LITTLE ROCK – Applications for the 2023 Arkansas alligator season are available at www.agfc.com from 8 a.m. June 10 through midnight June 18. Anyone interested in pursuing alligators on public land in Arkansas must apply for one of the six hunting locations within two of Arkansas’s three open Alligator Management Zones.
By Randy Zellers
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Biologists are completing survey work necessary to establish the total number of permits available for the 2023 season.
Alligator hunt permits will be available on the following publicly accessible areas:
Alligator Management Zone 1
- Millwood Lake 10
- Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D’Arc Lake 5
- Little River WMA 2
- Sulphur River WMA 2
- Lake Erling 1
Alligator Management Zone 3
- Lower Arkansas River Wetland Complex (Arkansas River backwaters near Arkansas Post) 22
Alligator Management Zone 2 does not have any public draw opportunities, but is part of the private land hunt, which is regulated by a quota system.
Each permit authorizes the harvest of one alligator, which must be at least 4 feet long. Alligator hunting is allowed 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the approved alligator hunting season dates – Sept. 15-18 and Sept. 22-25. Each permit holder may have up to three assistants with them on the hunt, but only the permit holder is allowed to snare, harpoon or dispatch the alligator.
Applicants must be at least 16 years of age the day the hunt begins, and only Arkansas residents may apply. Applicants with 18 or more AGFC violation points are ineligible to apply. Alligator-hunt applicants must pay a $5 nonrefundable processing fee at the time of their application.
Anyone who has access to private land in Alligator Zones 1, 2 or 3 may purchase a private land alligator tag in addition to their big-game hunting license and be able to hunt during alligator season until the quota is met for their zone.
Each private land hunter must call the wildlife hotline (833-345-0398) every night before hunting to see if the quota has been met. If the quota is reached, the hunt ends early.
Successful applicants and private land hunters must also go through an online hunt orientation before going to the field. The orientation lays out the most important details and frequently asked questions about the hunt.