Louisiana alligator hunters used to make between $20 and $40 per foot of alligator. Alligator sales in Louisiana dropped to an all-time low due to increased competition from overseas.

It’s reported that they typically work on a freelance basis where they only get paid when they have an alligator to sell. How much an individual can make depends greatly. It’s reported that some get paid up to $40 per foot of the reptile unprocessed.

According to various online publications, the alligator hunter makes between $10,000 and $30,000 per episode. The figures are estimates since the TV personality also earns from the reptiles he catches from the show.

Although Troy earns from Swamp People, alligator hunting has always been a way for him to make a living. But the amount of money he earns from the reptile is not straightforward because of an unstable market. On average, he can sell a 12-foot alligator for $180 if the hide is perfect.

How much do alligator hunters make in Louisiana?

Reportedly, Louisiana alligator hunters used to make between $20 – $40 per foot of unprocessed alligator. However, in 2017 and 2018 there was increased competition coming from overseas and this caused gator sales to drop to an all-time low.

Louisiana’s east zone opens on the last Wednesday of August, while the west zone opens on the first Wednesday in September. In 2020, the Louisiana alligator hunting season was extended to 60 days, and ended in late October in both east and west zones.

The alligator hides are used in a variety of luxury goods such as shoes, belts, suitcases and leather. As a result, Swamp People can make lots of money by selling the alligators after catching them.

The Swamp People often kill and sell the alligators after catching them. The hunters often profit from their meat and their hides. Those appearing on Swamp People are all registered and licensed to catch alligators.

How long is alligator season?

The alligator season lasts 30 days, but serious hunters stretch that to 37 days by owning land in both the East and the West regions, since the Western region’s 30 days starts a week later than the Eastern region’s.

While skins went for $6/foot in the 1960’s and $9/foot in the early 1980’s, they rose to over $40/foot in the late 1980’s. What the Louisiana Advisory Council fails to mention is that prices have come down since the late ’80’s.

Each tag represents a potentially profitable alligator. Each lost tag represents a loss, since they cannot be replaced. (Which is why Bruce’s helper dove into alligator invested waters to retrieve some tags that had fallen overboard, and why Bruce didn’t stop him.)

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So, according to these estimates, when Troy Landry pulls a 12 foot monster alligator out of the swamp, risking his life and straining his body, he might get up to $180 for a perfect hide. If the gator has lived hard and has the scars to show for it, he’ll get less.

Anyone who watches Swamp People knows that alligator hunters care about how much money they make. Sure, they hunt for their love of the land, but they do it for their living, too. And they’re not shy about it. With the notable exception of the Guist brothers, the hunters featured on the show are quick to talk about what makes the difference between a profit and a loss during the one-month alligator season in Louisiana.

Well, they go the “live simply” route. Alligator hunting really isn’t a great way to make a living, at least by most middle class Americans’ standards. And, despite what any of them might say, they’re really not in it for the money. It runs deeper than that. It’s a way of life.

Alligator tags don’t cost anything if you own your own hunting grounds. All you have to do is prove ownership of a piece of land deemed sufficient to sustain alligators, get a $25 Alligator Hunting license, and make an application.

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