Alligator Hunting Season
The state is divided in four (4) alligator management units:
- Unit 1 - Southern Coastal
- Unit 2 - Middle Coast
- Unit 3 - Midlands *
- Unit 4 - Pee Dee
* All of Lake Marion is grouped into Unit 3.
1,200 permits and tags will be issued, 300 per management unit (*Next year's tag allotment may be more or less for each unit depending on harvest and population information). A hunter can only hunt in the unit for which he/she was selected. You can list the units in ranked priority and the selection will be based upon this ranking.
The 2012 open season is September 8th - October 13th (2nd Saturday in September – 2nd Saturday in October).
Taking of alligators will be controlled by regulation and the instructions on permits.
Alligators must be secured and brought to shore or alongside boat before dispatch. No shooting of free swimming or basking alligators is allowed in this program. No rifles are allowed, but handguns and bangsticks are permitted for dispatch. No bait, baited hooks, set hooks, or pole hunting is allowed (see regulations for more information about methods).
Only one (1) alligator can be taken per permit. Alligator must be four (4) feet or greater in length.
Others may assist permittee, but all participants (including permittee) must be licensed SC hunters.
Alligators may be taken in public waters, but not on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) or USFWS Refuges, and on private land where permission is granted. Public alligator season permits cannot be used on lands enrolled in the Private Lands Alligator Program.
Alligator meat can be kept, but not sold. Hides and parts may be sold according to regulation.
Hunter Selection
(Note: there is a $10 non-refundable application fee for all applicants. In addition, if selected, there is a $100 Alligator Hunting Permit fee)
All hunters will be selected by a random computer drawing. Successful applicants will be issued a permit and one (1) tag that allows them to harvest one (1) alligator in the designated alligator management unit.
Applicants will be allowed to hunt in only one (1) alligator management unit per season.
Applicants can apply for any number of the four management units, including all units. Selecting the same unit more than once does not increase your odds of being selected for that unit. If successful, you will be selected for one unit only.
There is a $10 non-refundable application fee. Unsuccessful applicants will accumulate preference points (see Preference Points section below). By law, the fees collected are used to support the Alligator Management Program's research and management activities, and for conservation of the American Alligator in South Carolina.
Applicants can only apply and pay fees online or at one of the walk-up counters at a DNR Regional Office in Clemson, Florence, Columbia, or Charleston. No paper applications will be accepted.
Applications will be received online from May 1 through 11:59 p.m. June 15, 2012. Note: There is no added benefit in trying to apply early as possible since the selection process does not differentiate between applications received on the first day or the last day of the application period.
Hunters will be notified beginning in July of selection status. After notification, successful applicants are then required to go back online to pay the $100 dollar Alligator Permit fee. The Department will begin to send out permits and tags to fully paid applicants after August 1st . The deadline for paying the $100 permit fee is September 10 (opening day of the season), but you must allow the Department 5 business days to deliver the permit and tag after receipt of payment. Hunters who fail to pay the $100 permit fee by the end of the Alligator Hunting Season will not receive any preference points and will forfeit any accumulated points. The Department reserves the right to prohibit applicants who fail to pay from participating in future public alligator hunt drawings.
The Alligator Permit fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
All fully paid Hunters will be mailed a hunter's packet and notified about optional alligator hunting seminars. One seminar will likely be held in each of the alligator management units during the month of August 2012.
It is illegal to sell, transfer, barter, or attempt to sell, transfer, or barter a public hunt alligator harvest tag. It is also illegal to possess an unused public hunt alligator harvest tag issued to another individual unless the permittee is present.
Successfully drawn hunters who do not pay the $100 fee for the alligator permit in the allotted time will lose the privilege to hunt during this year’s alligator hunting season and will not receive a preference point. Any accumulated preference points will be forfeited.
IMPORTANT Note for Nonresident Alligator Hunters:
New Nonresident Fee Increase: Became law on 5/28/2010.
This fee is in addition to the required SC hunting license, application, and permit fee*.
This fee is required of any permitted nonresident alligator hunter as well as nonresident alligator hunting assistants 16 years of age or older. An alligator hunting assistant is any member of an alligator hunting party who tries to find, seek, obtain, pursue, or diligently search for alligators (i.e. everyone in the boat 16 or older).
Nonresident alligator hunters and nonresident alligator hunting assistants will be able to pay this fee online at www.dnr.sc.gov/purchase, by phone at 1-866-714-3611, or from any normal licensing agent. Click the following link to find a licensing agent: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/license/licenseag/
*SCDNR cannot refund any application or permit fees.
Preference Points
Preference point(s) increase your chances of being selected for a future alligator hunt drawing. Applicants who are not selected for this year's alligator hunt will accumulate one (1) preference point. Applicants will continue to be awarded one (1) point for every year in which they apply but are not selected for the hunt. However, in order to maintain your accumulated preference points, you must continue to apply for each year's alligator hunt drawing. Any breaks in applying annually for the alligator hunt will result in accumulated preference points reverting to zero.
Preference points cannot be transferred to another person or to a different type of draw hunt (such as waterfowl or deer).
Successful applicants do not accrue preference points towards future alligator hunts. Any accumulated points previously earned revert to zero after being selected.
WMA Alligator Hunt Information
Applications for the WMA Alligator Hunt Permit will be accepted from May 1 to 11:59 PM on June 15th, 2012.
The WMA Alligator Hunt is a special draw hunt in which the person selected will be permitted to take up to three assistants and have access to either portions of Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) or Santee Coastal WMA for one hunt period (Monday at Noon to Saturday at Noon). There are four available hunt periods during the WMA alligator hunting season. Paid guides are allowed; however, they must apply for and receive a commercial use permit from SCDNR at a cost of $30 prior to the hunt. The use of a guide with a commercial use permit does not count towards the maximum total of three assistants in the hunting party. Guides should apply well in advance (30 days) of the anticipated hunting period in order to receive their permit on time.
All hunters must have a hunting license, WMA permit, and if a nonresident, pay the nonresident alligator hunting fee. The permit will allow the hunter to take one alligator 4 feet or greater in length from the selected WMA property.
There is a $15 nonrefundable application fee to apply for the WMA Alligator Hunt Permit.
The cost for the WMA Alligator Hunting Permit, if successfully selected in the computerized drawing, is $500 for residents and $800 for nonresidents. There are 2 available permits for each hunt period on both Bear Island WMA and Santee Coastal WMA, for a total of 4 hunters (plus assistants) per week, and 16 total available permits per season for the 2011 season. The number of permits available for the 2012 season has not been finalized.
All WMA Alligator hunt periods begin Monday at noon and end Saturday at noon.
(number of permits available to be determined)
| Week | Date | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 9/10/12 – 9/15/12 | To be determined |
| Week 2 | 9/17/12 – 9/22/12 | To be determined |
| Week 3 | 9/24/12 – 9/29/12 | To be determined |
| Week 4 | 10/1/12 – 10/6/12 | To be determined |
(number of permits available to be determined)
| Week | Date | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 9/10/12 – 9/15/12 | To be determined |
| Week 2 | 9/17/12 – 9/22/12 | To be determined |
| Week 3 | 9/24/12 – 9/29/12 | To be determined |
| Week 4 | 10/1/12 – 10/6/12 | To be determined |
Hunters will be notified beginning in July of selection status. After notification, successful applicants are required to go back online to pay the $500 dollar WMA Alligator Hunt Permit fee for residents or $800 for nonresidents.
Note: WMA Alligator Hunt Permits are valid for use in the Public Alligator Hunt Program in the alligator management unit where the WMA is located for duration of the Public Alligator Hunting season.
Potential hunters can apply for and potentially be selected for both the Public Lands and the WMA Alligator Hunting Programs.
Boats must be small enough to be launched by hand off of the dike system at the designated access location. Hunters will be allowed to travel from one water body to another within the open unit if they can drag the boat across dikes or high ground. Motors must be small enough (25 horsepower or less) to allow for movement in shallow water (2 feet or less). Mud motors and air boats are not allowed. Because of waterfowl management, interior canals may contain the only navigable water.
The Department will begin to send out permits and tags to fully paid applicants after August 1, 2012. The deadline for paying the required permit fee is August 24, 2012. Applicants must allow a minimum of 5 business days to deliver the permit and tag after receipt of payment. Hunters who fail to pay the permit fee by August 24th will not receive any preference points and will forfeit any accumulated points for the WMA Alligator Hunt. The Department reserves the right to prohibit applicants who fail to pay from participating in future public alligator hunt drawings.
After August 25th, if there are any permits that have not been purchased for any of the WMA Alligator Hunt dates and locations, alternates from the computer drawing will be contacted in the order that they were selected. Any alternate hunters that are contacted in regards to taking the place of the originally selected hunter will have 1 full business day to pay the required permit fee. For example, if you are contacted on a Tuesday, you would have until 11:59pm on Wednesday night to purchase the permit online. If contacted on Friday, you have until Monday at 11:59pm to complete the transaction.
See the general WMA Alligator Hunt Guidelines when applying for any additional WMA hunting conditions before submitting payment for the WMA Alligator Hunt application.