The wait is over for Alabama alligator hunters hoping to draw a coveted tag this season.
Applications for the state’s 2026 alligator hunting season open today and wildlife officials say hunters will notice several changes this year, including expanded management areas, modified hunting schedules, and new permit opportunities.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. June 2 through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Outdoor Alabama website.
According to the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, the Southwest, West Central, and Lake Eufaula Alligator Management Areas were expanded ahead of the upcoming season. Hunting dates and hours were also modified for most management areas, with the exception of the Southeast Alligator Management Area.
Wildlife officials also adjusted alligator size and bag limits and introduced a new bonus management harvest permit for most management areas. The changes include bonus permits allowing hunters to harvest smaller alligators in designated management areas.
Another notable change allows non-residents to apply for alligator harvest permits.
Alabama launched its regulated alligator hunting program in 2006 as part of a long-term wildlife management effort. The American alligator was once threatened with extinction because of unregulated harvesting during the early and mid-1900s before conservation protections helped the species recover.
Alabama became the first state in the nation to protect alligators in 1938 by outlawing unlimited harvests. The species was later placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967 before rebounding enough to be removed from the list in 1987.
Today, Alabama’s alligator population has recovered to the point that wildlife officials say controlled hunts help manage nuisance populations while maintaining a healthy and sustainable population across the state.
Alabama currently manages five alligator hunting areas spanning portions of southwest, south-central, and southeast Alabama, including the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, the Alabama River system, and Lake Eufaula.
Applications are submitted online through Outdoor Alabama. Registration closes at 8 a.m. on the final Tuesday in June, and hunters are selected through a random drawing system that also uses preference points to improve the chances of repeat applicants over time.
Selected applicants must complete a mandatory online training course before accepting their permit status.
More information and registration details are available through the Outdoor Alabama website.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
