A South Mississippi nonprofit will take a record 44 young people with disabilities alligator hunting this season, giving participants the chance to experience one of Mississippi’s most challenging outdoor traditions.
Southern Outdoors Unlimited is a Mississippi nonprofit that connects participants with guided outdoor recreation opportunities through volunteer hunters, anglers and landowners. During alligator season, the organization pairs them with Mississippi alligator permit holders willing to share one or both of their harvest opportunities.
Mike Macko, the organization’s alligator coordinator, said the goal is to ensure a disability does not prevent a child from experiencing the outdoors.
“We let these kids enjoy the outdoors and let them forget about their disabilities for that day or two days or a weekend,” Macko said. “We do everything to our ability to make this child have the most glorious times they’ve ever had.”
The hunt
Southern Outdoors Unlimited offers experiences ranging from deer and turkey hunts to fishing trips and alligator hunts.
Macko said his brother’s experience with a disability inspired his involvement. He has spent more than 20 years helping children with disabilities participating in outdoor hunts.
“I admired (my brother) for that — for not quitting — and every kid that I’ve seen come through Southern Outdoors Unlimited, if they have a will, they’re going to get it done and we’re going to help them get it done,” Macko said.
Because Mississippi prohibits baited hook lines during the public-water season, hunters use heavy fishing rods with weighted treble hooks to snag alligators.
Once an alligator is hooked, participants help reel it toward the boat.
“They get to feel the power of the alligator,” Macko said. “They get to experience everything all the way to dispatching the alligator.”
Macko said the experience often gives participants confidence they carry long after the hunt.
“Can you imagine a sixth grader going to school who has a disability, and he goes to school on a Monday saying, ‘Guess what I did this weekend,’ and showing pictures of himself alligator hunting?” Macko said.
“They have that ‘I can’ attitude, which is what I love.”
Growth of the program
Southern Outdoors Unlimited added alligator hunting to its programs in 2020, when five young people participated. This year, Macko is preparing to take 44 participants on hunts across Mississippi.
“We have gone from five participants in 2020 to 44 participants in 2026,” Macko said. “In six years, we have grown this program a lot.”
The nonprofit depends on hunters selected through Mississippi’s public-water permit lottery. Each permit allows two alligator harvests, although both animals must be at least 4 feet long and only one can exceed 7 feet.
Permit holders must remain with the hunting party, meaning volunteers accompany participants throughout the hunt. Some donate one harvest opportunity, while others donate both.
“We are always looking for volunteers,” Macko said. “We’re always looking for hosts.”
The program’s growth mirrors increasing interest in alligator hunting across Mississippi.
Andrew Arnett, alligator program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said about 9,200 people applied for permits this year, compared with roughly 7,350 last year.
“I think this was a record year, looking at past records as far as application numbers,” Arnett said.
The department sold 1,598 permits this year, up from 905 last year. Each permit costs $200.
Arnett said the department expanded the number of permits after hearing from hunters who wanted more opportunities. Officials will use data gathered this season to determine whether waterways, boat ramps and other infrastructure can handle additional hunters.
“We kind of gave in and gave more permits this year,” Arnett said. “But we’re also going to use the data off of this season to factor into our data analysis that we’re having done, and also to see if our state infrastructure across the state can handle that much traffic.”
Mississippi’s 10-day public-water season runs from noon Aug. 28 through noon Sept. 7.
Safety comes first
The increase in permits will also mean more hunting parties on Mississippi waterways, many operating after dark.
Arnett encouraged hunters to inspect their boat trailers, navigation lights and other equipment before the season. One of the most common problems conservation officers encounter, he said, is hunters using spotlights to search for alligators without turning on their required navigation lights.
He also reminded hunters that everyone on the boat must wear or have immediate access to a life jacket.
“Life jackets do save lives, so make sure there’s a life jacket for everybody on board,” Arnett said.
Safety also shapes how Southern Outdoors Unlimited conducts its hunts. Macko told some participants use wheelchairs, which organizers secure inside the boats before the hunt begins. Guides start each trip by fitting participants with life jackets and explaining what to expect.
Participants remain near the front of the boat while helping fight the alligator. As the animal approaches, guides move them toward the back while experienced captains take over.
State law requires public-water hunters to restrain an alligator before killing it. Macko said guides secure the alligator before bringing it aboard for photographs.
“Our guides, our captains, they will get the alligator subdued, tape its mouth, and then we’ll bring it aboard for pictures,” Macko said.
For Macko, harvesting an alligator is not the only measure of a successful hunt.
“Safety is number one for the child,” Macko said. “Whether or not they harvest anything, that’s just a bonus.”
