Python Hunt In The Everglades

[whitwolf]

 http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA3SMV4G0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1011

 

Are any of you South Florida folks keeping up with this and if so what have you heard?

[Redlinerobert]

I'm waiting for these.

 

[Sam]

Me, too.

 

Heard on radio that there are about 1,100 people signed up for the hunt.

 

And the Florida officials estimate there are about 30,000 pythons in the Everglades.

 

Should be interesting to find out how many they killed. The hunters, not the snakes.

[Darren.]

According to this report they're proving elusive. Only 21 so far, as of the article posting.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fla-sponsors-python-hunt-everglades-article-1.1242665

[Marty]

I'm sure these entrants will enjoy the hunt, but it's near-imposssible for me to believe that there will be any appreciable effect on the python problem.

 

 

Are any of you South Florida folks keeping up with this

 

I took the liberty of putting in my 2¢ even though I'm about 1500 miles north of there.

[GeorgiaBassBros]

My dad wants to bow hunt for them on spring break   

[roadwarrior]

I'm sure these entrants will enjoy the hunt, but it's near-impossible for me to believe that there will be any appreciable effect on the python problem.

 

You are probably right, but if the state placed a bounty of $100 on them and no licensing restrictions,

I suspect a lot of the problem could be eliminated. If they teamed up with a boot maker the prize might

be increased or the cost to Florida reduced.

 

Another idea is a more organized hunt. I'm thinking along the lines of pheasant hunting. Large groups

of men with blockers taking out a section at a time. Seems to me with just a little imagination this project

could be fun! 

[South FLA]

The first article is over the top; I fish the Northern everglades often and see as many rabbits and other wildlife as I did when I was a kid hunting with my brother.  They argue that the reason the Python is hard to find is that it blends in and that they are only searching a small area, my counter would be if that is the case why do I see so many other "hard to find" snakes while fishing relatively small areas around prime habitat, from brown water snakes to cotton mouths and black racers,? Although, I believe that they must be eliminated from the environment as they can eventually endanger native species, in no way do I think the population is as high as they predict today and that the risk to the ecosystem is as great as other problem animals such as feral hogs, urban expansion, road projects,  etc.   Remember, the guys studying this at the university level get grant money and media time if the problem is sensational and it is in their best interest to perpetuate a massive problem to keep them funded.

[Dwight Hottle]

The first article is over the top; I fish the Northern everglades often and see as many rabbits and other wildlife as I did when I was a kid hunting with my brother.  They argue that the reason the Python is hard to find is that it blends in and that they are only searching a small area, my counter would be if that is the case why do I see so many other "hard to find" snakes while fishing relatively small areas around prime habitat, from brown water snakes to cotton mouths and black racers,? Although, I believe that they must be eliminated from the environment as they can eventually endanger native species, in no way do I think the population is as high as they predict today and that the risk to the ecosystem is as great as other problem animals such as feral hogs, urban expansion, road projects,  etc.   Remember, the guys studying this at the university level get grant money and media time if the problem is sensational and it is in their best interest to perpetuate a massive problem to keep them funded.

 

 

Ah the conspiracy theory.

[South FLA]

Ah the conspiracy theory.

 

 

You better be careful, I may drop you off on the bank while in the Everglades to prove that I am correct........or INCORRECT, lol!