Python Huntress

Not every python gets removed.
This snake has a radio transmitter implanted by biologists so they can track its movements, study its behavior, and learn more about how Burmese pythons survive and spread in the Everglades.

Most of the larger "scout snakes" are easy to identify because they carry visible fish tags. This one was implanted as a hatchling, so there was no external tag to give it away...except the stitch.

When I realized it was a scout snake, I called the biologists and they told me this python is the last surviving juvenile in the study.

So instead of ending its journey, we let it go.

Every movement it makes helps researchers better understand these elusive predators—and that knowledge helps us become more effective at managing the invasion.

Today, knowledge was more valuable than another removal.

I'm not ALWAYS in the swamp! I traded my snake boots for heels... just for the night!

The inside of a python egg? Not what you’d expect… it’s more like pudding than anything you’d crack for breakfast. 😳

Breeding season is over, and these big mamas are getting ready to drop their clutches. On average, that’s 20–40 eggs… but the big girls? They can lay over 100.

That’s 100 future apex predators, all starting out as a spoonful of pudding.

And that’s exactly why what we do out here matters.

My friend Kurt Cox caught this big girl!!

I use a captive bolt gun to euthanize the invasive pythons I catch. It’s approved by the AVMA as a humane method and ensures the snake is dispatched quickly and effectively.

When FWC states that a python must be “rendered unconscious,” it actually means the animal must be humanely killed—not simply stunned. The terminology can be confusing, but the expectation is very clear: proper, immediate euthanasia.

Afterward, I use a pithing tool to ensure the brain is fully destroyed. This step is critical to guarantee there is no remaining brain activity.

While a .22 can be used, it must be placed precisely into the brain, and firearm laws vary by location. For example, discharging a firearm from main roads is not allowed—one of the reasons I use a bolt gun.

There are many opinions on how to kill a python. My focus is doing it the right way—quickly, legally, and as humanely as possible.

It’s not something I take lightly, but it’s necessary. In some parts of the Everglades, invasive pythons have wiped out up to 98% of native mammal populations.

This is what responsible python hunting looks like—doing the hard part the right way.

17’8. 120 lbs. My biggest python so far!
And here’s the wild part… we weren’t even hunting.
You can hunt for hours and come up empty… then the moment you pause, they decide to show up.

She didn’t have eggs this year, likely because she hadn’t restored enough weight.

Make no mistake...she’s already done so much damage. Years of feeding on native wildlife… including many deer.

It’s never easy.
But it’s necessary.

Because if we don’t remove them… there won’t be any animals left to protect.

'Hunting Bravery' with the Python Huntress, Amy Siewe. Coming soon!

This is a black racer—one of Florida’s fast, feisty, and VERY important native snakes. Even though they’re lightning fast (hence the name), they still get hit by cars more than they should.
When I see one, I give them a VIP es**rt across the street 🚗➡️🌿

Are they thrilled about it? Absolutely not 😅
I’ll take a few minutes to admire them, then send them safely on their way.

Protect the natives. Always. 👊