Gator Season Opens Friday

Mississippi's alligator season opens this Friday, and the state's alligator program coordinator says he expects a good one.

Low water in the Mississippi River limited access to prime hunting areas in its oxbows and tributaries last year, but most areas are at normal water levels or higher this year, Ricky Flynt of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks' said.

"Last year we were experiencing well below normal water levels, particularly in the northern parts of the state," he said.  "A lot of those oxbow lakes that are allowed for hunting were extremely low, historically low."

With the water back up, hunters can get into more areas and spread out more, he said.

This will be Mississippi's first statewide hunting season for alligators.  Flynt said 110 more people got permits this year than did last year.