Alligator hunting season begins in Florida

(Pete Self / Flickr)

Alligator hunting season is officially underway in Florida.

Tuesday marks the first day of Florida's annual alligator hunt. Licensed hunters began applying for permits back in May and are permitted to harvest nearly 13,000 alligators from all over the state, except Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, which do not participate.

Every year, more than 10,000 people apply for the 5,000 available permits, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and permits sold out for the 10th straight year. The applicants who received permits were chosen by lottery in June.

Each permit allows hunters to take up to two alligators on a specific hunt date from a specific harvest area and the hunters must report their harvest to FWC.

The goal is to help cut down on Florida's gator population, which is now estimated at 1.3 million.

The season runs through the morning of November 1st.