Moonlit Pursuits: Tales from a Ten-Day Everglades Python Hunt

I’m out on a backcountry levee as I’m typing this. A nearly full moon casts its light over the vastness of our River of Grass, giving it an ethereal, almost otherworldly sight of shifting shadows. I love it here—the most remote part of our state. But I’m not alone.

A steady chorus of frogs and gators serenade me, with the hooting of a distant barred owl lending just the right accent to the night’s song. I came here to catch invasive constrictors, and I have, but tonight, the last night of the ten-day-long competition, it’s just time to shut it down for a while and just be here.

The first few days of the competition, I made catches each night. But the rest of the week has been a bit tougher. I’ve seen dozens of snakes, all native stuff, especially water moccasins, and I took the time to visit each one in turn. Even caught a few kings, rat snakes and water snakes; especially the nights I had kids in the truck. There’s no better practice for snake catching than catching snakes. However, each catch was also a chance to teach the children about the snakes and their vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

I’m tired. By this final night of competition, I’m bruised, battered, beaten up, and sleep deprived. I’m bug-chewed, snake-bit, almost gator caught and deeply content. The only light out here is from that big yellow moon and the screen on this phone as I compile my thoughts. I wish you could all be here. I could use the extra eyes to help remove a few more invasive pythons.

The highlight of the week was in the early morning hours last Sunday when I caught the first invasive green anaconda to be captured in this portion of our Everglades. Ornery thing chewed pretty hard on my thumb, but I was grinning just the same. Sadly, it provided proof that they too are increasing in numbers and the population is spreading. Not good news for our Glades.

I’m not in the money this year, but not for lack of trying. I’ve hunted from seven in the evening till seven in the morning for the last nine days and have come up short. Some of the other competitors have enjoyed a bit more luck than I have, and I’m mighty proud of them. And of those other competitors, they have arrived from all parts of our nation, from Maine to California. Now, that definitely goes a long way to making a fella grin.

If you have any questions or comments about today’s column, please reach out to me at [email protected]. God Bless, and good hunting!