Catch Pythons, Get Paid

Hunters who don’t mind mucking through swamps in search of prey that’s known to be rather elusive are invited to sign up for Florida’s 2016 Python Challenge.

Online registration for the semi-regular roundup of snakes in South Florida went live on Thursday. The cost to participate is $25 a person or $75 for a team of two to five people.

With prizes ranging from $750 to $5,000, the bounty for the invasive critters makes the upcoming challenge an attractive one for individuals who feel they have what it takes to battle the Everglades and come out with a snake in hand.

“The intent of the 2016 Python Challenge is to engage the public in participating in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal,” explained Carli Segelson of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The Everglades ecosystem is a national treasure and the 2016 Python Challenge will allow people to be a part of the long-term solution of managing invasive wildlife in Florida.”

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Florida residents and out-of-state competitors will find they don’t need a Florida hunting license to participate, Segelson said. Those who want to participate are required, however, to complete an online training module and pass a quiz with at least an 80 percent before they can register.

The competition is set to begin at noon on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, and will run through 7 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2016. Competitors will only be able to remove Burmese pythons from specific areas included in the competition.

Burmese pythons have become a real concern in South Florida where reports of the critters continue to make headlines as a variety of small mammals – including domestic pets – serve as staples in their diets. In recent weeks, a python created a scene on a south Florida beach while another one snuggled up in flea market clothes.

The non-native creatures have been a problem in South Florida since the 1980s with their population continuing to grow. The state launched its first challenge in 2013 to cull the numbers and allows harvesting in several management areas, according to the FWC website.

The state’s 2013 Python Challenge drew an estimated 1,600 hunters. Only 68 snakes were bagged. Even so, participants were eligible for cash prizes with $1,500 going to those responsible for the largest harvests. Prizes were also awarded to hunters who bagged the biggest python with the $1,000 reward going to Paul Shannon for a 14-foot, 3-inch Burmese.

To learn more about the competition, visit the Python Challenge’s website.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission