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A few weeks ago Taylor Stanberry, the defending champion of Florida's 10-day Python Challenge, wasn't sure if she was going to defend her title in this year's competition.
The challenge started July 10 and will run through July 19, with competitors turning in their caught pythons each day of the competition.
And six days into the 2026 competition, which Stanberry eventually decided to enter, she's saying the same thing about next year as she is reminded of the exhaustion caused by the competition.
The most challenging part has been the severe weather during much of the first half of the competition.
"Last year during the challenge, I want to say it rained some nights. It rained in the afternoon, but then it was dry at night and warm," she said.
Stanberry said hunters are not allowed to talk about numbers or catches until after a winner is announced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District.
"Otherwise you'll get disqualified," Stanberry said.
Weather impacting hunters during 2026 Florida Python Challenge
This year, the weather has been much less temperate. "It seems like a tropical storm, and the weather is going down to like 72 degrees," she said. "I will say the weather's making it harder."
Snakes move less in the colder weather which has made finding them more difficult this year, and the weather has also made hunting techniques, like by boat, more difficult and impossible on some nights, leaving a lot of python hotspots unhunted.
"Last year, I went boating to Tree Islands, but it's been raining and lightning every night," Stanberry said. "So, I honestly haven't been able to take the boat out."
Instead, she said, she's been relying more on road cruising, which is the easiest mode of transportation during the challenge, along with e-biking.
But, with every other competitor having the same idea, the roads can get busy near the python hunting areas. Stanberry has been starting later and staying out later to avoid peak hours.
"A lot of people seem to get pretty tired and die out by like 2 a.m.," she said, noticing the roads are pretty clear during the later morning hours. "There's a huge rush between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., so we're going from midnight to six in the morning."
However, after almost a week of doing that every night, it can get overwhelming, even for someone, like Stanberry, who hunts for pythons for a living, most nights year round.
"I don't know if I'm going to enter next year. It's quite crazy out there, and I'm quite exhausted," she said. "I know I do this on an everyday basis, but it's just that extra mile that I'm going during these 10 days."
However, for a lot of competitors, a chance at the $10,000 prize pot brings them back each year.
Last year, Stanberry funneled the prize money into her exotic animal sanctuary, and she will do the same this year if she wins again, as long as there is money left over after paying for gas and car repairs needed after the competition.
"I feel like we're just going to put a lot of the money back into the gas, and we need new tires now because we're running that car like crazy," she said. "But, obviously, any amount of money is going to go to the animal sanctuary because any extra money for that is really what I need."
You can reach Naples Daily News reporter Alexa Ryan by emailing [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @alexaryanreports or X @AlexaRyan_.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Defending python challenge champ facing exhaustion, weather hurdles
