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gator hunt

Did any folks have trouble getting their Gator trappers license? Friend of mine could not get one because his license was good till this September and would not issue another. He paid 62 dollars for tags. The lady stated that there was a glitch in the system somewhere. Anybody know the scoop. Thought that the season starting early was a good thing, maybe not. The folks that didn't have a previous license got thier permits. This was at the tag office in New Symrna.
 
trouble? this is amazing there web site is down, takes 5 minutes each time to fill out and get denied. the phone number busy all day. I finally get through all choices denied and they can not tell you what is available and you can not say I will take anything. To top it all off you have to call back to make a second choice. Almost like being on candid camera. This is an unbelievable system!
 
Never give up. System is not user friendly when it it over taxed. I got one permit and got my crew in as agents. Keep going at it for 2 hours. Computer and phone. Had 2 kids on laptops going at it as well. Yea, it stinks. This is my first shoot at it. Look out Iam in Puzzle lake!!!!!! Hal
 
While back someone was asking how to prepare the hyde. By chance I came across that info in the Fl Gator handbook. You have the option of heavy plain salt or salt brine.

2006, Statewide Alligator Harvest Training and Orientation Manual, pg30 -31
 
WOW almost all gator permits are gone. The additional permits must have work because they flew out the door.... if you could get them.

Got mine for Kiss. 1st week and Lake George 3 week also got the only permit for Hernando County. I was on the computer at 10 with all my info. ready to go. There was people waiting at the courthouse at 7am waiting to get permits. The same thing happen to me about mine to. I couldn'd get the 272.00 permit but I could get the additional one so I did. Then went back and got my Hunt permit for the 3rd week at Lake George finally. I knew that as long as I could get additional permits I could always go back and get the $172.00 harvest permit. Which I did. I ended up get the 1 from Hernando 1st online then Kiss 2nd at the courthouse after waiting 1hour and then Lake George after that.
 
I think there system sucks!
I got online at 10a.m. and did get a permit right away for western lake okeechobee...after that i was locked out of the website the rest of the day untill all the permits were gone. wanted to pull a second one but couldn't get online, guess i should have went to the tax office.

I like the idea of being able to buy extra permits but i think there should have been some kind of cap on it to keep hunting guides from buying dozens of them.

Muddfish
 
I agree they should have a limit or something about how many you can get. I would think that 4 tags would be enough.
 
Yes, the system sucked and worst, this multi permit stuff is just not good for the long term conservation value of the gator as many got multiple permits and many, many more got zilch. I have a feeling next year there will be thousands of permits that no one will buy.

This is the 3rd year the license vendor had their system crash. As for buying the Trappers license, most of you were mis-informed by the sales agents. You had to posess a curret Trappers ($250) lic. to buy permits ($62.00). The Trapper's lic is good for a year so if you purchased a trapper's lic for last year's hunt (usually issued in August), you were good to go today but you will have to renew before you hunt this year.

On the flip side, persistance paid. Now I have a very large pile of gators to kill around the state. Anything to protect the children, poodles and women form the gators. I hope Hatchinha, Puzzle, Poinsett, Griffin, Harney, Orange, Okee, Pierce, Kissimmee and the river have a few lizzards it them.
 
Gatorstick,

Did you do OK on your permits. Did you end up with any my way?? I may have gotten 1 or 2 extras :lol:
 
Well glad to see the professional hunters made out ok. I don't gator hunt so good luck to all. If i mwas one of the ones who got zilch i would write my concerns in an email and send it to the FWC and everyother politician I thought should be interested in it. Remember the FWC gets it's budget from politicians so let them know you are not a happy taxpayer/voter.

I believe they should have let everyone get one and then if any were left then let out the multiple permits but what do i know. Sounds like Gatorstick hit the jackpot on hunts, maybe he will tell everyone how he had such good luck when so many were locked out, you know kinda a help your southern airboat family member thing LOL yeah right. Good luck to all who hunt and get to bidding on the pete special package.
 
Cfth,

Did ok, my clients did fairly well, Brian cleaned up. The system FWC used sucked.

The way they opened up multiple permits from minute 1 sure sold all the permits but shut out lots of average Joe's, much to the long term detriment of the gator hunting program in Florida. The overall changes to the program are long overdue; however, they just had to do one thing for a foot shot that could have easily been avoided. Would have pleased everyone to do as in the past and allow one permit per person for first 30 days, then open up remaining permits to whomever. Naw, too easy........ Seems the state is more interested in cleaning out the permits rather than building a public based sporthunt. Very bad. At least Georgia's program has a great following with 15 folks applying for each tag. Everyone, including out of state, has an EQUAL shot.

I have a number fairly close. Looks like Poinsette, Puzzle & Harney will be paid multiple visits. The women & poodles of the area will be much safer after I leave......Not my top choices but for 7-9' gators they should be fine.

My words for getting permits: Get the facts of the matter (Wally World employees & other agents don't know squat & when it's happening it's too late to learn) Be persistence and have multiple folks drawing tags for you ( I spent 4 straight hours on line). This has worked for me & others for 19 years. Myself & other pros receive no preference, it's sheer determination. Where there is a will, there's a way.
 
CNTRY,

I certainly understand frustration however, the bottom line is if weren't Gatorstick it would be someone else. I have spoken with multiple guides and those who hunt commercially and they all bought a bunch. The state needs to change it no doubt. Give the public at least a weak or two then open the flood gates. The good thing was at least there were permits open untill about 13:00 yesterday.

Another question I heard there was no limit on permits but I heard of someone who hit a limit. Any idea of what that was??
 
Seem's the state's system did not perform as we were told it would perform. It was swamped for the first 1-1/2 hours. This is at least the 3x time it's happened.

This program (gators) for years had only been followed by a core group of hunters, commercial and guides who stay on top of the changes & rules, then quickly play the game for permits. While I have no more chance or luck than the next player who's on top of things, the casual Joe who is not "jolly on the spot" is without. No matter what you do, someone will be unhappy.

The changes the state made I think are great and long overdue. The problem was with the average Joe getting shut out because of how fast thing moved. When the price of hides drops again next year and the commercial folks won't buy permits, who is going to buy them & hunt? Just not good for the conservation of the gator.
 
The key was to get on line at 9:59 before they went on sale and have you info filled out. Then at 10 fire away.

I knew that the courthouse was a bad idea when I walked in at 9am and there where 4 people that had been there since 7am.

I don't hunt them for money just for the fun of it, but the system SUCKS
Like Gatorstick says 1 permit for the first round then 30days later get what's left.
 
Question? Can a person buy a bunch of them and then transfer or sale them to others? Like the ticket scalpers do at games? Just curious if maybe some got them for just that reason. And what if a person bought some and for some unforseen reason cannot fill the tags, can they do something with them? Thanx
 
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