There have recently been several TV shows on the large pythons now inhabiting the Everglades and other Florida areas. Many 8-10 foot snakes are leaving the Everglades and going into residential suburban areas where they feed (so far) on pets.

Is snake hunting legal?

If so, how to go about it?

Evidently the 8-10 footers are the little ones and the really big ones stay in the swamps.

While it is true that they are hunting pythons down by the Everglades, a regular person walking in off the street isn't going to do it. The only ones they are letting in on it are the ones that are trained to handle big snakes. They have got a few of them over 17 feet so far.

Regulations state they have to immediately kill the snakes if they catch one. And, while it isn't illegal, they are trying to encourage people not use the things for profit. The reasoning behind that is that they don't want to encourage anyone to bring in more snakes to drum up business. These things are an invasive species and they want to eliminate them, not encourage a profit driven reason to keep them around.

I know nothing about snakes but I wonder if the recent low temps in FL killed some of the snakes off?

tropical snakes can easily regulate heat down to 40F. If it was colder than 40 for a week or two and they did not have a burrow or underground spot to go, they probably did not make it.

It was way colder than that. We had something like 10 nights with lows in the 20's here in central Florida.

If has a major impact on wildlife including fish. There has been a ban on taking certain fish because of this.

I would think a lot of reptiles died. There got a fair sized anaconda near hear that was almost dead from the cold.

Wonder if they taste like Chicken?????

I suspect that florida is too politically correct to have an open season, kill on sight by any means available rule against invasive species like some other states.

And until they do their problem will persist.

IF I had a 'Gator or Python turn up in my yard
I know what I'd do and I also know what would be for dinner.... ('Gator anyway)

The python I'd call them up to tell them where to find the carcass.

I can hear it now....
"Lookitthat! a Custom made three (or four or five or six...) piece Python!"

Frankly I'll take on most scaley creatures without a firearm...
If I'm allowed to use my favorite axe (an estwing pack axe) or sword (I have a not especially prettty, but sufficiently functional katana) with my KaBar for backup...

But it bugs me that you see them live capturing those animals and getting bit in the process when it'd be a damned sight easier to kill the bugger on the spot.

Agitated? I'm not going to agitate it, I'm gonna kill it.\

But I'll bet that HALF of an agitated python is easier to deal with than a WHOLE python.

Capture it?... Hmmm... how difficult is it to get a dismembered python into a garbage can?
And if any piece gives me trouble...
well, I'll just make it smaller...


AD

IIRC, FL laws allow land owners are to remove non native species of animal or plant as they wish. Gators(tastejustlikechicken)have been native for along time here.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Wonder if they taste like Chicken?????

Not sure about python, boa or anaconda, but rattlesnake does...

I like AD's idea, with one exception, mine would be a Husqvarna chainsaw!!!!!
Doug

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
It was way colder than that. We had something like 10 nights with lows in the 20's here in central Florida.

If has a major impact on wildlife including fish. There has been a ban on taking certain fish because of this.

I would think a lot of reptiles died. There got a fair sized anaconda near hear that was almost dead from the cold.

They had reports on the news here of frozen iguanas falling from trees there in Forida.

Those snakes are becoming a problem and it is expected that it is going to get worse . They are being found further and further north. We read stories in the paper virtully every week. Some if these snakes are getting pretty big. They killed a 17 footer not far from here.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Some if these snakes are getting pretty big. They killed a 17 footer not far from here.

Around 30 years ago, one of my neighbors had about a 10 foot (maybe a little bigger) boa constrictor. That snake was nowhere nearly fully grown, and it was big looking. A 17 foot snake would be big.

Would a bounty work? Maybe $100 per snake. Dead of course!

The 17 footer was spotted in a ditch by a kid. His uncle shot it. I saw the picture. If I recall correctly it took 5 adults to hold it and stretch it.

There is some sort of hunting allowed on these snakes. I have forgotten the details. One of the problems is that we have some truly massive swamps. These things can be anywhere.

I still say that the entire Everglades should be drained and converted to farm land - and I'm not kidding. What civilized community keeps thousands of square miles of swamp next to it? Only the mad people in Florida! The pythons mentioned are probably from Burma and are total aliens,anyway. Why do we have politically correct politicians and environmental fanatics dictating what we should do with invading "wildlife"? ( Didn't we wipe out mountain lions,grizzlies and wolves from where we wanted to settle? Certainly a damn snake should rank way below on what we make a "target of opportunity". (I wonder if #4s would be OK on a head shot?)

Check this out:

http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEH...tive_Python_FAQs.htm

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Check this out:

http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEH...tive_Python_FAQs.htm

I read this and cannot believe the government babble and requirements. One would think they would want to get rid of these snakes and welcome anyone who wants to go out and get one.

quote:

It was way colder than that. We had something like 10 nights with lows in the 20's here in central Florida.

If has a major impact on wildlife including fish. There has been a ban on taking certain fish because of this.

I would think a lot of reptiles died. There got a fair sized anaconda near hear that was almost dead from the cold.

Yet another unfortunate aspect of Global Cooling...

Bill, You are so right. What a bunch of politically correct BS. These damn things are doing major damage to the ecosystem.

I read that some people keep Komodo dragons. If these get loose - Holy Shite!!

It seems most logical that Florida should just have an open season on these things and let guys use shotguns.

In Florida, there is a difference between native and non native species. For example, wild hogs. They are not a native species. They can be hunted whenever you want however you want on PRIVATE land. There is only a specified hunting season for them on PUBLIC land.

These special seasons for the snakes are only on public land from what I can tell. I think any of these snakes on private property can be killed on sight without fear of adverse consequences. However, I am not a lawyer.

There have been well publicized instances of killings of these snakes on private land. The articles never mentioned any legal ramifications for the people killing the snakes.

If I see one, I am going to whack it. As long as I am not on public land, I don't think there is much to worry about.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
In Florida, there is a difference between native and non native species. For example, wild hogs. They are not a native species. They can be hunted whenever you want however you want on PRIVATE land. There is only a specified hunting season for them on PUBLIC land.

These special seasons for the snakes are only on public land from what I can tell. I think any of these snakes on private property can be killed on sight without fear of adverse consequences. However, I am not a lawyer.

There have been well publicized instances of killings of these snakes on private land. The articles never mentioned any legal ramifications for the people killing the snakes.

If I see one, I am going to whack it. As long as I am not on public land, I don't think there is much to worry about.

So...is anyone offering snake hunts on private land?

http://www.wftv.com/news/20238234/detail.html

Here is a good one for you.

THere are some sad stories there. A lot of deaths. I could never understand why some one would want one as a pet, only to later not want it and release it in the wild. That alone should be a felony.

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
I read this and cannot believe the government babble and requirements. One would think they would want to get rid of these snakes and welcome anyone who wants to go out and get one.

Bill, what you say seems logical, unfortunately I would be willing to bet many of the guys who would go after these snakes are likely be the "shoot at road signs" crowd...

quote:

Originally posted by Flippy:

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
I read this and cannot believe the government babble and requirements. One would think they would want to get rid of these snakes and welcome anyone who wants to go out and get one.

Bill, what you say seems logical, unfortunately I would be willing to bet many of the guys who would go after these snakes are likely be the "shoot at road signs" crowd...

Do you have any evidence for this or is it just wishful thinking?

Here is the deal.

FWC creates special season for capture and removal of reptiles of concern

http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/s...OC_SpecialSeason.htm

Some friends & I are planning a trip now.

quote:

Originally posted by Oxon:
There have recently been several TV shows on the large pythons now inhabiting the Everglades and other Florida areas. ...

Awoke in th emiddle of the night and there was a show about just this thing on PBS. They had caught a HUGE one, decided it was a female and let it go!

Their "reasoning" was it would draw-in the Males. Then they showed 3 smaller ones within a few yards and said they were all males. (Obviously placed there.) These went into sacks and carried off somewhere.

The BIG female was plenty big enough to Kill a human, a calf, a deer, a hog, whatever. Perhaps I didn't see enough of the show, but it sure looked like they intended to leave the HUGE female running loose. Pitiful!

They have caught some and implanted small transmitters. They let them go & used the transmitters to see where they were moving in a attempt to locate more they could kill.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerrypeters375:
I still say that the entire Everglades should be drained and converted to farm land - and I'm not kidding. What civilized community keeps thousands of square miles of swamp next to it? Only the mad people in Florida!

No thanks.

Put a $10 or $20 bounty on each head turned in. Allow and encourage for-profit commerce with the rest of the carcass. Watch the redneck brigade make the Florida python an endangered species.