In this episode of the HuntFishTravel Podcast, I sit down with Amy Siewe, better known as The Python Huntress.

Amy is a professional python hunter working on the front lines of conservation in Florida, helping remove one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. We talk about how she went from real estate broker to full-time python hunter, what it's actually like to hunt massive snakes in the wild, and why this work is so critical to protecting native wildlife in the Everglades.

We dive deep into how Burmese pythons ended up in Florida in the first place, the impact they've had on native mammals and ecosystems, what a real python hunt looks like, from spotlighting roads at night to catching snakes by hand, the largest python Amy has ever caught and a wild story to go with it, and how python hunting ties directly into scientific research and conservation.

This episode is fascinating, intense, occasionally jaw-dropping (I probably said "bananas" way too many times to count), and deeply rooted in responsible conservation. Amy's respect for wildlife and the Everglades comes through loud and clear and I walked away with a whole new understanding of just how serious the python problem really is.

Whether you're a hunter, angler, conservationist, or just someone who loves wild stories from the field, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Learn more or book a hunt: pythonhuntress.com Follow Amy's adventures: @thepythonhuntress on Instagram and @pythonhuntress on Facebook.

Timestamps:

00:00 – 01:24 – Opening intro & setting the Everglades scene

01:24 – 02:37 – Meet Amy Siewe, The Python Huntress

02:37 – 04:05 – How Amy became a professional python hunter

04:05 – 05:48 – From thrill-seeking to conservation mission

05:48 – 07:16 – How Burmese pythons invaded Florida

07:16 – 08:47 – Population explosion & lack of predators

08:47 – 10:22 – How big pythons get (and how dangerous they could be)

10:22 – 12:18 – What pythons eat & ecosystem collapse

12:18 – 14:17 – Why the Everglades are the perfect python habitat

14:17 – 15:55 – How python hunts actually work

15:55 – 16:18 – Catching pythons by hand

16:18 – 17:30 – Spotting snakes at night

17:30 – 24:46 – The 17-foot, 110-pound python story

24:46 – 26:39 – Why live capture is necessary

26:39 – 29:07 – Research, data, and working with biologists

29:07 – 30:44 – Hair-raising moments in the field

30:44 – 31:39 – Licensing, legality, and invasive species rules

31:39 – 33:29 – Ethics, conservation, and respecting wildlife

33:29 – 35:25 – Booking a hunt & following Amy online

35:25 – 36:03 – Final thoughts & wrap-up