Hunting Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Alligators are not classified as “game animals,” so recorded game calls are legal to use when hunting. These sounds can be effective at drawing in alligators.
Large adult alligators are territorial and tend to stay within a confined home range if their habitat and food needs are met, and they are not being disturbed. Therefore, if you see a good-sized alligator while scouting before the season, it’s possible to encounter it in the same vicinity during your hunt.
Keep in mind, if you see an alligator in the deeper open water, often it is a larger one.
Alligators are wary so approach them as quietly as possible, using either an electric trolling motor or paddles. Because bright spotlights can cause an alligator to quickly submerge, try using a dimmed or filtered light as you approach. Also, avoid steadily shining the light in its eyes. Instead, wave the light on and off its eyes. Another way to avoid being seen is wearing darker-colored clothes so you can blend with the night sky.
When an alligator is in the water, often all that is visible is its head. But you can gauge its length by estimating how many inches are between the bump on its snout and its eye. That number of inches roughly translates to how many feet the alligator is from nose to tip of tail. Also, if you shine a light on an alligator that is facing you and you see a large gap (4 inches or more) between its two glowing red eyes, then it’s likely an adult alligator.