COLUMBIA, S.C. — There are gators galore in parts of South Carolina's lakes system so the state's Department of Natural Resources is once again opening up the lottery for alligator hunting licenses for the 2023 season.
The application window opened June 1 and will close at 5 p.m. July 15. If you want to take your shot at bagging a gator, you need to fill out an application form online or go to a walk-up counter at DNR Regional Offices in Clemson, Florence, Columbia, or Charleston. You can rank which one of the four alligator management units you'd prefer to hunt in --
- Unit 1: South Coastal region from Aiken County to the coast
- Unit 2: Middle Coast region including Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties
- Unit 3: Midlands region including Lexington, Richland, Kershaw, Sumter, Calhoun, Clarendon, and Orangeburg counties and all of Lake Marion
- Unit 4: Pee Dee region including Georgetown, Williamsburg, Florence, Lee, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, and Horry counties
Where you end up hunting will be based on the selection and its ranking. There is no alligator hunting season in the Upstate!
Alligator season runs from noon September 9 to noon October 14, 2023 (the 2nd Saturday in September to 2nd Saturday in October). The tricky -- and most dangerous part -- of the hunt is that the alligator must be secured and either brought to shore or alongside a boat before it can be "dispatched."
No rifles are allowed in the hunt, but handguns and bangsticks are permitted for dispatching the animal. Only one alligator can be taken per permit and the alligator must be 4 feet or greater in length.
There is a $10 non-returnable fee when you turn in your application. If your application is drawn during the lottery, there's a $100 alligator hunting permit fee for residents, $200 for non-residents. Hunters will be notified via email of selection status around the third week of July.
For details and online application, see dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/alligator/huntinfo