harvest application that was completed in July.

Recreational alligator lottery applications will only be available on the LDWF licensing website. Those wanting to apply should click on the Lottery Applications tab, update or create their customer details similar to purchasing a license, and then submit an application for the zone that they wish to hunt.

There is a non-refundable $50 application fee for each zone application submitted. Customers may apply for and win a harvest opportunity for more than one zone, but there will be an application fee for each zone applied for. Applicants must be legal Louisiana residents, 16 years of age or older and meet all hunter education requirements.

If selected, you will be required to purchase a Resident Alligator Sports Hunter License ($25). To assist applicants with their selection(s), LDWF has posted a map and descriptions of the recreational harvest zones on its website.

For more information about recreational lottery alligator hunting please visit the LDWF website.