Many of the hatchlings are returned to his land when they’re
a year or two old....
If you have any reservations
about hunting the once-endangered alligator, rest assured
that the reptiles are now plentiful and thoroughly and effectively
managed via Louisiana’s Marsh to Market program.
Landowners like Morgan Perrin are issued a predetermined
number of tags by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries. Morgan says he was given 47 for 2002, and all
but nine had been used by the time the Sigarms hunt was
scheduled. Even if no hunters had come, the tags would’ve
been filled because biologists wanted that many ‘gators
taken off Perrin’s holdings.
The state’s 30-year-old Marsh to Market program offers landowners
the incentive not to drain the marshes, which benefit both
waterfowl and a host of other wildlife. Once harvested and
tagged, the landowners can trade in the hides and meat -
and, in Morgan’s case, reap the benefits of selling hunts.
Landowners are also able to gather and sell alligator eggs
to commercial farms, where they are incubated and the hatchlings
raised for the skins and meat markets. Seventy-five percent
of the world’s alligator hides come from Louisiana.
In Morgan’s case, many of the hatchlings are returned to
his land when they’re a year or two old, which, in effect,
guarantees an even greater number of ‘gators than the number
that would’ve survived if the eggs were left in the marsh.
Only 17 percent of the wild hatchlings survive, and that’s
after the eggs have withstood the elements (floods and intense
heat) and predators.
The project’s proud managers have been outspoken in trying
to dispel the incorrect notion that harvesting alligators
is detrimental. They’ve even gone as far to say that every
purchase of an alligator product - purse, wallet, belt,
shoes, etc. — supports not only ‘gators, but also wetlands
conservation, waterfowl and other species of wildlife.
Alligator hunting (bow or gun) is the latest offering of
The Lodge of Louisiana, so new in fact that operator Bo
Hamilton hadn’t even decided what he’ll charge when this
story was written. The main draw for this floating bed and
breakfast is chartered fishing, duck hunting and combination
packages. He was looking for a way to build business in
September, and it looks like he’s found it!
For more information about any of the hunting or fishing
packages, write The Lodge of Louisiana, 4800 Anthony Lane,
Barataria, LA 70036; call (504) 689-0000; or e-mail them
at:
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To learn more about Blaser
and Sig Sauer rifles, visit:
www.sigarms.com/products/rifles.asp
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