Writer: Nicholas Karsen
•7/7/2026
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) — Hunters are gathering throughout the state as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gears up for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.
Starting Tuesday, hunters can register for the annual event, which aims to help curate the Florida ecosystem by addressing the invasive Burmese python.
WINK News covered the 2025 Florida Python Challenge winner, Taylor Stanberry, a Naples resident who became the first woman to win 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.
In early June, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida announced its Burmese python research and removal season results, stating that its biologists removed an impressive 177 invasive pythons, weighing a combined 8,080 pounds.
“This was our first four-ton removal season. Our tagged scout snakes helped us locate large breeding snakes deep in the landscape before they had a chance to lay eggs,” said Ian Bartoszek, Wildlife Biologist and Conservancy Science Project Manager, who pioneered the nonprofit's python program. “These science-based management efforts are suppressing local python reproduction. With continued pressure, we hope to see these removal numbers decline over time.”
The python removal competition begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 10, and ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026. To register, click here.
