Florida proposes 24-hour-a-day alligator hunting
Alligator in the wild. (FWC photo by Karen Parker)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida may extend its alligator hunt.
Hunting seasons across the country are regularly scheduled, with some lasting for only brief windows of time. In Florida, the alligator hunting season only allows the animals to be harvested at night. That may change, however.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife has proposed adding additional daytime hours to the hunt, according to FWC's website. If this change were to be implemented, it would open the hunting time frame to 24 hours a day.
Alligators are typically more active at night, which makes it a prime time to hunt them.
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The proposal was met with both favorable and negative reactions.
Some hunting guides were in favor of the additional hours. They argued that many of their clients say that it’s difficult to find time in their schedules for night hunts. Opening the hunt to daytime hours would allow more people to participate.
Grayson Padrick, owner of Central Florida Trophy Hunts, however, said that he worries that daytime hunting may lead to spoilage.
There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida.
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Fox News previously reported that the Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted pictures of an alligator hiding under a parked car to its Facebook page in November. In the images, the six-foot predator can only barely be seen underneath the car.
Fortunately, local police officers had witnessed the gator crossing a nearby street before making its way into the parking lot of an apartment complex. The officers were able the spot the car that the animal eventually hid under. This was good news for the car’s owner, who apparently was headed towards the vehicle and was unaware of the reptile’s presence.