Removing Pythons in Southwest Florida: What a Private Citizen May Do

Burmese pythons are one of the few animals FWC asks the public to kill. The rules are short, and the traps are in the details.

The core rules

FWC states the following (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026):

• Burmese pythons must be humanely killed onsite at the time of capture. Live transport is not allowed.
• On private land, nonnative reptiles like Burmese pythons can be humanely killed at any time with landowner permission. No permit is required, and there is no bag limit.
• FWC encourages people to capture and humanely kill pythons from private lands whenever possible.
• Observations can be reported to the Exotic Species Hotline: 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681).

Humane killing methods are covered on a separate FWC page that I did not read. Read it. “Humane” has a definition, and FWC publishes it.

Public land: the 32 areas

Under Executive Order 23-16, nonnative reptiles including pythons may be humanely killed at any time throughout the year on 32 Commission-managed lands, and no permit or hunting license is required (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026). All provisions of the order and all area rules must still be followed, and there is no bag limit.

FWC’s list of 32 includes areas relevant to Southwest Florida:

• Big Cypress WMA
• Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb WMA and its Yucca Pens Unit
• Dinner Island Ranch WMA
• Picayune Strand WMA
• Okaloacoochee Slough WMA
• CREW WEA
• Fisheating Creek WMA
• Orange Hammock WMA
• Myakka State Forest PSGHA

I am not asserting which county each area is in, except what FWC says elsewhere. Big Cypress spans parts of Collier, Dade and Monroe counties, Dinner Island is in Hendry County, and Babcock/Webb is near Punta Gorda. FWC has an interactive map and online brochures for all 32.

The word “all area rules” matters. A python hunter on a WMA is still on a WMA. Hunt days, closures, vehicle rules and the ORV restrictions at Babcock/Webb still apply, and the Big Cypress preserve has its own ORV permit requirement (see our posts on each).

Money

FWC does not offer compensation for pythons except to contracted members of the PATRIC program and winners during the Florida Python Challenge (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026). PATRIC, the Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors, is administered through contractors and pays qualified people to remove pythons from public lands. FWC says as of April 2025, over 23,500 pythons have been removed from natural areas in Florida, and over 11,000 of those by FWC PATRIC and SFWMD contractors.

To apply, FWC says to submit an online application, with preference for Florida residents and for qualified veterans. Experience can come from the Florida Python Challenge or hunting year-round on the 32 lands.

Nuisance wildlife, briefly

This is not a nuisance wildlife guide. Two points FWC does state:

• For an alligator problem, call the toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline, 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). FWC says it will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper (FWC, retrieved Oct. 1, 2026). FWC’s guidance is to call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline rather than handle it yourself.
• Pythons are the exception because they are nonnative. Native animals are different, and I did not research what a homeowner may do with raccoons, bobcats or other native wildlife.

What I did not verify

I did not check county-level or city ordinances, which can limit firearms or hunting regardless of FWC rules, and I did not verify firearm laws for taking a python. FWC’s pages describe humane killing as the standard and do not give a method list. If your property is in a city, or in a community with an HOA, ask first.