Python hunter shares dramatic details about capturing 198-pound snake, calling it a 'battle'
Note to readers: The News-Press and Naples Daily News interviewed python hunter and Charlotte County resident Mike Elfenbein to find out more about the dramatic capture of a 198-pound Burmese python on Nov. 3 in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee. Elfenbein, his son, Cole, and Trey Barber, Carter Gavlock and Holden Hunter teamed up to catch the snake, which goes in the record books as the second heaviest Burmese python caught in Florida, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. It measured 17 feet, 2 inches long.
How long have you been hunting Burmese pythons?
ELFENBEIN: I’ve been hunting pythons recreationally since Covid in 2020.
What were the conditions like on Nov. 3 when you caught this python?
ELFENBEIN: It was right at sunset (around 7:30 p.m.), and the temperature was cooling down.
More: Massive python weighs in at almost 200 pounds and is second heaviest caught in Florida
Can you pinpoint where you were in the Big Cypress Preserve?
ELFENBEIN: Turner River.
Is the preserve you go-to place for hunting pythons? Anywhere else?
ELFENBEIN: I’ve hunted pythons throughout the greater Everglades. I’ve also begun searching for them in Charlotte County, where we are identifying pythons as a breeding population.
How many pythons have you captured?
ELFENBEIN: Honestly, I haven’t counted, maybe a dozen. My largest one until this one was, 10 feet, 4 inches. I had caught a hatchling near this one the week prior.
Who spotted this snake first? You, someone else in the group?
ELFENBEIN: We happened upon the snake at the same time as another group. The first person to our hands on the snake was Carter Gavlock. He struggled to gain control of her and so it took five of us. Myself, my son, Cole Elfenbein. Carter, Holden Hunter, Trey Barber.
What was your reaction when you first saw this snake? Did you know right away it was different?
ELFENBEIN: When we first saw it in the road we thought it was a large alligator. We didn’t equate anything that size as being a snake until we got closer.
Can you describe how capturing the snake went down, how you and the group wrangled it?
ELFENBEIN: Yes, it took five of us 45 minutes. My son had it by the tail, I had it by the head. We stretched it across the road and Carter, Trey and Holden jumped on in it in the middle. At first the snake wanted to get away. There was a moment where she changed her mind and decided she had enough. She turned and came at us ready to strike. That’s when I grabbed her by the head and the battle was on.
Note to readers: The snake was identified as a female after it was cut open and egg follicles were found in.
What was it like to be out there with you son, Cole?
ELFENBEIN: I make an effort to include my family in all of my outdoor activities. Not only does it help them be better people, but it creates a connection between them and the natural world. Ensuring that long after I’m gone my children will continue to prioritize conservation efforts in Florida. Cole has been with me for other python captures, but never anything this large. He always asked me when we’re going to find the big one. He doesn’t have to ask anymore.
How did you transport the snake from the preserve to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida where it was examined, weighed and measures?
ELFENBEIN: I called (Python Huntress) Amy Siewe to help us dispatch the snake, she took it to Ian Bartoszek at Conservancy
More: 28 of the best Burmese python photos from our archives
You called Amy Siewe to come and kill it? She was able to get to your location in a reasonable amount of time?
ELFENBEIN: Amy was out the door before I finished telling her what was going on. She got to us with a sense of urgency, much faster than I expected.
And Amy used a captive bolt gun to kill the snake?
ELFENBEIN: Amy is very much a lover of serpents. You could tell it pains her to kill them, but she understands the necessity. She loaded the captive bolt gun, counted to three, pulled the trigger, just like that it was all over.
Do you hunt pythons because of your concern about what they are doing to the environment?
ELFENBEIN: I hunt pythons because I enjoy being in the environment and it gives me an opportunity to further my personal and professional conservation mission.
I have never caught a python and there are lots of other people in this category. If there was such a thing as a python playbook, what would it say on how to catch a giant snake like this?
ELFENBEIN: I’m not a professional, but I focus on the head. Grabbing them behind the head keeps you from getting bit and gain control of it faster. Also, most important part is to steer clear of the stinky stuff that comes out the tail end.
What else do you think is important for our readers to know?
ELFENBEIN: It’s important that your readers know that the National Park Service is proposing wilderness designations for portions of Big Cypress. These wilderness designation might work in the western states where they are implemented, but not here. Big Cypress is inundated with exotic plants and animals. The agencies already struggle to keep up with the challenges of managing them. We are proposing to make significant changes to Big Cypress National Preserve, including the western Everglades restoration project (WERP), of which we are told it is to help better manage the resource. FWC emphasized its strong opposition to wilderness designation, citing its potential to hinder natural resource management, control of invasive species, and maintenance of native fish and wildlife habitats. FWC also highlighted concerns about restrictions on public access and the need for flexibility in land management. These two things are not compatible.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Burmese python hunter shares details on 198-pound catch in Florida