FWC Creates Special Snake & Reptile Hunting Season
Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 11:27 AMTags: FloridaFlorida Wildlife CommissionFWCHunting NewsHunting SeasonsInvasive SpeciesSnake Hunting
FWC Creates Special Snake & Reptile Hunting Season
For Capture And Removal Of Reptiles Of Concern..
Thanks Steve for The Python Pic
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida --(AmmoLand.com)- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a special chance for hunters to capture and remove reptiles of concern from state-managed lands around the Everglades.
From March 8 to April 17, those with a hunting license and a $26 management area permit may take reptiles of concern (Indian python, reticulated python, northern and southern African rock python, amethystine or scrub python, green anaconda and Nile monitor lizard) on Everglades and Francis S. Taylor, Holey Land and Rotenberger wildlife management areas (WMAs).
The specially created season, established by executive order, follows the close of small game season on the three WMAs, and continues during a period when the nonnative snakes are likely to be encountered. During cooler months, cold-blooded reptiles sun themselves on levees, canal banks and roadways to warm up. This makes them easier to spot, capture and remove.
“We are once again engaging our stakeholders, in this case, the hunting community, to help us reduce the number of reptiles of concern in the Everglades,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Our hunters are on the front lines, and we hope, by tapping into their knowledge of the Everglades, we can make significant progress in this effort.”
On Monday, Feb. 22, a large group of hunters will receive training on how to identify, stalk, capture and remove reptiles of concern. The FWC and experts from the reptile industry will provide the training, which includes lessons in biology and behavior. A local tanner also will be on hand to explain the value of harvested hides.
“In order to increase the numbers of reptiles of concern taken, we believe it is important to give the hunting community the tools for success, and that means the knowledge they need to apply their skills,” Barreto said.
Representatives from the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Big Cypress National Preserve, South Florida Water Management District and Army Corps of Engineers are scheduled to attend the event.
Reptiles of concern may be taken by all legal methods (including shotguns, rimfire rifles and pistols) used in the taking of game animals; however, the use of centerfire rifles is prohibited. Reptiles of concern may not be taken out of the wildlife management areas alive and must be reported to the FWC within 36 hours by calling, toll-free, 866-392-4286, or by visiting MyFWC.com/ROC.
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I viewed a program on TV this week regarding a python that had mistakenly swallowed four golf balls that he apparently thought were chicken eggs and if he did not get surgery to remove them from his digetive system it would be fatal.
The reason he ate the golf balls was that they were for some reason embeded in a chicken coop under one of the chickens, and the scent that permeated the golf balls from the chicken environment fooled the snake into thinking that they were chicken eggs.
Obviously, this leads one to easily strategize that if golf balls or other similar types of non digestible objects that resemble eggs from chicken or other types of eggs from animals that snakes hunt for can be impregnated with chemical scents immitating chickens or other types of animals scents and then disbursed throughout FL affected areas, this would attract snakes to them for eating, and solve this major problem in FL.
And what of the other native species which might ingest the dispursed scented fake eggs? We often over look the consequences of our actions to fend off invasive species…
This is a unique opportunity for the hunting community to do something new and at the same time rewarding. Simply laying scented eggs provides no guarantee to the eradication of an invasive species either, more so just a nuisance to the delicate eco-system enduring stressors brought on by it. The hunting and removal is by far the best option, not to mention an excellent way to teach younger hunters about our awesome state and the consequences man kind can have it. And lastly, snake taste great so why would you want to leave such a great meal dying in the woods some where?