By Pat Ford
With travel being pretty much extinct due to Covid, it’s been difficult to find things to do that might generate a few photos. Accordingly, when newly appointed FWC Chairman, Rodney Baretto, asked if I’d like to ride along on a python hunt in the everglades, I jumped at the chance. Pythons have been a disaster for Everglades National Park because they literally eat everything they can catch, from rabbits to alligators and even deer. The Florida Wildlife Commission and Florida’s Water Management Dept have authorized almost 100 trappers to collect pythons. They are paid minimum wage and given a bonus for ever python they catch…the longer the snake, the bigger the bonus. Rodney’s son, Brad and his neighbor, Rich Jackson joinedus and we met trappers Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis at 4 Corners and set off on our expedition into the Francis Taylor Wildlife Management
