bc22wm
Custom
It's a bleeping reptile. What's all this humane crap? It's not a yellow lab puppy for crying out loud. No need to torture anything (except elected officials) just kill the damn thing.
Squatters are OUT in Florida
- Thread starter HayesGreener
- Start date
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
That's exactly why the rule to kill them 'humanely' ... there's "No need to torture anything".
+1 on the 12 bore! I HATE snake, much less those Da-n things as large as a telephone pole! And I was think 5 shot might be a tad light-maybe #2’s?Hurricanes, well like blizzard, ice storm, earthquake, tornado, everyone has their cross to bear. Alligators in the swimming pool, "look before you leap". Hattian cannibals on the way, eh. BUT Pythons
The Night Rider
Professional
So they won't stink by the time you get them to the police station?Me too. I'm not wild about their occasional hurricanes, though, and various invasive species.
Maybe someone can explain to me why you're encouraged to CATCH pythons in a pillowcase and turn them in to the state, but you're not supposed to just shoot them in the head with a .22, which would seem to be SO much simpler.
The Night Rider
Professional
That's exactly why the rule to kill them 'humanely' ... there's "No need to torture anything".
There can be only one
HayesGreener
Ronin
Yeah, but we have parasailing, tooHurricanes, well like blizzard, ice storm, earthquake, tornado, everyone has their cross to bear. Alligators in the swimming pool, "look before you leap". Hattian cannibals on the way, eh. BUT Pythons
Attachments
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
Just curious Bob, why not? They're a non-native species and the native species typically have no learned nor inherited traits to defend from them. It's been estimated the native small mammal and reptile populations along with nesting and water birds in large parts of the glades has been decimated by about 80%+. Think about that number ... 80%+! That means possums, racoons, field and roof rats, rabbits, squirrels, pigs, Bobcats, white tailed deer, small alligators, turtles, etc, and could very well wipe out the small remaining number of endangered Florida Panthers. Also turkey, quail, and just about every other ground nesting bird.
And I've recently heard the pythons are evolving and learning to climb trees to access tree nesting birds. Sadly it's not the python's fault, but they can/will eventually totally destroy, or at least badly upset the natural balance of nature in that area. We may never, and likely will never completely rid these lands of the pythons, but we can possibly get them down to a number that the Everglades can support and control. The 'Everglades/Florida Bay System' covers an estimated 1.5 - 2 million acres. That's a lot of the state to lose to a non native species. And the only thing now keeping them from areas further north is winter temps. But over time they will evolve to a state where they can tolerate the colder temperatures.
Much like the feral pigs are doing to other parts of the country ... also a non native species that is literally destroying lots of acreage across Florida's farm and ranch land. Just a note, but feral pigs will decimate any land nesting birds in an area in short order. Quail, turkeys for instance have literally no chance in an area with pigs.
I agree with you in this, that I will not arbitrarily kill a native snake like a rattler, moccasin, or any other native snake just because I run across them in the woods. Many times I've just walked around these snakes and left them alone. I generally will kill those non native species of snakes, et al: especially those so detrimental to the native ones. Again, not preaching, just curious.
bc22wm
Custom
When the Gov. starts using subjective terms like "humanely" makes the fur on my back stand up.That's exactly why the rule to kill them 'humanely' ... there's "No need to torture anything".
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
Well, I think I understand what you're trying to say, and certainly not to argue, but in this case there's little to no subjectivity to it. There are basically three permissible and well defined methods to be used to dispatch the snakes considered not only humane, but legal as well. This 'law' didn't come from the gov't per se, but from the vast majority of humanity. Jus' sayin'!
Bassbob
Emissary
Completely agree that thanks to humans there is now a huge problem with pythons in Florida. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg really. Shite like this is going on all over. People are ridiculously short sighted and stupid.
I’m not against culling numbers of anything for conservation purposes, ecological purposes or “ pest” animals. I’m just not going to be the guy doing it that’s all. If I was a Florida resident and ran across a python in the wild I would do my part and notify the proper authorities.
I came home from work one day last week and my wife tells me she saw a groundhog go in an opening under a big tree that is right on the corner of my shop, close to one of my piers. My shop is on tall piers on beams and is situated near the crest of the hill that overlooks the river. Now we’ve had groundhogs out back a long time now. We throw scrap vegetables and stuff down near where their dens are close to the river bank. Anyway, my wife tells me “ We’re going to have to kill some groundhogs before they undermine your pier”. I told her that we weren’t killing any F’ing groundhogs. Of course she wanted to argue. But like most women she is melodramatic. So I walk out back and go to the tree in question, which I am intimately familiar with. Like I already knew, there was no tunnel entrance under the large topical roots of that tree. She was adamant that she saw a groundhog go under there. I made her come out there, went to the tree and showed her there was no hole or tunnel entrance by that tree. She points to a hole in the ground about 11’ away from the tree. I just gave her a look, told her no one was killing any groundhogs and walked away. She’s been on me about getting that tree removed for awhile. She uses the excuse that since the roots are kind of uncovered as the tree is literally right on a precipice and the down hill side has exposed roots, this tree falling could take out my pier. The pier I dug 50” deep and belled out at the bottom like an elephant’s foot, used 12” Sonotube and probably used 20-30 bags of concrete on. And even if something happened to that pier ( trust me, it won’t) the worst thing that would happen is one corner of the building would be unsupported until I could repair it. This is a prebuilt building with runners under it. I only mention all this to point out that my wife is also an animal lover, but clearly also very melodramatic.
Anyway, if I don’t need to eat it or it isn’t causing some real damage, I’m not gonna kill it.
bc22wm
Custom
There's an exception to every rule. In this case for me it's snakes, even then you leave me be and I'll do the same. BUT leaving me be is a very thin line, compared to coons in the trash can, chipmunks in the bird feeder ("They got to eat to nanny"-Grandson) etc.
Bassbob
Emissary
Most people have an irrational fear of snakes. I’m not one of them. I have copperheads all over here. I don’t kill them. If they’re up by the house I relocate them. Not too many people willing to handle them. I will.
There's an exception to every rule. In this case for me it's snakes, even then you leave me be and I'll do the same. BUT leaving me be is a very thin line, compared to coons in the trash can, chipmunks in the bird feeder ("They got to eat to nanny"-Grandson) etc.
Lexie__M
Custom
The good thing about snakes, they love rodents.
Bassbob
Emissary
Indeed.
So if it's unconscious I can decapitate one............uh............right. Anyone care to expand on making a large PO'd snake unconscious in a "humane" way? LOL
The Night Rider
Professional
When I lived in Florida my home was right next to a forest. I would sit on my deck at night and hear monkeys howling in the forest because some idiot thought that monkeys made cool pets and when they found out they didn't they just let them loose in the woods.
That's how Florida got pythons too
That's how Florida got pythons too
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
Processors typically have gas chambers to put them to sleep. It makes them a whole lot easier to hold still while you're trying to hit them in the brain ...... LOL! Decapitations of big snakes can be a tedious job if that snake is determined to not let it happen and big enough, and often a bad cut is a nasty ending and anything but 'humane'.
It's really a lot more detailed than can be posted here, but I think Hayes posted back a few posts ago the state's regs regarding the pythons.
Lexie__M
Custom
What about a bullet right between them snake eyes
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I watched the series "Swamp People" (no, not the ones in DC).
They would go to Florida and live capture pythons.
They prefer the 10' and bigger with eggs. They said, a 10' can bring almost $1,000.
The guy who owns the property where they go uses ever part of the snake.
Skin, Meat, wallets, shoes, eggs, taxidermist etc.
In his case he has a hunting snake license as he makes a living from catching pythons.
jumpinjoe
Hellcat
You're mostly right on there Lexie, just remember much of what you see on that TV show is dramatized for TV. All snake hunters prefer the bigger snakes with eggs because the eggs mean you have removed far more than just the snake in hand from the ecosystem. Each of those eggs, if hatched produces one more snake to be dealt with at some point. That's why it's also a requirement to destroy any/all eggs recovered, whether in a clutch having already been laid, or still inside the female snake. Usually the eggs are burned. A female python becomes reproductively active at about 2-4 yrs old and can produce a clutch (sometimes 2 clutches) of 10-60+/- eggs every year after that for up to approximately 20-25 yrs. That's a whole lot more snakes out there to try to deal with.
I'm no longer real current on the regulations and payments, but typically the longer the snake the better the bounty when/if paid. Bounties are not always paid for various reasons, but typically are. The property owner you're referring to is named Dusty, a well know figure in the snake processing business. I don't know much about him other than that, but do know he's big into the processing of the snakes. I don't know if he serves in any official capacity or not but do believe he's a contract hunter for the state. He does make some money from catching, but his real money is in the processed goods.
The hides make many different things much like alligator skins. Wallets, purses, boots, hatbands, watch bands, etc, etc, which are all sold at retail through various gift shops etc. He's also trying to start a demand for eating the python meat. In fact in one of the recent TV episodes he had worked with a local chef/restaurant owner to try some of his fare, but the chef decided it needed a 'little something' more. The TV show indicated she had developed a 'snake dish' that might just be the ticket to turning folks on to the snake fare commercially.
I don't know how that's going to fly ... maybe after some time just getting past the mind set of it being snake! I personally have eaten snake before, some deep fried, some open fire roasted, and both ways were actually not bad. But I'm just not sure I'm ready for one of the pythons. Don't know why, they just seem a different thing to me right now. jj
I'm no longer real current on the regulations and payments, but typically the longer the snake the better the bounty when/if paid. Bounties are not always paid for various reasons, but typically are. The property owner you're referring to is named Dusty, a well know figure in the snake processing business. I don't know much about him other than that, but do know he's big into the processing of the snakes. I don't know if he serves in any official capacity or not but do believe he's a contract hunter for the state. He does make some money from catching, but his real money is in the processed goods.
The hides make many different things much like alligator skins. Wallets, purses, boots, hatbands, watch bands, etc, etc, which are all sold at retail through various gift shops etc. He's also trying to start a demand for eating the python meat. In fact in one of the recent TV episodes he had worked with a local chef/restaurant owner to try some of his fare, but the chef decided it needed a 'little something' more. The TV show indicated she had developed a 'snake dish' that might just be the ticket to turning folks on to the snake fare commercially.
I don't know how that's going to fly ... maybe after some time just getting past the mind set of it being snake! I personally have eaten snake before, some deep fried, some open fire roasted, and both ways were actually not bad. But I'm just not sure I'm ready for one of the pythons. Don't know why, they just seem a different thing to me right now. jj