Gator Draw

[maverick21]

Private land tags came in the mail yesterday, I would like to know the numbers on applications that tried today. Seemed like everyone in the state was trying

[lilham]

I was using two computers and my cell phone. I got thru at 9:05 on my cell. I got everything entered for WC, but when I went to pay it kicked me out. I finally got back thru on my computer in at 9:12, and got one for NW. At 9:12, only NW and one other were available.

[chevy01234]

I got the tag of my choice at around 9:05 this morning. Refreshed the site a few times and it went through.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Sorry guys, but we are on a strict gator management plan designed to eventually produce routine 20+ foot gators capable of destroying small villages, eating villagers, and causing widespread panic. Jurassic Mississippi.

Some of you probably missed the new rule changes as well regarding the legal way to harvest your MS gator. After getting the gator up to the boat using a fly rod with #9 weight fly line and light leader, and snagging them with a single barb bead headed wooly bugger, you must either use a spear or bowie knife now to finish them off ---- no wimpy firearm or stickgun.

Good luck out there. Hunt hard, hunt safe, and make it a fair chase for the gators.

[SB]

It was a busy morning. The Web site never went down but sure slowed down due to traffic. I was there along with many other coworkers in the JO ready to help anyway we could. We expected it to be fast and furious. For MSDucks’ IT guys: How can you accurately predict what the volume/demand will be on one’s website, computer equipment, IT stuff, etc. without ever going through it before??? I know at one time there was over 1,800 users on the website. As many as 4 permits sold in 1 second. I hope to find out how many unique users were on the website between 9-10 AM.

The telephone volume was high. During the 9:00 hour the calls started out most with questions and then turned to angry calls after the permits were sold out. Some callers cussed MDWFP employees answering phones. There were calls and emails wanting MDWFP staff fired, because they didn’t get a permit or didn’t like how the system performed. To me it is amazing the passion (passion may not be the best word) MS hunters have. I can’t imagine cussing someone out or want them to lose their job because I didn’t get an alligator permit. Each to his own I guess.

Today’s process of first come, first served alligator permits was a result of alligator hunters not liking the draw process of years passed. Several un-successful hunters were asking for the draw system back. I challenged several callers to help be part of the solution by putting into writing how they think it should be done. I hope they take the time to do it.

[JLT]

Scot you know there is no way y'all will ever make everyone happy and I too am surprised at how important an alligator is to some!
I have a friend who is high in the ranks at Florida game and fish. They are having their first bear season in many years. They are allowing everyone to buy a tag and hunt. When the quota is met a text is sent to your phone that season is over. This is a good idea in my opinion. I bet money the quota would not be reached. I would like to know how many gators have been killed in the past few years vs tags sold.

[bolivarduck]

Scot you know there is no way y'all will ever make everyone happy and I too am surprised at how important an alligator is to some!
I have a friend who is high in the ranks at Florida game and fish. They are having their first bear season in many years. They are allowing everyone to buy a tag and hunt. When the quota is met a text is sent to your phone that season is over. This is a good idea in my opinion. I bet money the quota would not be reached. I would like to know how many gators have been killed in the past few years vs tags sold.

I agree with this system. I made it all the way to entering my payment info then the site took me back to the home page showing the tags were sold out. I was in the process, so I should have had a tag, but somehow I wasn't allowed to purchase one. I will admit I have been upset about this all day.

Along with this process, 0900 ... Really? This excludes a lot of MS sportsmen that work and can't use the Internet or call in. I say let people buy the tags and cut the season at the quota. SB, you guys should have anticipated the demand by prior years interest and trends- I feel my tag was "pulled" while I was completing the payment because someone's buddy wanted it- just my opinion. If mdwfp won't let everyone purchase a tag, then space them out for a certain amount of tags each hour until midnight. This will give everyone an equal opportunity and multiple chances for each hour. It seems that mdwfp went with the easiest plan, so all employees could go to an early lunch! Maybe one day I will win the lottery and can buy my way into mdwfp, but for now I will just be a common Federal employee that has to work for a living! Most of the work I have witnessed by mdwfp has been top-notch, but this was not one of them!

[SB]

Josh - I've thought about the method FL is using on black bears. I can remember when AR used a similar method for their black bear season, but you had to call in by telephone each morning to see if the season was open. This was before cell phones were common too. I think it worked pretty well for them. Who knows, MS might implement FL's method for alligators.

You asked about harvest numbers. I grabbed 2014 stats off of the MDWFP website. I believe the # of permits issued last year were similar this year.
Total Applicants who hunted : 676
Total alligators harvested : 682 ( 342 < 7' and 340 > 7')
Total Alligators captured and released : 940
Total Hunters who harvested an alligator: 449

The way the trend has been with alligator season since its inception has for it to be more liberal in take and areas open to hunting. I think this trend will continue. I bet people would just about quit hunting them if season had no limit and lasted 4 months The thrill is gone if everybody can do it.

[Smoke68]

SB,

This is just one guy's opinion, but it hasn't changed over the years:

It takes the purchase price of the tags to enter the draw. If you are drawn, you get tags. If you are not, you get refunded.

I know the first-come, first-serve approach was intended to put everyone on a level playing field, but it's pretty obvious that some had huge problems while others had none. That's not very level.

I didn't even apply this year and haven't the last 3. I kinda got burnt out on gator hunting, and driving down to the Goula for hunts was pretty tough on my family time since I've got small kids. I sold my equipment. So I really don't have a dog in this hunt. I just like my solution because:

1. It actually puts people on a level playing field
2. It prevents people from entering 15 of their deer hunting buddies from entering the draw for a $5 fee or no fee at all

My $0.02

[Smoke68]

And for what it's worth, I don't like the idea of everyone can hunt with a quota. It would make the whole experience a mad dash to get a gator. Part of the fun is relaxing a little bit, and with the 10 day season it seems like it would be even more fun (although I haven't hunted in that format before).

What a bummer to be out on the water and get a text out of the blue saying you gotta head home, tags in hand. At least when it happens at the end of the season, you can see it coming and you're probably ready to get some sleep anyways.

[southdeltan]

Bandwidth - that is all.

1,800 users shouldn't have killed the website. Saints Report - which is a free website run by a Saints fan (non profit and not a government agency) - had 4,700 users online at once today and didn't crash (Hell, Bullnettle has had 544 users on at once). Y'all know how many people who have applied for the alligator draw in the past so it shouldn't be a surprise that a lot of people are interested. If you're going to switch it from several weeks to sign up for a draw to first come, first served you should beef up bandwith. There's a big difference between having a few weeks to sign up and having everybody try to get one at once. As a taxpayer and license holder - I expect more.

I don't particularly care, each year it does become more liberal and eventually - between the number of gators and the "new" wearing off - the majority of people who want a chance to hunt gators will get a chance.

[JaMak84]

How can you accurately predict what the volume/demand will be on one’s website, computer equipment, IT stuff, etc. without ever going through it before???

Simple. Pre-register. Anybody interested in participating in the draw has from June 1- June 30 to register all the BS y'all were requiring them to try to put into the system for a permit. DL #, HL#, method of payment etc...All that could be entered a month ahead of time and the person be issued a 4 digit PIN number to use on the draw date. The agency would have 15 days to get crap in order and know exactly how many people would be on the network. No PIN, no draw. And all a person would have to do is enter their PIN and hit submit to participate.

I challenged several callers to help be part of the solution by putting into writing how they think it should be done. I hope they take the time to do it.

Spread it out like bolivarduck suggested. Some people have to work for a living. Start at 7am and draw a zone every hour till 8pm. Divide the number of permits for each zone in half for what's available at each drawing. That gives folks a whole day to try and 2 chances at each zone.

[JLT]

Smoke.......I don't care if I ever kill another alligator, so I am kind of in the same boat as you. Look at the stats that Scott posted. Unless I am reading it wrong, in the 2014 season roughly half of the gators that could have been killed were killed. If everyone was able to get a tag there would be a mad dash, but I can assure you that most folk are good for one or two nights at most.
I kind of feel for the MDWFP, because no matter what they do they will never be able to make some of you guys happy. To some they will always be a second rate gov't entity run by a few rich guys for the betterment of those rich guys .......and for the record......I have no ties, but I am on several church committees!

[GrizwalD]

Scroll back up and read my previous post. Make them use their boat registration and it would cut out a lot of slap nuts trying to get a tag. Then once recieving the tag, asking all around town for someone to take them hunting. (believe me this is a common occurrence) .... This would also increase your kill numbers, because im going to go out on a limb here and say 90% of the people who don't kill each year do not have a boat. Just my .02

[Wildfowler]

slap nuts

Sorry. I have nothing useful to add, but that made me laugh out loud.

Thanks.