Florida Python Hunt: People Kill Deadly Snakes With Screwdrivers, Bolt Guns

Forget Saturday morning cartoons. People in the great state of Florida are spending their weekend hunting pythons for money!

More than 800 brave souls are scouring the Florida Everglades in search of invasive Burmese pythons in a Florida tradition that dates back nearly a decade.

The annual Florida python hunt began Friday and runs through 5 p.m. Aug. 15. Why does such a thing exist?

This insane challenge includes cash prizes of up to $2,500 for those who remove the most pythons and there are additional prizes for the longest python in each category. Each python must be dead when presented and hunters could be disqualified if they kill them inhumanely.

Rick Mayo looks on as Robert Edman gives a python-catching demonstration before potential snake hunters at the start of the Python Bowl. (Getty Images)

Python Hunt Rules

Let's take a peek at the official website for some rule highlights:

Tom Rahill, founder of Swamp Apes, handles a female Burmese python at the Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale. (RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)

Biggest question here? If you were trudging through the Everglades and came upon a massive python that could kill you, how would you defend yourself? You have to kill it humanely, can't use a firearm, explosives or chemicals, and you can't set up a trap. If you do some more digging (don't worry, I did it for you), you'll find a handy guide on the best way to humanely kill these beasts. The recommended "two-step method" includes a shot to the brain with a captive bolt stunner, which knocks the python out, followed by a direct stab to the brain using "a small rod (a rigid metal tool like a screwdriver, spike or pick." Easy enough!

MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 29: Edward Mercer holds a Burmese Python during a press conference in the Florida Everglades. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Unless you're out in the wild right now reading this while on the prowl, you're probably not currently signed up for the hunt. Well, good news for you ... registration is still open! If you have an extra $25 to spare, wanna make some real money and do some good at the same time, head down to the Everglades, grab yourself a screwdriver and get to work.