New Year More Pythons

The new year is here and pythons still thrive in the Glades. SO as many people know the Python Challenge has been issued by the FWC. A few pythons hunters have opted out of participating in it finding it a slap in the face due to a monetary reward being granted for the person who catches the most and the longest. A few us python hunters still removed pythons to help control the population size. Others see it more as a bragging rights activity and either dont report the snakes they catch as required by their permits or lie about where they are catching snakes. We few who follow the proper procedures and actually care about the real reason we are doing this find it a bit unsafe to have 300+ people run around the Everglades for a month with guns. Besides the safety issues  there is also the concern that native snakes are going to be slaughtered.

That being said I am going to participate. I have had a few media outlets contact me and asked if i would mind having a camera follow me around and do a short interview about conservation. I also am taking with another media company that wants to do a reality show.

 I hope, if it all pans out, that i can bring  a scientific and environmental aspect to the hunt instead of showing a bunch of people acting like idiots.

Following the Crowd

My name is Nick and I am a python addict. After my fist catch (more of an assist to my python catching mentor, Bob) i was hooked. Hooked on the adrenalin. There is nothing like that initial rush of coming across a large reptile that can bite ferociously knowing you have to grab that thing. That rush has not gone away even after 20 catches.

A few of the other python hunters have created blogs and have been contacted by media so i thought i would give it try as well. To be frank (wait Im Nick) i dont catch pythons for recognition (even though it is nice). I do it to help control the population size of this top predator. I also do it to help advance science. All my catches have gone to either the Everglades National Park (ENP) or to the Florida Institute of Technology. The ENP performs necropsies and DNA analysis on the animals and the FIT was using them for their heat signature research. I am somewhat of scientist myself. Well i will be after finishing my Masters of Marine Biology.

I personally believe the pythons are here to stay in the Everglades. I think that we should just call them the Everglades Python, a subspecies of the Burmese Python.

These are beautiful creatures that got dealt a bad hand. People caused this problem and now we need to fix it or at this time control it.

In an effort to control the population size a month long Python rounded up competition was created. Beginning mid January 100+ people will be running around killing pythons ( and probably anything else they find) for cash prizes. Even though i am going to win Ill let everyone else think they have a chance. A few media outlets will be covering this event. I was asked to be followed around and I hope they do pick me. I can bring the science and love for the Everglades to the screen while still being able to provide light hearted fun at the smell of the snake musk and all the idiots that will be running around.

So I guess i am bit of a sheep trying to be like the herd when it comes to the media. But i dont think you will find any large lettering on my truck indicating I am a python hunter.