Florida, Burmese python
Digest more
Here's what we know about the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, how the yearly hunt works and a little bit about last year's winner.
Photographer and writer Bob Bramblet is the past president of the Florida Outdoors Writers Association, and he wrote a book called 'Where the Python Sleeps'.
Each year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission turns python removal into a public competition. The Python Challenge offers prize money, draws public attention, and has made post-capture photos a familiar part of the event.
More than 200 of the invasive pythons were removed from South Florida during last year's hunt, according to the FWC.
The 2026 Florida Python Challenge starts July 10. It is another opportunity for hunters to put a dent in the invasive Burmese python population and win some money while doing it. Whether you are a novice and have just started to hunt pythons, or you are ...