Bored Kids Driving You Crazy? Think: Alligator Hunt.
Tired of hearing, “Mom! We’re bored!” No, not you!
You love having every creature in the neighborhood come to your house for food and entertainment … spending money and a ride to meet their pals in Peru. (Unlike Little Miss Soccer Mom down the street who cares more about her nails than her kids.)
You’re Wonder Mom!!! Spending quality time with the kids … 20-hours a day. Feeding them. Picking up after them. Begging them to turn down their evil music, load and/or unload the dishwasher and keep their little siblings away from the dog food.
Here’s the break you’ve been waiting for! Send the kids alligator hunting!
Who knows? Maybe little Bubba or Sissy could save you enough hide for some alligator Prada knockoffs?
But you’d better hurry! The deadline to apply for an alligator permit for the 2012 season in Georgia is Tuesday, July 31st. The 2012 alligator hunting season is September 1st — October 7th.
(Yes, that’s after school starts, but you don’t have to tell the KIDS that. Let their little minds focus all summer on the dream of slaying dragons! If they ask when the action starts, just tell them, “Maybe tomorrow!”)
Hunters must apply for an alligator quota hunt online with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division before midnight on July 31. Selected hunters will receive a temporary harvest tag (permit) and information packet by mail in early August.
Assistant Chief of Game Management Wildlife Resources Division John Bowers says, “The alligator hunt is consistently one of the most popular quota opportunities in Georgia, with thousands applying each year. Those who are selected should have a great crop of animals. We have seen numerous alligators reaching anywhere from 11 to 13 feet and longer.”
Now, don’t go into “mother mode” ladies. Your kids have more energy than a 12 foot gator, especially after they (the kids) devour all the food in your house for a “snack.”
Georgia has nine alligator zones. Of the top 5 alligators harvested in each zone, all were 11 feet or longer. The top 12 alligators overall were more than 13 feet long — the longest being 13 feet, 9 inches from Decatur County. The heaviest alligator harvested weighed 860 pounds and was taken in Quitman County.
How to Apply
1. Visit www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/quota. Then click on “Access the NEW Quota Hunt System!”
2. Read all instructions under the “About” tab thoroughly. The instructions contain critical information on how to create an account and successfully submit an application.
3. Create an account, even if you have had an account in the old system. (The new system was launched in 2012.)
4. Apply using the instructions provided under the “About” tab.
Make sure your email address is correct so that you can receive quota updates, confirmations and other notices about quota hunts. You can check your application status through your online account, starting August 1.
If things don’t go so well for the kids, be ready to tell them how safe it is to clean their rooms instead of alligator hunting.