BATON ROUGE — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed expanding public hunting access to seven national wildlife refuges in Louisiana for recreational alligator hunting on Friday.

Under the proposal, Bayou Sauvage Urban, Big Branch Marsh, Black Bayou Lake, D'Arbonne, Delta, Tensas River and Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuges would participate in the new program.

If approved, the Service would implement recreational alligator hunting in October 2027, aligning federal refuge management with state-led wildlife initiatives. 

Hunting on refuges would be administered through the state lottery system with applicants required to be Louisiana residents 16 years or older with a state hunting license, an alligator hunting license and written landowner permission.

The Service plans to work alongside the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to determine the number of hunters and alligator tags given to participating refuges, ensuring harvest levels remain sustainable.

Louisiana has allowed the commercial harvest of American alligators since 1972.

The proposal will be available for public review from Nov. 13 to Nov. 27