Florida wildlife, pythons

I've read a couple newspaper articles recently on feral pythons in Florida (S. Florida mainly). On the way to work this week I listened to a radio discussion on the loss of wildlife to these snakes. The man interviewed (didn't catch his name) claimed that 90% of the populations of 'possum, 'coon, deer, and bobcat have disappeared due to predation by pythons. I'm quite astounded by that amount. To those of you who hunt or ramble around in Florida, does your experience of animal sightings bear this out?

90%? I think I will call a big :bull: on that., even if I don't live down in south Fla. Now I do hear that there is a breeding population of Burmese pythons down there but I can't imagine that there is enough of them to do that kind of damage, also pythons don't have to eat very often, about once every couple a months, even longer if it's a big meal. I used to have one about 12' to 15' feet long, had him for about 6 years. Fed him a rabbit every 4 to 5 weeks. None during the winter (about 3 months).

I spent alot of time in the Homestead/Florida City area from 1999 to 2010. If I remember correctly about 2 or 3 years ago FF&G let a few people hunt the pythons for a short period. I think they found out that the problem wasn't as bad as they thought it was.. They did take a few snakes but it wasn't that big of a deal. One thing I did find out is that they got plenty of big lizzards down there. :rotf: Wick,Lonehunter & Mule Brain I'm sure have more current info on this than I do.

I dont know about the 90% claim, I live in the central part of the state. None really to speak of around here other than a few pets that get loose ( or turned loose)
My son however spent two years in south Fl. At linemans school, He Spent a lot of time in the woods down there and refused to take his dog for fear of it becoming a meal to one.(said he saw quite a few)
90% ehhh...You would think they would open season on them if that was the case.
But the state also say's there are no panthers outside of the Everglades also. That is pure :bull:

The news comming out of the everglades is very disturbing, Like the non indiginious Canadian Grey wolf these snakes released by uncaring idiots are reeking havoc on species that have never had to deal with them before.
Kill em all!!

The Glades isn't anything near like what it had been even in 1900. Australian Trees are taking over. Pythons slithering about and the Army Corp of engineers put in so many canals to drain off and divert the water that it rarely flows the 6 ft deep that it once did. Early Spanish explorers were able to take their boats up to Lake Okeechobee because it was one big river from the Gulf inland to the lake. They now have poisonous frogs and all manner of stuff that stupid people let go. (Like the exotic piranahs and walking catfish in Allen Pond in Bowie Maryland.)

Varmint hunting for pythons! :hmm: Sounds like an opportunity for some shooting to me. I don't know if those snakes are edible, but it seems likely.

Piranahs!!!!!!!!!!! Yep they got them down in South Fl too.. So i'm told i never laid eyes on one. :idunno: Like some have said people have turned loose a lot of pets that have gotten to big to handle or because they had to move to another location and couldn't take the pet along. :shake: :bull:

Greenmtnboy said:

Kill em all!!

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I agree! :thumbsup:

I figure they are good eating. My family is vacationing down there. I figure send the wife packed. I do not see why Fish and game would even consider a season on an invasive species. Like GMB said kill em all. Invasive species of plants and animals total cost us hundred plus billions every year if you total all the money spent on them by everyone and the government in just the USA.

The problem with the everglades is the fish and game commission dont want everyone in there. I have been told they are afraid of poaching. A lot of this area is protected. They are finding out that there are more snakes than they thought. They just dont know how to go about ridding the place of them without opening it up to anyone. The study you are referring to they have been doing for over 10 years I believe. Now they cant seem to find most of the small game.

RJ

There is alot of pressure to keep regular hunters out of the glades as I recall. I can understand that they don't want folks shooting the last east coast cats, or some other of the native wild life. Or causing confrontation with gators.

When I was last in the glades, those Aussie trees were sprouting everywhere and that was 25 years ago.

As for non-native widllife, during the past 60 years or so, we have had a tremendous increase in eastern coyotes here. (with big reductions in groundhogs, rabbits etc) Wild boar have established themselves, and there are darn goldfish in the stream that runs across my property. We now have giant hogweed and that mile-a-minute weed (some call it tear thumb)is taking over everything, the way kudzu has taken over parts of the south.

Somebody should study why the study is taking more than then years. :shocked2:
I think what we need are more studies. :bull:
My wife just came back from a Florida vacation. A neighbor of the house she was staying in had to call an extermination guy to remove an aligator. It cost her $1,500.00 to have him catch and remove it. I'll bet he sold the hide and meat for extra money also. If I lived there I would just kill it and dump in the canal. Sumptin' like getting rid of nusiance dogs. 'Shoot, shovel, shut-up.'

lonehunter said:

Greenmtnboy said:

Kill em all!!

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I agree! :thumbsup:

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Me Too!!!!

I also live in Central Florida. There was a Fish and Game venture into the Glades and they picked up 300 pythons, so they are pretty well established but I don't think they have had any impact on reducing the animals mentioned. Coyotes do a lot of damage and they are pretty much all over, one I shot last year was fairly heavy, must have weighed 40+ pounds.

For invasive species, Maryland has a big problem with Nutria.(Giant 15 lb muskrats from S. America) Fortunately, a lot of them die off from frostbite every few years in very cold winters.

If a Nutria is sighted in PA, the authorities go on search and destroy missions to wipe them out.

these animal shows on the tube crack me up, snakes of all sizes n they take them alive, wouldn't want to hurt anyones feelings I guess, ya wonder if they ever heard of a machete. Whack , no more problem n nobdy gets bit or anything else.

This may be slightly off topic but , How would a python fare when faced with a wild boar?..................watch yer top knot...............

Golfswithwolves said:

Varmint hunting for pythons! :hmm: Sounds like an opportunity for some shooting to me. I don't know if those snakes are edible, but it seems likely.

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A friend ate them at Ranger School survival course. There could be a military contract to provide them to Fort Benning instead of importing them from Asia.

They are pushing us in Illinois to eat Asian Carp, In New Orleans Nutria is on the Menu. I am thinking if times are so desperate why not take desperate measures. I figure I have eaten raccoon. Why not...feed the homeless. 15 years ago donating wild game was considered radical now shelters cannot get enough.