According to coverage by the Associated Press, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is currently accepting applications for this year’s alligator hunting season.

Applications will be available online at www.mdwfp.com or at locations where Mississippi hunting and fishing licenses are sold, AP coverage states.

Rick Flynt, alligator program coordinator at MDWFP, said applications became available on June 1 and will remain so until 10 a.m., on June 7.

A processing fee of $2.39 will be charged to all applicants, he said. 

This year a total of 930 permits will be made available in seven hunting zones across the state, with the first draw expected to take place on June 13, the department’s website states.

Applicants selected in the first and second draw will be notified via email with a link to purchase the permit within 48 hours, the site states.

Flynt said a voluntary alligator hunting training course would be offered for permit holders on July 14 at the Livingston Performing Arts and Media Center in Roosevelt State Park, located in Morton, Miss. The course will provide hunters with the required safety information, various alligator hunting methods and familiarize them with the legal hunting zones, Flynt said.

The first public alligator hunting season in the state began in  2005, after alligators were regularly found in the southern two-thirds of the state, the department’s website states.

Flynt said if hunters follow the required hunting guidelines, hunting alligators can be done safely.

The danger in alligator hunting is in operating and working out of a boat, he said.  While operating or working out of a boat, boating safety rules should be abided by and capacity loads should be maintained.

Since alligator hunting is also conducted at night, hunters should navigate waterways carefully when it’s dark, Flynt said.

During the night, hunters should be mindful of the water’s depth and watch for obstructions under the surface, such as stumps and logs.

“Your perception of speed and distance can be very different at night,” Flynt said.

Alligator hunters should wear life jackets, and bring along extra personal flotation devices and floating devices such as a seat cushion or rings that can be thrown into the water.  While on the water, keep a cellphone in a dry and safe storage container so contact can be made to emergency personnel should the need arise, he said.

Also, Flynt suggested having ample amounts of food and water, batteries for flashlights and wearing closed toe shoes.

For more information about alligator hunting visit http://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/alligator-program/.