Gator-hunting bill crawls past panel

COLUMBIA — Gator hunting might begin this fall, if state lawmakers swallow legislation allowing some alligators to be shot without being tied off first.

A House bill on Tuesday cleared the committee where it stalled in the last session, a delay that angered some lawmakers.

The hunting bill now carries a controversial amendment to allow private owners of large tracts to shoot the reptiles, then go after them. That's in contrast to the proposed hunting permit for individual hunters, which requires tying off the alligator with a line before it is killed.

Rep. David Umphlett, R-Moncks Corner, added the amendment to help large property owners control the number of gators. Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, who has pushed for the hunting season, said he favors Umphlett's amendment, but if it puts the bill in jeopardy, he'd want to move forward without it.

The legislation was spurred by reports of a large and growing number of alligators at lakes Marion and Moultrie and the Cooper River. The state Department of Natural Resources estimates that more than 100,000 alligators now roam the South Carolina coast. Waterway residents say it might be far more. Controlling the population became an urgent issue last summer when a Summerville man lost his arm to an alligator while snorkeling in Lake Moultrie.

The amendment would allow owners of 100 acres of property or more to shoot alligators in their rice paddies and other wetland areas along the waterways. It limits them to a season similar to the hunting season, requires permits and requires the owners to retrieve the alligator, tag and report it, Umphlett said.

But it takes a precise shot to kill an alligator, and the idea of shooting an alligator that hasn't been snared disturbed Ron Russell, of Gator Getter Consultants, a licensed nuisance-alligator harvester.

"Anybody who hunts alligators knows recovering a free, unshot alligator in the water is difficult at best. It's tough to recover some alligators with lines attached," he said. "An alligator just doesn't stop moving. Even shot on a bank, they'll crawl off in the water. They're pretty incredible when it comes to their survivability. It's not that hard to get a line on an alligator."

Natural Resources worked with legislators to craft the amendment, said Derrell Shipes, wildlife project chief. "There's a greater concern for safety on public waters. We're going to urge these people to be very careful, and we're going to monitor it."

Grooms said the private land provision was spurred by plantation owners who said they can't get rid of enough problem alligators with nuisance permits and worry that the proposed hunting season won't provide enough permits to do it. Under the bill, a limited number of hunting permits would be distributed by lottery.

The bill was held in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee, apparently a victim of wrangling over the proposed Interstate 73. But committee Chairman William Witherspoon, R-Horry, said his hesitation to move the bill was the same as Natural Resources' — he did not want hunters using firearms on public lands.

Witherspoon wants to make sure the public realizes an alligator hunter must have experience. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

The bill could be debated on the House floor as early as Thursday, he said, and he expects broad support. It would go back to the Senate for a vote.

Reach Bo Petersen at 745-5852 or bpetersen@postandcourier.com. Reach Yvonne Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.