2 charged with killing huge alligator in Richmond County

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two people were charged with poaching a large alligator out of season in Richmond County, according to the Georgia Department of Natural resources.

It happened Saturday, when DNR l. Ben Payne was notified of an alligator that had been shot near the Lock and Dam Park entrance.

Payne was told that some people were trying to load a large alligator into a truck.

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At the time of the call, Payne was responding to a hunting-without-permission complaint more than 50 miles away, so a deputy responded to the scene until he could get there.

When Payne arrived, only one suspect was still present, but Payne was able to gather enough info to charge two subjects with hunting alligator out of season, according to DNR.

In their haste to load the 10 foot 8 inch alligator, the alleged poachers broke out the back glass of their truck, DNR reported.

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A few months ago, Payne explained alligator hunting laws to News 12.

While the reptiles are dangerous, they’re also somewhat protected.

There’s a limited hunting season for the reptiles — the most recent one was Aug. 20 to Oct. 4, 2021 — and even during that season, you can only hunt them if you have one of the limited number of special tags. The tags are awarded through a lottery system, and it takes five or six years to earn a tag, according to Payne.

Payne says the alligator numbers are at a good level right now. While it’s possible that agencies may allow more to be harvested in the future, there are restrictions for now.