<body><div>Alligator hunters and landowners across Southeast Texas could see significant changes to hunting regulations if a proposal from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department moves forward.The department is considering extending the alligator hunting season in 22 designated Southeast Texas counties from its current 20-day September window to a 61-day season running Sept. 1 through Oct. 31.The proposal also would allow nighttime alligator hunting on private property and private waters in those counties, giving landowners additional flexibility when managing alligator populations.Jasper and Newton counties are both included in the proposed changes, along with neighboring counties such as Sabine, Tyler, Angelina, Hardin, Jefferson and Orange.The proposal was presented during a Nov. 4 Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission work session by Jonathan Warner, the department's alligator program leader. Department staff requested permission to publish the proposed changes in the Texas Register, which would begin the formal public comment process.The changes have not been approved and are not currently in effect.<h2>What would change?</h2>Under current regulations, the regular alligator season in the 22 core counties runs Sept. 10-30.The proposed changes would extend that period to Sept. 1-Oct. 31, providing an additional 41 days of opportunity.Another significant change would allow alligator hunting at night on private property, including qualifying private waters, during the core-county season.Nighttime hunting on public waters would remain prohibited.The department is also proposing to expand the legal equipment that can be used to harvest or dispatch alligators.Among the proposed changes:<ul><li>Longer season: A Sept. 1-Oct. 31 season in the 22 core counties.</li><li>Night hunting: Hunting at night would be permitted on private property and qualifying private waters.</li><li>Snatch hooks: Weighted treble hooks attached to restraining lines or fishing lines would become an additional legal method.</li><li>Bang sticks: Specialized devices could be used to dispatch alligators that have already been legally captured.</li><li>Reporting deadline: The deadline for certain alligator hide-tag reports would move from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10.</li></ul>The proposal would not automatically increase the number of alligators a landowner may harvest. Properties in core counties remain subject to department-issued hide tags and harvest management.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0uzFLh_1GupODYg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0uzFLh_1GupODYg00" width="723" height="401" ></figure><h2>Why is Texas considering the changes?</h2>According to TPWD, alligator populations have grown across many Texas waterways following decades of conservation and management.The department points to aerial nest counts, spotlight surveys and an increase in nuisance alligator complaints as evidence of healthy populations.At the same time, the number of wild alligators harvested annually has declined significantly.TPWD estimates that annual wild harvests have fallen to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 animals, compared with more than 10,000 during the peak commercial market years of the late 1980s and early 1990s.The department attributes much of that decline to changes in the commercial market, including the growth of alligator farming for meat and hides.Wildlife officials say a longer season and additional legal methods could help landowners and property managers more effectively manage alligators, particularly in areas where wetlands and agricultural operations create ongoing management challenges.Rice and crawfish operations are among the types of properties specifically mentioned in the department's proposal.<h2>What does this mean for Southeast Texas?</h2>The proposal has particular relevance in Southeast Texas, where alligators are part of the region's natural waterways, wetlands and marshland ecosystems.For landowners in Jasper and Newton counties, the proposed extension could provide more time to coordinate alligator management activities and work within the department's permitting and tagging requirements.It could also create additional recreational hunting opportunities if the changes are ultimately adopted.However, the department's proposal does not eliminate the existing requirements for legal hunting, including licensing, property authorization and applicable hide tags.Hunters should also understand that nighttime hunting would be limited to qualifying private property and private waters. The proposed changes would not authorize nighttime hunting on public waterways.<h2>When could the changes take effect?</h2>The proposal is still in the regulatory process.TPWD staff first requested permission to publish the proposed changes in the Texas Register. Publication would open a formal public comment period, allowing hunters, landowners and other members of the public to submit opinions before the commission considers final adoption.Until the commission approves any changes and they take effect, hunters must continue following the existing regulations.The current 2026 alligator season in the core counties ended Sept. 30.</div></body>

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Alligator hunters and landowners across Southeast Texas could see significant changes to hunting regulations if a proposal from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department moves forward. The department is considering extending the alligator hunting season in 22 designated Southeast Texas counties from its current 20-day September window to a 61-day...

BIG CHANGES COULD BE COMING TO TEXAS ALLIGATOR HUNTING!

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Alligator hunters and landowners across Southeast Texas could see significant changes to hunting regulations if a proposal from the Texas Parks and Wildlif

BIG CHANGES COULD BE COMING TO TEXAS ALLIGATOR HUNTING!

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