FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With Burmese pythons infesting the Everglades, the state wildlife commission turned to a formidable force to kill them: Florida's licensed hunters.

Python hunting is increasing in popularity in South Florida and with that has come tighter rules and a more competitive pool from which contractors are selected by state agencies.

A husband and wife were on the way home from an uneventful night of python hunting in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida recently when they spotted a Burmese python and sprung into action.

Hissmas came early for these python hunters. This time, Panhandle python hunters made hissstory after corralling a nearly 200-pound serpent -- the second largest ever bagged in the state.

Although the focus has been on Burmese pythons, hunters are allowed to kill any species classified by the state as a reptile of concern, including the reticulated python, northern and southern ...