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Alligator Hunting in Texas

Alligator rules split Texas into 22 core counties and 232 non-core counties. This guide gathers the alligator calendar, bag rules, zones, licenses and public areas.

Dates for alligatorsLimitsPublic areas
Sep 10Season opens
Jun 30Ends
254Counties
7Public tracts

Photo: gailhampshire (CC BY 2.0)

Core county alligators are hunted Sept. 10 to 30, 2026, one per unused CITES tag in possession. Non-core counties open Apr. 1 to June 30, 2027 with a limit of one alligator per person per license year. Alligator hunting is limited to private property, except for drawn public hunts.

LandPublic ground for alligators7 areas with alligatorsDrawnAlligator drawn hunts4 categories

What TPWD highlights for alligators

  • Core Sept. 10-30, 2026 by CITES tag; non-core Apr. 1 – June 30, 2027, 1 per year.
  • Private property only.

Every alligator segment for 2026-27

2 dated rows for alligators across 2 zones or areas, straight from the TPWD species and county pages.

WhereSegmentFromThroughDaysOpen?
Non-coreGeneral SeasonApr 1, 2027Jun 30, 202791
CoreGeneral SeasonSep 10, 2026Sep 30, 202621

Dates from the TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026-27 (species page), checked October 11, 2026.

What TPWD allows for alligators

TPWD sets the alligator limits shown here for the whole 2026-27 license year.

21Core season, days
1Non-core per year
22Core counties
$21Hide tag fee, non-core

Alligator limit

TPWD

Core counties: 1 per unused CITES tag in possession. Non-core: 1 per person per license year.

WhereLimitValue
CoreBag Limit1 alligator per unused CITES tag in possession
Non-coreBag Limit1 per person per year

Where each alligator zone runs

The alligator zone lists below come from TPWD’s county pages, 254 counties open in all.

AreaCountiesPartial
Non-core2320
Core220
List Non-core (232)
Show the 22 Core counties

What the law says about alligators

The alligator rules here are summarized from TPWD’s general regulations, species pages and license pages.

Licenses

The paperwork list for alligators, with TPWD fees.

$25Resident license
$21Hide tag fee
$315Nonresident general
$7Youth license
$48APH permit

Hours

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset; no baited lines set or alligators removed from lines between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

Orange

No orange is required while hunting alligators; TPWD lists them among the exemptions.

Hunter ed

Proof of hunter education or the $10 deferral rides along with alligator hunters born Sept. 2, 1971 or later, printed or on a phone.

Alligator gear

Hook and line (300 lb test, on private property), gigs, hand-held locking snares, archery with barbed arrow and float. Firearms (not rimfire), air guns, arrow guns to hunt only on private land in non-core counties; any firearm to dispatch a captured alligator.

Alligators and public water

Firearms from, on, across or over public water. More than one taking device at a time in non-core counties.

Alligator tags

Core: CITES tag before hunting. Non-core: attach WRD immediately, mail hide tag report with $21 fee within 72 hours, affix CITES tag within 10 inches of tail tip.

Alligator hours

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset; no baited lines set or alligators removed from lines between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

From the TPWD Outdoor Annual general regulations, license and species pages (endorsements, hunting regulations), checked October 11, 2026. All Texas hunting laws · License guide.

Where alligator hunters find public ground

Public ground for alligators: 7 areas in 3 regions, 6 with drawn hunts marked in orange.

Pineywoods (3)

Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA (12,636 ac) · Lake Kurth (City of Lufkin) · Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen Lake (875 ac)

Houston/Beaumont (2)

J.D. Murphree WMA (25,852 ac) · Mad Island WMA (7,714 ac)

San Antonio/Corpus Christi (2)

Guadalupe Delta WMA · Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (99,390 ac)

Every alligator tract in detail

Public areaTypeCountyAcresDraw huntsOther game
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge–99,390Drawnwhite-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics
J.D. Murphree WMAWMAJefferson25,852Drawn–
Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMAWMAJasper and Tyler12,636Drawnwhite-tailed deer, feral hog, exotics, dove, waterfowl, squirrel, rabbit, predators/furbearers, trapping, other migratory birds
Mad Island WMAWMAMatagorda7,714Drawnwhite-tailed deer, feral hog, dove, waterfowl, sandhill crane, predators/furbearers, other migratory birds
Town Bluff Dam and B.A. Steinhagen LakeCorps of Engineers LakeJasper and Tyler875–white-tailed deer, feral hog, dove, waterfowl, quail, squirrel, rabbit
Lake Kurth (City of Lufkin)Other Public Land––Drawn–
Guadalupe Delta WMAWMACalhoun, Refugio and Victoria–Drawnferal hog, dove, waterfowl, squirrel, rabbit, predators/furbearers, other migratory birds

On TPWD lands an adult after alligators needs the $48 APH permit; a youth under 17 hunts free alongside a permitted adult. How the APH permit works.

TPWD APH data, WMA and drawn hunt lists and federal land managers, 2026-27, checked October 11, 2026. Species lists are what each manager names; area rules still apply.

Applying for a drawn alligator hunt

4 2026-27 drawing categories include alligators; the deadline column shows when each one closed or closes.

ProgramHunt categoryDeadline
Special PermitAlligatorAug 1, 2026
Special PermitAlligator ManagementAug 1, 2026
Youth OnlyAlligatorAug 1, 2026
National Wildlife RefugeAlligatorNov 1, 2026

Big Time draws

Alligators show up in Gator Hunt (J.D. Murphree WMA).

Alligator hunters who are drawn claim permits online within 10 days; adults pay $80 standard or $130 extended, youth free. Big Time alligator entries run $9 online, $10 retail, through Oct. 15, 2026.

TPWD Public Hunt Drawing catalog, fees and deadlines (drawing) and Big Time Texas Hunts (BTTH), checked October 11, 2026. Texas drawn hunts.

Alligator country hunting kit

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Thermal scope

Hogs feed at night; night hunting on private land is legal.

Check prices

Hog light

Green or red lights for feeders after dark.

Check prices

Trail camera

Find when hogs hit a feeder.

Check prices

Game cart

Moves a big boar to the truck.

Check prices

Side by side gearGear by hunt

After alligators, try these

Year-roundFeral HogYear-round · 180 areasMigratory birdsDuckOct 17 to Feb 21 · 156 areasMigratory birdsRail and GallinuleSep 19 to Feb 21 · 53 areasYear-roundFurbearerSep 1 to Aug 31 · 84 areas

Alligator questions, answered from TPWD

Can I hunt alligators on public water?

No firearms from, on, across or over public water. Public alligator hunting is through the TPWD drawing (Alligator, Alligator Management and Youth Only Alligator, deadline Aug. 1, 2026) and the Big Time Texas Hunts Gator Hunt at J.D. Murphree WMA.

Which counties are core alligator counties?

Angelina, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Victoria.

What do I do after killing a non-core alligator?

attach WRD immediately, mail hide tag report with $21 fee within 72 hours, affix CITES tag within 10 inches of tail tip.

What public ground holds alligators?

7 areas name alligators; the largest are Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, J.D. Murphree WMA and Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA. Adult alligator hunters need the $48 APH permit on TPWD land.

Which permits apply to alligators?

Alligator hunters need: Resident license ($25); Hide tag fee ($21); Nonresident general ($315).

Do alligator hunters have to wear orange?

No orange is required while hunting alligators; TPWD lists them among the exemptions.

What time does legal light end for alligators?

One-half hour before sunrise to sunset; no baited lines set or alligators removed from lines between sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

What days are alligators legal in 2026-27?

The alligator dates are Non-core general season Apr 1 to Jun 30, 2027; Core general season Sep 10 to Sep 30, 2026.

How do I get a drawn alligator permit?

TPWD drawing categories for alligators: Alligator and Alligator Management. Big Time Texas Hunts offers Gator Hunt (J.D. Murphree WMA).

How many alligators can one hunter take in Texas?

Core counties: 1 per unused CITES tag in possession. Non-core: 1 per person per license year.

Before the alligator trip

Pair this alligator guide with the county page for where you hunt; split counties follow the highway line.

All speciesSeason calendarArea mapAlligators at TPWD

Other photos on this page: ejmc (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); pedrik (CC BY 2.0); Shiva Shenoy (CC BY 2.0); Birding for Climate (Public domain); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).