Apply for a 2023 Arkansas alligator hunt permit
Arkansas’s 2023 Alligator Hunting Season is scheduled for Sept. 15-18 and Sept. 22-25. AGFC
LITTLE ROCK – Applications for the 2023 Arkansas alligator season are available at www.agfc.com through midnight Sunday, 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.
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 in southwest Arkansas:
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 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.