One of the beautiful things about being a guide is that you get to help people create memories, and if those memories are special enough they become a story, and if you’re really blessed, those stories contain a lesson. This is all three…
The night before a hunt always has a routine. To keep everything smooth and orderly you need to have all your ducks in a row and since I offer many different hunts, equipment has to be changed and transferred so we have everything we need. One of the constants the night before is to contact the customer, arrange the time and place to meet up and address any questions and concerns. I checked the calendar and saw the was a python hunt on the books for two people. I made the call and introduced myself, clarified there were two for the hunt and arranged the time and place to meet up. Morning came, the boat was loaded and fueled up and off I went. I have almost a two hour drive to the Everglades so there is plenty of time to game plan. Weather is evaluated, a route is decided upon, and scenarios are replayed in my head over and over.
As luck would have it, it wasn’t the best of python hunting days. It was cool and cloudy. Pythons don’t like anything much under 80 degrees, so the weather wasn’t in our favor. Having a sunny day often overcomes the temperature as the snakes like to sunbathe to warm their bodies. That wasn’t in the forecast either…
Now a python hunt is a trophy hunt, or in other words success is limited so I pray for perfect conditions to help overcome the odds. This day wasn’t off to the best start and when I met up with the customer I wanted to prepare them for the conditions and how it tilted the odds in the snake’s favor. When my customers arrived I could see something else was afoot. There was only one person.
John was a young man, maybe in his thirties and like most every python hunter didn’t have a clue. This is a first time experience for almost everyone I host, so that wasn’t unusual. I smiled and asked the obvious, “where was our other hunter?” John smiled back and explained it was a trip for him and his dad and the idea was his dad’s to hunt the Everglades and capture a python, but dad wouldn’t be joining us today. Dad was battling cancer and had taken a turn for the worse. He just wasn’t healthy enough to be involved but insisted his son go and live the experience so dad could experience it vicariously through him. John wanted to cancel as he wasn’t as enthusiastic as his dad about engaging with a large snake, but a son’s love motivated him to follow through.
We loaded the boat and set out into the marsh. John and I discussed the game plan if we encountered a python, what to look for, and who would do what when the time came. Then I explained the odds, which seemed to relieve John’s troubled look. He wasn’t as excited to face a snake as you might think, so the understanding this doesn’t happen everyday and the weather not being in our favor eased his anxiety.
We traveled the canals and stopped often to search the brush. It was breeding season so that was in our favor, but alas the day went as predicted and it didn’t seem to be in the cards to rid the Everglades of yet one more unwanted inhabitant. The weather did improve and the sun peaked through. I was getting ready to head back to the boat ramp when intuition/compassion kicked in, one more land walkabout, I need to make this happen. I found a gator slide which provided a clear path to negotiate the bank and beached the boat. All tied up we set out and explored the spoil for our prey. John lagged behind, his enthusiasm was waning, and there it was! Back in the wood, in the shade of all things, (pythons usually seek sunshine on cool days), was a huge 12 foot python! John kept his distance as I dispatched the snake, but overcame his fears as the snake was rendered harmless. We had success and achieved what most people can only dream about, and for all the right reasons! The Kodak moments abound and there was no shortage of smiles. We were both relieved and fulfilled at the same time, John had his story to relive and his dad’s dream was fulfilled. It was just what the doctor ordered~
The memory was created, all three of us have a story to tell, and a lesson learned. To this day I believe that success was because our mission was for all the right reasons and God smiled upon and rewarded our effort. It pays to do that little bit extra, the results are predictable if you don’t and even under suspect conditions success is possible.
I smile and often pray for John and his dad. I hope God granted favor on his dad’s recovery like he did our adventure. I was blessed to have a part in their story and I tell it often. Come make a memory with me, create a story and God willing maybe we will both take away a lesson. Be safe!
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