Is it legal to kill alligators in Louisiana?

Question

If not then how is it that they sell it to eat? I'm confused.

Answer 1

Back in the 1960s and 70s when I was a kid in Southern Louisiana, they were on the endangered species list, but you would not know it by going out in the swamps. They were all over the place.

Taking one could land you in jail and more than a few old swampers served time as a result. By the 80s, conservation efforts had paid off and many farms were set up to breed and harvest these gators. They are also quite numerous in the wild, causing problems in habitable places.

The actual value of alligator is the hide, as they are used to make 'exotic' boots, purses, handbags, etc.

The meat was often just used to feed the gators or for bait in crab traps, as no one in their right mind or with tastebuds would want to eat it. Only the very remote swamp people or the very poor ate gator meat.

Then, as Creole and Cajun cooking became all the rage and a tourist industry developed in Louisiana where there had been none before, some enterprising person started selling Alligator dishes to the tourist, calling it was a "Cajun delicacy". The rest is history. Now it's exported to people all over, mostly in Texas, but no self respecting Louisianaian will touch it.

Answer 2

Well DJ, I'm not a Louisiana Man, but I've eaten Alligator in some pretty swanky restaurants down in New Orleans. As I understand it, only the tail meat is marketed for human consumption, the rest, as you said, goes to feed other gators and to bait crab traps.

I won't claim Gator is better than beef, but it is right tasty in my opinion.

As for "Cajun Delicacy," I don't know about that. I always heard that a Cajun would eat anything that walked, crawled, swam, or flew slow enough to get caught, gigged, trapped or shot. Some unkind folks have even gone so far as to say that anything a real Cajun won't eat would probably knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.

Doc

Answer 3

Yes, Louisiana reinstated alligator hunting in the 1980's. Most gulf states have alligator seasons as well as laws on when a nuisance alligator can be shot out of season.

Answer 4

You can hunt them if your licensed by the state to be a nuisance alligator trapper or have a state issued permit to hunt them. Most Louisiana meat is from farm raised gators . Gator meat can be sold it is processed in a USDA approved facility. Louisiana exports and sells more gator hides and meat than any other state.

I have never eaten farm raised gator but wild alligator meat is very good in my opinion.

Edit : And BTW the best meat from a gator isnt his tail they have several nice cuts of meat on them and more than the tail gets processed

Answer 5

YES..It's legal but the state has a season and a lottery system set up for permits to hunt them. You must have a permit to hunt them legally. There are also Alligator Farms that raise them for their meat and skins. Alligator is a popular meat to eat in the south, and a lot of popular restaurants have it on their menu's......

Answer 6

Yes