new florida contest

you guys heard about that? 1500 dollar reward to who can kill the most pythongs 1000$ bonus to who kills the biggest. this is sickening

I hate people so very much... If my career goes as planned, I may end up starting or helping a burm rescue.

Only in Duh-merica...

NEW CONTEST - $1000 To the one who breaks the most arms and legs of people participating in the Florida Burm killing contest. :rage:

How many pets will be entered and how many other snakes will be killed in this contest?

Can we just break off FL and let it float away?

You have to understand that this is an invasive species, Burmese Pythons don't belong in Florida and by holding this event they are attempting to downsize the population. People hunt deer, rabbits, boar, etc and hunting Pythons is no different. The only thing that makes me cringe is how some people might kill these snakes, i am sure not everyone will do it humanely.
I hate it just as much as the next snake lover but it would be hypocritical and wrong of me to criticize someone who hunts the species i love when i (and others) do the same thing to another species. JMHO.

Well it should be a contest for who can capture the most and then they can be taken to somewhere to be humanely euthanized. The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was a bunch of people just like the guy on youtube just hacking away with a machete... If it is going to be like hunting anything else then there should be tags and licenses and regulations on how it is done.

Here is a link to a very well written opinion on the matter that I personally agree with. It is worth the read.

http://urbanjunglesradio.m.webs.com/...etwork=fw#0122

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Originally Posted by 3skulls

Can we just break off FL and let it float away?

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hey hey hey now! None of that :P

Haha oops :p

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Originally Posted by wes

well it should be a contest for who can capture the most and then they can be taken to somewhere to be humanely euthanized. The first thing that popped into my head when i read this was a bunch of people just like the guy on youtube just hacking away with a machete... If it is going to be like hunting anything else then there should be tags and licenses and regulations on how it is done.

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nothing is humane in florida. They kill anything that moves, including each other. But is hunting really humane? How many deers take an arrow in the neck and run around for a few hours waiting to bleed out? How many ducks get blasted out of the air and land in a swamp and flop around in the mud in pain until a dog comes and drags them back to the hunter? Hunting is what it is. I get it and it has its place but overall, killing wild animals for sport(if you can call it that) is not humane.

I understand the problem in florida and see why they need to get it in check but i think this is the wrong way to do it and sends the wrong message to the general public. Leave it to florida to come up with a killing contest though.....

I just dont understand why I can't buy a Burm from a person in Texas because there are a few in the Everglades.

And I see that my previous link didn't work, but this one should.


http://urbanjunglesradio.webs.com/ap...sWl6M.facebook

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Originally Posted by eatgoodfood

And I see that my previous link didn't work, but this one should.


http://urbanjunglesradio.webs.com/ap...sWl6M.facebook

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Great write up. I agree 100%

So you can't go out and fish without a permit BUT... You can go into the Everglades to hunt giant snakes.

You can go there and kill snakes for cash prizes BUT... I would be fined huge amounts if I caught one and gave it a nice life across state lines.

I can't believe Fish and Wildlife is behind this.


Why can't anything be done the right way?

This contest doesn require a permit. Any other time it does. I lived out there. And my good friends live there inculding my gf. We're all huge reptile people. Some even burms and retic breeders. We all hate the burms there. And unless your a resident you can't say nothing honestly. It's there congress. Not yours. I feel your pain. It's wrong. But have you been to Florida and seen one first hand. Iv seen videos. There aggressive. We're talking 100+thousand 8-12 foot hugry aggressive snakes. Iv had a aggressive burm. 12 feet. Your not catching that bro. Sorry. You and 2 others yes. But unless your a python hunter with that experience. (Not sayin your not) you gonna need a team. IMO it stupid dangerous. So may god be with these poor reptiles because there just living. Not there fault a hurricane wiped out a dumb placed quarantined station. However they don't belong there and there thriving. The fact they found a 17 foot burm with 87 eggs. Shocked and scared the crap out everyone. Even as far north as me. (Jacksonville). So if you want to attempt to run a rescue for burms. You would have to be the richest man ever.
But I garentee they'll suffer in captivity. Not enough money to care. It would set us into a triple economic fail. 100 thousand+ burms. Wtf. How much space. The already gravid.
Heat. Food. Cages. That's trillions of US dollars. That's damage hurricane Andrew would continue to rack up. Pointless. I breed burms. I love burm. I wish there was a better way. I DO.
But there's not. It wouldn be safe and it def wouldn put a dent on it. This might acually help. But the fact is. There there to stay. All you can do is population control. And they can live futher up north. They survived the cold snap. The coldest Florida ever been in how long?? And they made it.

I used to live down there when I was a kid, but that was years ago.
And anyone in the US has a voice on this because they are using the Everglades to push bans in every state.

I'm not saying that they are not a problem. I'm also not saying that in any way I could go catch one of these on my own. I rehabbed a 12' Burm for 2 years and understand, respect the power they have. My point was the fact I couldn't cross state lines if I wanted to rescue one.

As the link stated. People are going to get hurt, photos will shown, news links will be all over the web. The problem will still be there and The HSUS will have more fire to push their agendas.

There is a right and wrong way to do something. Do I know the right way to fix this problem? No.
Nothing good is going to come from this.

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Originally Posted by 3skulls

So you can't go out and fish without a permit BUT... You can go into the Everglades to hunt giant snakes.

You can go there and kill snakes for cash prizes BUT... I would be fined huge amounts if I caught one and gave it a nice life across state lines.

I can't believe Fish and Wildlife is behind this.


Why can't anything be done the right way?

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You can fish without a permit on your own property.

Honestly? I see this as no different than hunting other invasive species. I.e wild boar. I swear. The reptile community can be just as bad as the horse community.

Horse community: "omg. horse slaughter is bad! Let's ban it. Why are there so many abused horses now? Why can't I sell my horse?"
Reptle community: "Don't ban our snakes! Omg! They're killing snakes that are invasive, shame on them!"

Like it or not, the snakes need to go, and until they are, the opposition will continue to use them against us.

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Originally Posted by Raptor

You can fish without a permit on your own property.

Honestly? I see this as no different than hunting other invasive species. I.e wild boar. I swear. The reptile community can be just as bad as the horse community.

Horse community: "omg. horse slaughter is bad! Let's ban it. Why are there so many abused horses now? Why can't I sell my horse?"
Reptle community: "Don't ban our snakes! Omg! They're killing snakes that are invasive, shame on them!"

Like it or not, the snakes need to go, and until they are, the opposition will continue to use them against us.

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To me killing the snakes is not an issue, its the way their doing it, opening it to the public. I think like many others do, that their just going to windup feeding HSUS and PETA more fuel. But why are the pythons the only issue were sensationalizing here, why not cats, why not invasive plants, among many other issues. If your going to aggressively after one species, why not let them kill all the cats for money too?

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Originally Posted by eatgoodfood

To me killing the snakes is not an issue, its the way their doing it, opening it to the public. I think like many others do, that their just going to windup feeding HSUS and PETA more fuel. But why are the pythons the only issue were sensationalizing here, why not cats, why not invasive plants, among many other issues. If your going to aggressively after one species, why not let them kill all the cats for money too?

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They do it with boar.

The reason why they don't do it with cats is because they tend to be protected under laws. Doesn't prevent people from killing them though.

I see this as no different than the pig hunts for wild hogs. Invasive species need to be removed. There is no clean and easy way to do that.

I worry about all invasive species (feral cats, dogs and hogs). Native wildlife is being wiped out by invasive non-native species. As I said, there is no easy way to do that. Catch, neuter and release does not work. You should have read the uproar around here when a local company tried to get a feral cat colony removed from their property. The extermination company's employee was arrested for cruelty to animals because he used CO2 to euthanize two cats in the back of his truck. There are whole organizations out there dedicated to caring for feral cats - an invasive species responsible for killing thousands and thousands of birds and reptiles each year. In fact, I bet some of the problem with native species being threatened in the Everglades is caused by feral cats, dogs and hogs. We shouldn't just target the burms, but all invasive species.

Feral cats are legal to hunt in a lot of area. Essp my town.
Ducks too.

Cops shoot em once a month in population control for our lake.

And if you are so worried about the reptile community then you would know that this lacy act is over boiling water. Because they can get out of dade county.

Are you even tryin to protect the boas retic and the 3 remaining species of anaconda?? And this hunt will show no effect over the lacy. If anything it will prove that they can't inhibit any other area. Resulting in a possibility of it being overturned. Possibility. I follow it everyday. Iv done my part. Have you done yours?? Truth is ice is melting and I'm certain this ban won't hold.

As Americans we protect what's ours. Even if it was us to start it in the first place. Or ruin it.
Facts are. Burms are apart of the wild ecosystem of North America now. Along with everyother species in south Florida. Florida period. Well never get rid of em. Just control em.

Worry about our NATIVE wildlife getting slaughtered everyday. Not non native.

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Originally Posted by eatgoodfood

And I see that my previous link didn't work, but this one should.


http://urbanjunglesradio.webs.com/ap...sWl6M.facebook

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Excellent article -- thanks much for posting it. And agreed.

Illegal immigrants of all race color and religion are just as evasive and more devistating dhould we start killing them too

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Originally Posted by strikerball21

Illegal immigrants of all race color and religion are just as evasive and more devistating dhould we start killing them too

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I've never been able to take anyone seriously who uses an argument like this.

I still can't.

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Originally Posted by strikerball21

Illegal immigrants of all race color and religion are just as evasive and more devistating dhould we start killing them too

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Comparing people to invasive wildlife species is a pretty big stretch. Also, it is a misdirection and an invalid argument in this discussion. If you are trying to make a political point, I suggest you take it to the quarantine forum.

In addition, it is invasive not evasive. It is devastating not devistating.

Ok point taken let go to other invasive species thar are arguably morr devastating
snakehead.. also in florida
Lionfish
The common domesticated cat has contributed to decline of over 70 bird species
Cane toad
Asian carp
but weather we want to admit it or not the most invasive species on the planet is mankind

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Originally Posted by strikerball21

you guys heard about that? 1500 dollar reward to who can kill the most pythongs 1000$ bonus to who kills the biggest. this is sickening

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Why?

Kill all the ones in the wild. Remove the ban.

I have plenty of concerns regarding the hunt, but none have anything to do with the goal of removing them from the wild. Plus, a burm hunt is probably very darn difficult and a great opportunity to stretch your hunting skills. Snake meat isn't too bad either.

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Originally Posted by strikerball21

Ok point taken let go to other invasive species thar are arguably morr devastating
snakehead.. also in florida
Lionfish
The common domesticated cat has contributed to decline of over 70 bird species
Cane toad
Asian carp
but weather we want to admit it or not the most invasive species on the planet is mankind

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Lionfish and snakehead don't have anything on:

Kudzu

Eurasian :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:oil

Zebra mussels

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

Lionfish and snakehead don't have anything on:

Kudzu

Eurasian :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:oil

Zebra mussels

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100% agreed i was just going with animals though

as for killing wild ones. even if 100% of wild pythons were killed it wouldn't lift the ban

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invasive species

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This is a subjective term, and few people I have spoken to about this ever consider the implicit underlying message carried with it. Basically it argues that the burmese python is bad, and the native species are good. Why? New species are introduced to new areas all of the time. It's part of the natural process of expanding ranges to populate new areas. Some plants and animals are better at it than others, and human induced globalization has made this process really easy now. I won't disagree on those points, but I think there should be a honest dialogue about what animals we as humans value and why. Maybe the Burm is a bad animal for the everglades and is a good animal for Myanmar.

If we take the stance then that the Burm is bad for the everglades then it should be removed. At what cost? Should time and resources be put here instead of somewhere else? If that happens, doesn't that imply that say the eradication of the Burmese python from the everglades is more important than removal of feral hogs? Do the most of amount of good with the least amount of resources. That is a hard one to calculate.

And if say that yes, time and money should be put towards the removal of burms from the everglades, then what is the best feasible method? I think a hunting season seems reasonable. From what I have seen/read about hog hunts, it usually is left to people who know what they're doing, even though it is open to the public. It isn't like a bunch of college frat kids are going out on a snake shooting frenzy. People are smart enough to know if they want to consider messing with a 12ft+ ticked off python. There are plenty of 'experts' that currently don't have the degrees or authority, and I suspect this public snake hunt is just a way of inviting them along. Plus, there might be plenty of non-experts who are willing to help, and they might be useful in other aspects of snake hunting, like driving trucks or organizing parking. There is probably some logistical operations that the media won't cover because who wants to see some insurance salesman who is a snake enthusiest in an orange vest directing cars to the parking area.

http://www.pythonchallenge.org/

The rules and training are interesting to look at, as well as the lengthy waiver you must agree to.

See here: http://www.pythonchallenge.org/registration.aspx

And humane killing methods listed here: http://www.pythonchallenge.org/toolkit/euthanasia.aspx