SPANISH FORT, Ala.—The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is issuing permits to 125 hunters in the Mobile-Baldwin area who registered for the state’s alligator season.

The split season will be held over two weekends—Aug 14-17 and 21-24—allowing only the 125 hunters granted a valid Alligator Possession Tag through a department lottery to hunt the creatures more than 6 feet in length. Hunting hours will be from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. each day.

According to department statistics, 78 hunters successfully tagged an alligator during the 2008 season, with the longest measuring 12 feet, 7 inches. Meanwhile, the heaviest weighed 540 pounds.

Approved hunters in Mobile and Baldwin counties will be allowed to search private and public waters of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta south of the Washington, Clarke anxd Monroe counties’ lines, west of Alabama Highway 59 to intersection of 225 south to U.S. 31, north of U.S. 31, north and east of U.S. Truck Route 90 to intersection of U.S. Highway 43, and east of U.S. Highway 43 to the Mobile and Washington counties line.

Meanwhile, the department will select 80 hunters via lottery in Houston, Henry, Barbour and Russell counties in southeast Alabama to participate in an identical hunt August 21-31.

All applicants will be able to check for their results on www.outdooralabama.com. If a tag is not accepted, the next name on the alternate’s list will be notified and given 24 hours to respond. These notifications will continue until the 125 tags have been obligated for Mobile and Baldwin counties.