Wildlife Commissioners approve N.C. alligator management plan

The NCWRC has approved the N.C. Alligator Management Plan, and will propose an alligator hunting season in January at a series of public hearings.

No season has been set, but it’s one step closer

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission board approved the N.C. Alligator Management Plan at its business meeting in Raleigh on Thursday.

The plan, which was developed by the N.C. Alligator Task Force, will guide management of alligator populations in North Carolina. The plan outlines conditions under which alligators could be hunted in North Carolina. However, approval of the plan did not establish an alligator hunting season in the state.

The Commissioners voted to include an alligator season proposal as one of the hunting proposals to be taken to nine hearings in January for public comment. If adopted, the Commission could allow limited take of alligators by permit holders as guided by the Alligator Management Plan.

Commission staff will manage alligator populations with the goal of sustaining viable populations; however, in some areas of the state more active population management could potentially occur. In addition to offering alligator management options, the plan provides biological information on alligators, recommends additional research needed, and advises an increase in education and outreach efforts to help the public coexist with alligators. For more information, read the N.C. Alligator Management Plan.

“I really appreciate all the hard work the N.C. Alligator Task Force put into bringing the plan to fruition,” said Allen Boynton, Wildlife Diversity Program Coordinator for the Commission. “This hard-working group of folks has helped us find ways to improve alligator conservation and management in North Carolina.”

For more information on alligators in North Carolina, download an American Alligator wildlife profile or Coexisting with Alligators document.