Mississippi alligator hunters will get a second chance at Pelahatchie Bay gators

Brian Broom
·2 min read
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Mississippi alligator hunters will soon get a chance at gators in Pelahatchie Bay on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

In Thursday’s meeting of the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, MDWFP Alligator Program coordinator Andrew Arnett announced a spring hunt will be offered, again.

It’s the second year the special hunt has been offered and it’s not a traditional hunt. Mississippi has had legal alligator hunts dating back to 2005 as an opportunity for hunters to enjoy a sustainable resource.

The Pelahatchie Bay hunt is different. It’s designed to target adult alligators, specifically females, to reduce the population in a residential area where conflicts between them and humans has been on the rise.

The hunting party of Tiffany Wienke of Vicksburg caught this massive male alligator in Mississippi.
The hunting party of Tiffany Wienke of Vicksburg caught this massive male alligator in Mississippi.

An alligator hunt to reduce conflicts, gator population

“It’s basically an alligator factory,” said Russ Walsh, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ Wildlife chief of staff in a 2023 interview. “There’s a lot of gators and a lot of reproduction.”

So, unlike the traditional alligator season, this one takes place in the spring when breeding activity is taking place and vegetation hasn’t fully grown. That combination leaves females more exposed to hunters than in the fall season.

Arnett told the commission there are no rule changes for the 2024 season. Hunters must still apply in pairs and hunt from the same boat. Guest hunters must also hunt from the same boat and the size of the party is limited to the boat’s weight limit.

Other regulations such as designated hunting areas and areas that are off-limits will also be in place. Such rules were put in place for the safety of hunters as well as area residents.

A nearly 12-foot alligator sits in Shannon Cutts’ boat on the Pascagoula River in 2015. Cutts and his two friends killed the reptile as part of Mississippi’s annual gator hunting season.
A nearly 12-foot alligator sits in Shannon Cutts’ boat on the Pascagoula River in 2015. Cutts and his two friends killed the reptile as part of Mississippi’s annual gator hunting season.

Alligator hunt dates and application process

According to Mississippi Code, the hunts take place from 12 p.m. on the first Friday in May and end at 12 p.m. on the following Monday and from 12 p.m. on the second Friday in May and end at 12 p.m. on the following Monday. According to that, the hunts will take place May 3-6 and May 10-13.

Twelve hunters will be drawn for each weekend for a total of 24. Each permitted hunter may take two alligators over 6 feet long.

Hunters must take part in an electronic drawing system, however the application period has not been released, yet.