The American alligator is among the major predators in the US swamps. Alligators exist in large numbers in the southeastern states. During a certain period, the predator population had decreased due to being exploited too much and lack of conservation regulation and law. Today, due to enforcement of the regulation and conservation laws the numbers of these predators have increased to a high level. This is worth knowing about Hunting for alligators.
In 1967, Wildlife Service in the US listed alligators as an endangered species and prohibited any form of hunting or exploitation of the animals. The protection would prove to be very efficient because by the mid-1970s, the populations of the gators in various habitats in the country had rebounded successfully. The numbers were so high that the federal government allowed individual states to take responsibility of managing their own gator populations.
Hunting of gators later begun being legalized in various states as a result of this. However, hunters needed to have licenses and stick to a certain quota during hunting season just to make sure that over-hunting does not occur again. Every hunted gator was to bear the CITES tag. CITES which is an abbreviation for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
People hunt gators for their skins and other body parts. The skins are harvested and used to make a wide range of leather products. Some gators are made into taxidermies and used as decoration in offices and homes. The skin and other products of American alligators have very close similarity with those of Chinese alligators and American crocodile that it is impossible to differentiate them.
The predators live in many locations. In majority of the states in the US, they can be found in reservoirs, swamps, coastal freshwater marshes, and major river drainage. They may also be found in farm ponds, lagoons, ditches, canals, and creek drainage. In generals, the predator can live in any water pool that can provide them with sufficient supply of food and prey.
Human-alligator conflict is expected in residential areas where gators exist in very large numbers. These animals become a nuisance and a threat to people once they get used to human activities. Pets are regularly attacked and killed outside homes. They are also a threat to people when they invade compounds. In some cases, these encounters can be fatal.
Regulated hunting is allowed to curb such incidences. Members of the general public are required to apply for licenses that allow them to legally harvest and dispose alligators through permitted methods. This activity happens each year across several states. The open season may vary from state to state, but it typically lasts for one to two months. The activity is strictly regulated through federal and state laws.
After people harvest gators, they are taken to businesses that are specialized in harvesting and processing them. Skinning and harvesting useful parts are usually the processes that are involved. The skin can be sold for some thousands because it is the most valuable. Skin from juvenile gators costs less than those from adult gators. The size, weight, and age of the animal are some of the determining factors of cost.
In 1967, Wildlife Service in the US listed alligators as an endangered species and prohibited any form of hunting or exploitation of the animals. The protection would prove to be very efficient because by the mid-1970s, the populations of the gators in various habitats in the country had rebounded successfully. The numbers were so high that the federal government allowed individual states to take responsibility of managing their own gator populations.
Hunting of gators later begun being legalized in various states as a result of this. However, hunters needed to have licenses and stick to a certain quota during hunting season just to make sure that over-hunting does not occur again. Every hunted gator was to bear the CITES tag. CITES which is an abbreviation for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
People hunt gators for their skins and other body parts. The skins are harvested and used to make a wide range of leather products. Some gators are made into taxidermies and used as decoration in offices and homes. The skin and other products of American alligators have very close similarity with those of Chinese alligators and American crocodile that it is impossible to differentiate them.
The predators live in many locations. In majority of the states in the US, they can be found in reservoirs, swamps, coastal freshwater marshes, and major river drainage. They may also be found in farm ponds, lagoons, ditches, canals, and creek drainage. In generals, the predator can live in any water pool that can provide them with sufficient supply of food and prey.
Human-alligator conflict is expected in residential areas where gators exist in very large numbers. These animals become a nuisance and a threat to people once they get used to human activities. Pets are regularly attacked and killed outside homes. They are also a threat to people when they invade compounds. In some cases, these encounters can be fatal.
Regulated hunting is allowed to curb such incidences. Members of the general public are required to apply for licenses that allow them to legally harvest and dispose alligators through permitted methods. This activity happens each year across several states. The open season may vary from state to state, but it typically lasts for one to two months. The activity is strictly regulated through federal and state laws.
After people harvest gators, they are taken to businesses that are specialized in harvesting and processing them. Skinning and harvesting useful parts are usually the processes that are involved. The skin can be sold for some thousands because it is the most valuable. Skin from juvenile gators costs less than those from adult gators. The size, weight, and age of the animal are some of the determining factors of cost.
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