2026 Florida Python Challenge set to begin, hunters primed for action

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (WINK) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is set to announce the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

The annual event provides enthusiastic hunters with an opportunity to help curate the Florida ecosystem by addressing the invasive Burmese python.

Officials from the FWC and the South Florida Water Management District will officially announce this year’s hunt at S-356 Pump Station along U.S. Highway 41 (SW 8th St.), west of Krome Ave in Homestead, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19.

For those interested in attending the event, the location is off Tamiami Trail, just west of Krome Avenue on the north side of the road. It is approximately 1.3 miles west of the Miccosukee Resort, located at 500 SW 177th Avenue in Miami. Attendees are asked to follow the District signage. 

Following the event at 10 a.m., members of the media may observe a biologist conduct a safe capture demonstration using a live Burmese python. 

WINK News covered the 2025 Florida Python Challenge winner, Taylor Stanberry, a Naples resident who became the first female winner since the challenge's inception.

Stanberry shared her excitement about the win, attributing her success to a decade of experience in Python hunting. For her, the 10-day Florida Python Challenge was simply an extension of her work in the Everglades. In total, Stanberry bagged 60 pythons.

Additional prizes can be claimed for different categories, which include the most pythons claimed and the longest python captured. The event divides participants into three categories: professional, novice, and military. 

For more information on the Florida Python Challenge, click here.