The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is getting ready to host the state’s 12th annual Alligator Hunt.

Everything will begin with registration. Registration opened up online at www.outdooralabma.com/registration-instructions on June 2 at 8 a.m. The application must be completed by 8 a.m. on July 11 to be able to participate.

There will be a total of 260 alligator possession tags distributed among four hunting zones in different amounts. The West Central Alabama zone will only receive 50 tags and will include private waters in Monroe, Wilcox and Dallas counties.

These locations are only to be hunted at night.

The other zones are broken off into Southeast Alabama Zone, Southwest Alabama Zone and Lake Eufaula Zone. Most locations are only to be hunted at night.

A $22 dollar fee is required to apply for an alligator possession tag. Everyone is allowed to register one time per zone. The actual tag is free, but hunters and everyone that is helping them out is required to have valid hunting licenses in their possessions during the hunt.

Alabama residents and Alabama lifetime licenses over the age of 16 are allowed to apply for tags. Lifetime license holders who have moved out of the state of Alabama are still allowed to apply for tags.

A computer will select all hunters at random to receive an alligator possession tag. These tags are not to be transferred. A point system is going to be used to select hunters. This system is put into place to better the chances that a repeating registrant will be chosen.

The more years an applicant applies the better their chances become at getting a tag. Hunters that stop applying and ones that receive tags are forfeited out of the system and must start all over again.

On July 12 after 12 p.m., applicants are allowed to check the status of their applications. The selected hunters must accept their tag by 8 a.m. on July 19. Alternates will be contacted after this date to fill open slots.

A mandatory zone-specific training course provide by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Divisions must be attended by all selected hunters. Hunters that have been selected for more than one zone are only allowed to hunt at one zone.