The recent high water has gotten the wildlife moving. Alligators may have been on the move. A combination of high water and the breeding season has alligators crossing the roads and moving into ponds they have not been in before. This is likely just a temporary result of the flood waters.
Alligators are a very mobile species. In north east Texas, they can show up in some of the most unlikely places. While it is important to remember that these are wild animals and all wild animals are inherently dangerous, generally alligators seek to avoid human contact as best they can.
American alligator was listed as anendangered speciesby theEndangered Species Act of 1973. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and the species was removed from the list in 1987. Alligators are now harvested for their skins and meat. The American alligator is a listed game species in Texas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Outdoor Annual 2014-2015 dedicates an entire page, (page 66 in the 2014-2015 publication), to alligator hunting regulations. It is essential that the Alligator Hunting Regulation pages of the current Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual be studied and referenced before attempting to take alligators.
Marion County is classed as a ‘non-core’ county therefore alligator season is April 1 – June 30. Tagging and detailed reporting is required when an alligator is harvested. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) tagging is required for harvested alligators. Alligators may only be harvested from private property. If alligators are sold, they may only be sold to licensed wholesale dealers or alligator farmers. There are several options for taking alligators; hook and line, alligator gig, handheld snare, or lawful archery equipment. Firearms may only be used on private property and only in non-core counties. It is unlawful to take an alligator by means of firearms from, in, on, across, or over public water. Lawful hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Alligators are not a game animal on the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area.
It is very important that the public DOES NOT FEED alligators. Feeding alligators will cause them to associate people, boaters, housing developments, etc with food. When this happens, people can get very nervous about their pets, livestock, or even their own wellbeing and that is a fair concern. Keep in mind that no one wants an alligator that has associated people with food, so these alligators are generally not relocated, but even nuisance alligators must be lawfully addressed.
In the event of a nuisance alligator, one must first contact the TPWD Law Enforcement Dispatcher in La Porte, TX, (281) 842-8100. TPWD La Porte Dispatch will determine if an alligator is a nuisance. If determined to be a nuisance, they will issue a case number. Emergency situations will be handled by TPWD Law Enforcement personnel and certain circumstances in which the nuisance control permittee (NCP) will respond. A list of NCPs can be found on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.NOTE: A permittee shall not respond to a nuisance alligator complaint without first receiving the case number from the complainant.If one does not have a case number, then the nuisance control permittee shall refer them to the Law Enforcement Communication Center in La Porte (281) 842-8100.
This is just a short review of the legalities of alligators in Texas. Alligators in Texas are a valued part of the ecosystem. They are protected by hunting regulations that work to ensure a balanced and healthy population of alligators will exist in Texas for many generations to come. If you have more questions about hunting and protecting alligators in Texas, please visit the ‘Alligators in Texas’ publication available on-line at www.tpwd.texas.gov and look for the alligator hunting regulation pages every year in the current Outdoor Annual or the Outdoor Annual Free App for your smart phones.
Michael is a former biologist and Texas Master Naturalist. Originally from Newsome, Texas (Between Pittsburg and Winnsboro), educated in Dallas & Garland schools, then off to the University of Texas system where he received a degree in biology and worked as a biologist with the University of Texas system. After many years away from nature and biology, he relocated to the banks of Lake O' the Pines where he has been rediscovering the joys of nature. He is somewhat surprised that he has become a birder. Most of his interest in nature was centered around reptiles. Perhaps just like birds evolved from reptiles starting in the late Jurassic, he has begun his own evolution. During his formal education, his interests in biology/nature grew to include community ecology and population studies, all with a binding of evolutionary processes. He liked birds, but they were secondary at best. All at once he finds them fascinating.
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