Bring it.
That’s what python hunters are likely saying today in anticipation of Tuesday’s (May 19) announcement locking down the dates for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.
If there’s anything close to what can be called a “Super Bowl” for python hunters, the annual challenge held every summer since 2013 is it.
The invasive Burmese python that’s harming the ecosystem in South Florida is what attracts hunters from around Florida, the U.S. and sometimes other countries for the 10-day challenge. Their mission? To eliminate as many of the snakes as they can. And win money from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
Last year’s grand prize winner and the first ever woman to win the competition was Taylor Stanberry. Stanberry eliminated 60 pythons and won $10,000.
Tuesday’s announcement of the official dates of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge will take place at S-356 Pump Station along U.S. Highway 41 (SW 8th St.), west of Krome Avenue in Homestead, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
What is the Florida Python Challenge?
The Florida Python Challenge is a python removal competition held every year since 2013 to increase awareness of the invasive species and keep the populations down.
The 10-day event takes place in eight FWC-managed areas in South Florida, you can’t kill them in your backyard and count them in your numbers. The Everglades National Park was added in 2025 as one of the competition locations.
Participants must register for the competition and take the required online training.
How many hunters participated in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge?
The FSW said there were 934 total registered participants for the 2025 Challenge and who came from two countries (U.S. and Canada). That was up from 857 participants in 2025. Thirty states were represented, including Florida.
How many pythons were eliminated during the 2025 Florida Python Challenge?
A total of 294 pythons were removed – the most of any python challenges so far. The Python Challenge started in 2013 to help raise awareness about the invasive species and to take a significant step in removing the snake that is negatively impacting the South Florida ecosystem.
Who were the other 2025 Florida Python winners?
GRAND PRIZE
PROFESSIONAL WINNER
PROFESSTIONAL RUNNER-UP
LONGEST PYTHON PRIZE
NOVICE
Most Pythons Prize
Most Pythons Runner-Up Prize
Prize: $1,500
Kymberly Clark
Pythons: 7
Longest Python Prize
MILITARY – Active Duty and Veteran
Most Pythons Prize
Most Pythons Runner-Up Prize
Longest Python Prize
Where is the Florida Python Challenge held?
The Florida Python Challenge takes place at eight competition locations:
Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area
Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
Everglades National Park
Frog Pond North Public Small Game Hunting Area
Holey Land Wildlife Management Area
Rocky Glades Public Small Game Hunting Area
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area
Can you shoot Burmese pythons during the Florida Python Challenge?
There is no established firearm season during the time of the event. The use of firearms during the competition is prohibited.
Burmese pythons in Florida must be humanely killed
If you catch a Burmese python in Florida, you must humanely kill the snake where it was captured. Transporting live pythons is not allowed.
Two steps must be completed to kill a python humanely:
How serious is the python problem in Florida?
Burmese pythons have wrought destruction in the Florida Everglades. They’ve contributed to the decline of small mammals including raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits and cottontail rabbits.
A recent study revealed that Burmese pythons can eat prey much larger than previously reported. Scientists observed a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, nearly 70 percent of the snake’s mass.
The non-native snakes have proliferated across more than a thousand square miles of South Florida.
How many Burmese pythons are in Florida?
“Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research,” according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands.
Can Burmese pythons ever be removed from Florida?
Because Burmese pythons are distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and across the southern coast, the chances of completely eliminating the snake from Florida is low.
Controlling their numbers and preventing their spread out of the area are critical goals for conservation efforts and land managers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Outside of the Florida Python Challenge, what should I do if I see a Burmese python?
If you spot a Burmese python, avoid it and report the sighting to the FWC. Take a photo and note your location before reporting one of three ways:
Online at IveGot1.org
Call the exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681)
Use the free IveGot1 mobile app.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida python hunters find out dates for annual challenge this week
Reporting by Mark H. Bickel and Kim Luciani, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
