Joe Rogan Experience #2020 - Python Cowboy

Narrator 0:00 (drumming music) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

0:04 The Joe Rogan Experience.

Joe Rogan 0:06 Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. (rock music) Yeehaw.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 0:13 Am I wearing these?

Joe Rogan 0:14 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 0:15 Okay.

Joe Rogan 0:15 Wear 'em. You feel weird?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 0:16 No, I'm just ...

Joe Rogan 0:17 Have you done a podcast before?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 0:18 I have. Uh, not quite to this level, I don't think, but ...

Joe Rogan 0:22 Uh, how did you get ... first of all, how bad is the python and invasive species situation in Florida?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 0:29 It, it is bad. It's definitely bad. You know, you, you have these TV shows that make especially the python thing seem like it's a lot worse than it is. Um, you know, or a lot easier than it is, I should say. It's a bad situation. We have our native wildlife being wiped out. But it's not like you're just gonna go out there and you're tripping over pythons, you know? It, it's not the case. Uh, I search very, very hard to find them.

Joe Rogan 0:58 There was an estimate of 500,000 pythons in the Everglades.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04 C- could be more. Um, I personally think there's less.

Joe Rogan 1:07 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08 Uh, I do, I do. We don't really know what's out there. Uh, the estimates have been 100,000 all the way up to 3,000,000.

Joe Rogan 1:16 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17 And-

Joe Rogan 1:17 How do they estimate?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:19 That's the thing. They're just going off of captures, really, and the decline of native wildlife, which there's other factors at play when it comes to the decline of our native wildlife. Obviously, pythons are eating up our native wildlife in the Everglades without a doubt. Uh, there is a lot of evidence of that. But our Everglades is a struggling place as it is right now between the water management, the overpopulation of our state. We have a growing panther population that we're looking like we're having trouble sustaining. And, um, all-

Joe Rogan 1:55 Sustaining? How so?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:56 Uh, well, we see a lot of depredation in Collier and Henry County, um, from-

Joe Rogan 2:01 And when you mean depredation, you mean attacking wildlife?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:04 Uh, a- attacking not so much wildlife, but p-

Joe Rogan 2:06 Uh, excuse me. Um-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:07 ... pets and livestock.

Joe Rogan 2:08 Livestock.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:09 Yes, sir.

Joe Rogan 2:09 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:09 Um, a- and we just see that there's more panthers than we're accounting for, uh, just from, uh, vehicular deaths.

Joe Rogan 2:19 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:19 So if, if the current panther numbers were accurate, uh, f- over 30% of the panther population dies every year just from motor vehicles. And, you know, that, that doesn't really seem right if y- if you think about that. There's no way a third of the population dies every year from motor vehicles and is continuing to grow and they're just not that stupid, you know what I mean?

Joe Rogan 2:44 So i- it's s- sort of an uncalculated, they haven't calculated it correctly, but you think there's more of them?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:51 Well-

Joe Rogan 2:51 There's quite a lot of sightings, right?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 2:53 The, um ... so the sightings are rare, but that's just because it's a very elusive animal, um, and they're out in the middle of the Everglades.

Joe Rogan 2:59 I've seen, like, more photos of them th-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:01 Oh, uh-

Joe Rogan 3:01 ... over the last few years-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:02 We, we-

Joe Rogan 3:02 ... than I've ever seen before.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:03 ... we've had attacks. Um-

Joe Rogan 3:05 Oh, really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:05 Oh, yeah. We, we've had, um, I believe a couple, uh, in the past f- few years each year, um, where people are out turkey hunting or, or, you know-

Joe Rogan 3:16 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:16 ... sitting on the ground calling for a turkey, calling for a coyote, something like that, and a bob- or a coyote c- or I'm sorry, a panther comes in and I think some guy got mauled on his face or something like that, you know? It's pretty wild. Of course the animal realizes what's happening and gets outta there.

Joe Rogan 3:33 But he still gets attacked.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:34 But he still gets attacked. Me personally, um, just from python hunting down there over the years, I've seen a dozen or more of 'em. Um, I've been sleeping in my tent in the middle of the night out in the Everglades and I'm woken up by a panther growling right next to my head outside my tent-

Joe Rogan 3:50 (sighs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:51 ... circling my tent for about 15 minutes.

Joe Rogan 3:54 Oh, Jesus.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:55 And, uh-

Joe Rogan 3:55 Shotgun in the tent?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 3:56 I did. I had a shotgun in the tent. Um, I also had a, uh, baby raccoon I rescued in the tent with me.

Joe Rogan 4:04 Oh, whoa.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:05 That I think may have been, you know, a, a reason he was stalking me a little bit. And I pop outta my tent, eh, with my shotgun and my flashlight. I thought it was a big bull gator just from the sound. I've never heard a panther growling inches from my head.

Joe Rogan 4:21 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:22 And dude, it is bone-chilling, bone-chilling.

Joe Rogan 4:26 (inhales deeply) Oh, my gosh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:28 Um, it, it was so deep and, like, just devilish sounding. I thought it was a big bull gator. It's the only thing I could think it was. And it would be on this side of the tent right next to my head. Then it was on the other side of the tent. Back on this ... no footsteps in between. I'm like, "What is go-" I'm like, "Am I sur-"

Joe Rogan 4:46 You don't hear anything?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:46 Nothing. I'm like, "Am I surrounded by alligators? Like, what's going on?"

Joe Rogan 4:50 Oh, my gosh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:51 I pop outta my tent and nothing's there. Nothing. Not a thing.

Joe Rogan 4:56 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 4:56 So only thing it could've been is, is a Florida panther. Maybe, maybe two of 'em. I don't know.

Joe Rogan 5:01 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:02 Yep.

Joe Rogan 5:02 That's so creepy that they can sneak around and not make any sound at all.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:07 Well, makes me think how many times did I have one right next to me and-

Joe Rogan 5:10 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:10 ... I had no idea, you know?

Joe Rogan 5:11 I saw one in Montana two years ago ... excuse me, in Utah two years ago and it freaked me out. And I was in a truck 30 yards from it. My friend Colton goes, "A cat." I go, "Where?" He goes under the tree and I look and I see the glowing eyes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:26 Yep. And it's-

Joe Rogan 5:27 'Cause it was dusk. And then I put my binos on him and I was, you know, maybe 30 yards away and its fucking head was like a pumpkin.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:35 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 5:36 It was a big male. Like, I've seen-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:37 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 5:37 ... cats before. I've seen small ones. Like I saw one in Montecito, California and it was, like, you know, like 50, 60 pounds. Almost l- I thought it was a coyote-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:45 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 5:45 ... 'til I saw the tail and I was like, "Oh shit, that's a cat."

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:48 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 5:49 But this one was different. This one had massive forearms.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:53 Well-

Joe Rogan 5:53 I mean, just massive. It was just sitting there-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:56 And-

Joe Rogan 5:56 ... with this pumpkin head.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 5:57 And that's it. The, the mountain lions are, uh, uh, different m- you know, they're not a different species or breed, but they're different structu- you know, physically-

Joe Rogan 6:07 Structurally.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:07 ... than our Florida panther, but not anymore.

Joe Rogan 6:10 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:10 So the, the (laughs) our state government in all their wisdom took Texas cougars, brought them down to Florida, and interbred them with the last few remaining Florida panthers we have.

Joe Rogan 6:24 Oh, no.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:25 So they're no longer a Florida panther. They're now Texas cougars and they are bigger, they are more aggressive.... and, you know, we're- we're dealing with it, for sure.

Joe Rogan 6:34 What a stupid move.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:36 Yup. We've seen that, uh, it's the cane toads.

Joe Rogan 6:40 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:40 Cane toads in the sh- sugar cane fields, uh, the bufu toads that we're dealing with now, same thing. They brought them in to control insects in the, in the fields, and they winded up eating everything but the insects, basically, and now they're a big problem. Uh, if you look at the-

Joe Rogan 6:56 Aren't those the kind of toads that eat rats?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 6:59 Yeah, they're- they're, um, they're venomous, actually. They're- they're toxic. Uh, they're- they produce a- a toxin from them, and some people try to get high...

Joe Rogan 7:09 Oh, those are the guys-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 7:09 ... from 'em, and yeah.

Joe Rogan 7:09 Those are the people that, like, they cut themselves and put the toxin on their arm, I think?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 7:13 Yes, sir. Or they'll smoke the skin or smoke the dry toxin.

Joe Rogan 7:17 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 7:17 Yeah. I don't know how- how effective it is, but, uh-

Joe Rogan 7:19 What is the- what is bufo? What is the actual chemical compound? It's like there's a word, like bufonamine or something.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 7:27 I wanna say one- one of the toads, it's similar to DMT.

Joe Rogan 7:31 Okay, that's 5-methoxydimethyltryptamine. That comes from some toads. Is that the bufo toad, though?

Narrator 7:39 Bufagin or something.

Joe Rogan 7:39 Here it goes. Uh, buf- bufagin is a toxic steroid obtained from the toad's milk, the poisonous secretion of the skin gland in the back of the neck of a large toad. Um...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 7:51 Yeah, the cane toad.

Joe Rogan 7:53 ... le, le, le, le, le. Cane toad. The toad produces this secretion when it is injured, scared, or provoked. And what does the toxin do? Why do people wanna... That's what... Oh, that's like a real poison...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:03 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 8:03 ... that gives you, like, some crazy visions or something. But that's not... I don't think... That's not the same one as the one that produces, uh, dimethyltryptamine.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:12 Yeah, it- it- it may not be. It's definitely not some, uh, toad, I would suggest... (laughs)

Joe Rogan 8:18 Just-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:18 Trying to get high off.

Joe Rogan 8:19 ... fine.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:19 I think you'd get more sick than anything.

Joe Rogan 8:20 What about just Google, uh, getting high off cane toads? Yeah. Toad venom addiction and abuse.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:32 Oh, my gosh.

Joe Rogan 8:33 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:33 Typically cane...

Joe Rogan 8:34 People have fucking toad venom addictions. Licking toads, particularly cane... Oh, you can lick 'em.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:39 Oh, lord.

Joe Rogan 8:39 Can be dangerous, however. It may cause muscle weakness, rapid heart rate, and vomiting.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:44 Well, it-

Joe Rogan 8:45 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:45 It's... So, I used to have a dog.

Joe Rogan 8:49 This is right there. My dog is getting high on cane toads. Should I be worried?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:54 They love it. They love it. You know...

Joe Rogan 8:55 That's hilarious.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 8:55 A dog- a dog can die from it, um, very easily. It's a big risk. Smaller, smaller dogs especially. But I used to have a dog that would search them out, chew them up, and just sit there and trip balls all day long.

Joe Rogan 9:07 Okay, this is saying that it does secrete, um, synthetic 5-methoxy DMT.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:13 That- that's what I heard. It was similar to it.

Joe Rogan 9:15 Ah. Okay, so the cane toad is the one they use for that. I've heard of people doing that. What they've done is they take the toad, and they rub the toad on a windshield, and they get...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:27 Dry.

Joe Rogan 9:27 ... all of it out, and then they scrape that stuff off of the windshield, and they smoke that.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:32 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 9:32 I'm like, "Jesus Louise-us." (laughs) That just seems so degenerate.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:38 Yeah, it- it's... That's rough. That's rough.

Joe Rogan 9:39 It seems so degenerate. Mike Tyson said he died after smoking psychedelic toad venom. Okay.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:45 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 9:46 He calls it the toad. A lot of dudes call it the toad.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:49 Uh.

Joe Rogan 9:50 Yeah, I've never done that one. I mean, I've done the synthetic version of it, but I've never done the...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 9:54 Well, what was that like?

Joe Rogan 9:56 It's like... It does feel like you died. It feels like you cease to exist. It's the only experience I've ever had where you cease to exist. When you take regular DMT, you're still there. You're still experiencing it. When you take that 5-methoxy, like, you go away, and you think like, "Oh, no, I fucked up." Like, you really think you're gone.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:12 So, the natural's the way to do it?

Joe Rogan 10:15 Well, that's... I think that's natural too. I think your body produces that as well.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:18 Okay.

Joe Rogan 10:19 They're- they're all just... All the really potent ones, uh, they seem to have something to do with human neurochemistry, like your brain makes all of 'em.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:26 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 10:27 Like, that's crazy as-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:28 Very interesting.

Joe Rogan 10:29 Yeah, it's very interesting. But it's just crazy these fucking people have addictions.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:32 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 10:32 There's, there's an addiction center to licking toads. I didn't think it would work if you just licked it. I thought you had to smoke it, but...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:37 I- I wouldn't think so either, but...

Joe Rogan 10:39 Hey, these kids today, they find a way.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:42 That's it.

Joe Rogan 10:42 They- they huff paint. They do whatever the fuck... (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:44 Where there's a will, there's a way.

Joe Rogan 10:45 Especially where you live, bro.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:47 Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 10:47 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:48 Especially where I live.

Joe Rogan 10:49 I mean, that's the one state where you could say the state and then a man. Everybody goes, "Oh." FloridaMan.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:55 Oh, yeah. And we're very proud of that. We're very proud of that.

Joe Rogan 10:58 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 10:58 Yes, sir.

Joe Rogan 10:59 There's so many Instagram pages and Twitter pages dedicated to people in Florida doing crazy shit.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:05 Yeah, yeah. I think I've been FloridaMan a few times.

Joe Rogan 11:07 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:08 Yeah. Add that to my belt.

Joe Rogan 11:10 How did you get involved in honey pythons? First of all, could you bring that python head up?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:15 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 11:15 Let me see that python head. I need to see 'cause I-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:17 So- so, this is-

Joe Rogan 11:18 ... purposely didn't look.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:19 This is actually the one that bit me that...

Joe Rogan 11:22 Oh, god.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:23 I almost bled out in the middle of the Everglades. Caught by myself in the middle of the Everglades.

Joe Rogan 11:27 Oh, my god, dude.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:28 And-

Joe Rogan 11:29 That- that bit you?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:30 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 11:30 Oh, man.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:30 And this snake, 17 foot 7 inches...

Joe Rogan 11:32 (gasps)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:33 135 pounds. And that's no eggs inside of it, no meal inside of it. That's solid snake muscle. And at the time, that's about what I weighed. So, it was a fair Everglades battle royale.

Joe Rogan 11:48 Oh, my god. Can I see it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:50 Yeah, absolutely.

Joe Rogan 11:51 Now, tell me the scenario. What happened?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:54 So, um, I was...

Joe Rogan 11:56 The mouth on this thing, Jake.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 11:57 Yeah, look at all those teeth.

Joe Rogan 11:58 Look at that. It's insane.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 12:00 Yup. And- and the head actually has shrunk substantially from the freeze-drying process. Uh, AllCritters freeze-dried that for me, and, uh, you know, it takes all the moisture out of it...

Joe Rogan 12:13 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 12:13 And really- really shrinks down. Um, so I was out hunting the Everglades. Um, I was actually out in my 14-foot Jon boat, um, by myself, and I was checking, uh, spoil islands out there. These islands were dug maybe 100 years ago or more, um, when they dug the canal. They were made 100 years ago when they were digging the canal. And they've been up there...... you know, uh, gain and vegetation, getting real nasty, and a lot of these critters come up on them to breed, to feed, and to nest. And, um, I was out there looking for, you know, a, a python like I normally do, and I came across her. Um, I knew immediately when I saw her that she was very large, possibly the largest python I've captured. And I could only see the, um, the back half of her, maybe, like, the back third of her, but I could tell she was a monster. My heart is pounding. Uh, I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't. But, you know, my main fear in a situation like that is not that this snake's gonna kill me. I'm confident in how to handle these animals, uh, confident in, in my ability. But I'm worried this thing is gonna get the best of me, overpower me, and possibly I lose it. Um, it gets away into the swamp to eat more of our native wildlife. Coming across an animal like this, even with the situation we're in in the Everglades, is still a once-in-a-lifetime, you know, opportunity. It really is. Uh, I've caught a number of them, but I, I spend a lot of time out there. So, I'm getting ready to capture this, this snake, building myself up to it. Uh, the safest way to go about it is to find the head, grab the head with both my hands, and keep her from coiling on me, wrapping around me. Uh, I can't find her head. Her head's buried in vegetation, buried in, in the maiden cane. I just can't see it, and she's working her way slowly off the island. So, I know I gotta quickly do something. I'm afraid if I, if I get closer to her head I'm gonna spook her and she's gonna try to start moving away. I grab onto her tail and this is kind of a bad situation to be in, especially with all the thick vegetation. These snakes can easily overpower you and will actually drag you out into the swamp, y- there's just no stopping it. It, it intertwines in all the weeds and just drags you. (exhales) So, I know grabbing this thing, my goal is to piss it off and get it to start striking at me where I can see that head and grab ahold of that head.

Joe Rogan 14:57 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 14:57 Otherwise, this thing's, this thing's gone.

Joe Rogan 15:00 (exhales) Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:01 So, I get ahold of it and it starts dragging me. It's pulling me off the island. I-

Joe Rogan 15:07 So, is it wrapped around you? Are you just hanging on?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:09 No, no, no, no, no. It's, it's stretched out and-

Joe Rogan 15:11 But you're hanging on?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:12 I'm hanging onto it. Yeah, it's-

Joe Rogan 15:13 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:13 ... it's the, uh, this thing's eaten alligators, eaten deer. It's the biggest thing out here. It's not worried about nothing. It's not scared of me, you know what I mean? It's, it's kind of seeing what I'm doing. So, I got ahold of it and it's starting to-

Joe Rogan 15:26 Are you wearing gloves?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:27 No.

Joe Rogan 15:28 How are you able to really grab it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:31 If I had gloves on, I wouldn't be able to grab it. I, I need my bare hands to be able to work and, and feel everything, have the grip. Um, gloves, gloves will just get in the way.

Joe Rogan 15:41 Even something with, like, a texture to it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:43 I don't want any of that.

Joe Rogan 15:44 Okay.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 15:44 I don't want any of that. They just get in the way. Um, so, I got the snake dragging me out and in the swamp, uh, you know, losing this battle. I'm able to dig my heels down and into the limestone that I'm standing on, the limestone island, and I'm able to, to, to stop her. I'm not gaining on her, but I got her stopped and we're kind of in this Everglades tug-of-war right now. And she starts to get pissed off. She starts hissing, she starts turning around on me, and this, this is what I want. But, I gotta (laughs) not get bit, you know what I mean?

Joe Rogan 16:19 Holy fuck.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 16:20 Um, a snake this size, to my advantage, they're, they're slower than a smaller snake. They have a lot of body mass. They're gonna tire out quickly, and, uh, her strikes aren't gonna be lightning fast. So, she's striking at me, I'm dodging her strikes. Every-

Joe Rogan 16:37 Oh, my God. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 16:38 Everything's going good. Everything-

Joe Rogan 16:40 You Floyd Mayweather out there. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 16:43 (laughs) Yeah. Doing a little duck and weave. Everything's going good. Um, normally when a strike, uh, when a snake strikes, it's gonna strike out, recoil back, get ready, strike again, recoil back. That's how they strike. That's how they get that power. They kind of, like, recoil their body. So, it's, it struck, I dodged it, it recoils back, like, a third of the way and hits me with this little sneak attack strike that I wasn't expecting. This snake is wh- anywhere from 10 to 20 years or more old, so it's been around the block. It's a smart snake, and, um, you know, snakes don't normally do that. I think she, she kind of knew what she was doing. She struck, she got me on my arm, got an artery, got some veins coming off my artery.

Joe Rogan 17:32 (exhales)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 17:33 And, uh, that, that doesn't do it justice at all. Um, their, their teeth are all, they're punctures. So, uh, you know, they're like needles, so they puncture down deep, but-

Joe Rogan 17:43 You can see them here. They're fucking crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 17:43 ... you can see that top one gets right into my main vein, and the real bad one was on the top of my arm that you can't see, where it's on this... I think it's an artery, I may be wrong, coming, coming, uh, on the top of my arm. And I got very lucky. Uh, normally w- when they bite, they, they latch on, and she woulda latched on, she woulda wrapped around me, and, you know, I would've been in a very, very bad situation being out there by myself.

Joe Rogan 18:13 (exhales)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 18:13 Thank the good Lord, I, I had him on my side that day. Um, she struck, she bit, I was able to grab her head, and I don't know if it's how I pushed it forward and pulled her off, or what, 'cause all their teeth are recurved like, like fish hooks almost, kinda. Got her right off of me. Grabbed her head, pushed her off of me. She didn't latch on. She was trying to bite again. Maybe, maybe that's, she didn't think she had a good bite and she was trying to re-grip, but I got lucky. N- now I have her head. I'm bit, I'm spraying blood.

Joe Rogan 18:46 (exhales)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 18:47 ... all over the Everglades, but I, I have her head. So now, now my main thing is controlling her without exerting myself too much, 'cause every time I'm, I'm doing anything, I mean, it's, it's... I've never seen blood come out of my body like this, you know-

Joe Rogan 19:04 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 19:04 ... really. Um, my heart's pounding, adrenaline's going, and, uh, my main thing is just to stay calm. I, I don't think I'm necessarily gonna bleed to death. I mean, the, the amount of blood I'm seeing, it crossed my mind, but, but I really don't think I'm gonna bleed to death. I'm worried about blacking out from blood loss-

Joe Rogan 19:25 Oh, yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 19:26 ... the heat-

Joe Rogan 19:26 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 19:26 ... exer- exerting myself. What's this snake gonna do if I black out? It's gonna wrap around me. It's gonna kill me.

Joe Rogan 19:33 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 19:33 100%.

Joe Rogan 19:34 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 19:35 Um, you know, I don't think it'd necessarily be able to swallow me and eat me, maybe, uh, but it could definitely kill me. So, I'm really trying to control my heart rate- heart rate, trying not to exert myself. Um, the snake's biting at me, you know, going nuts. Uh, you can see the video on my YouTube of where I'm just covered in blood. And, um, I have a snake bag with me to put whatever snake I was planning on catching in the bag. This snake is way too big for that bag. So I actually am able to use that bag to tie off my arm and kind of do a little redneck-

Joe Rogan 20:13 While you're holding it down?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 20:14 Yeah, (laughs) whi- while I... I got the, the head in one hand and I'm tourniqueting my arm, think it was like this, tourniqueting my arm with, with the other and got my arm cinched shut, you know, kinda got the bleeding under control, and I was able to kinda collect myself. The snake is pretty much worn out at this point. She's cold-blooded, so they gas out after about a 10-minute fight. She's like a limp noodle. So I'm kinda just laying on her, catching my breath. Now I gotta get her back to my boat where I can put a bullet in her head, 'cause I, I don't just walk out, around out there with a gun. All these snakes I catch alive, put them in a bag, and it's just easier to not have a gun on me.

Joe Rogan 20:57 Jesus.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 20:58 And, um-

Joe Rogan 20:59 Why is it... would it be so hard to have a gun right there?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:02 Well, (laughs) I'm, I'm literally crawling through cane and saw grass, and it gets snagged. You can lose a gun very easily, and it's just... It, it's in the way, and 99.9% of the time, I'm not gonna need one. And especially me, I'm the kinda guy where if I come across a 30-foot snake, you know, which pythons don't get that big. Let's say I come across a 30-foot snake, something crazy, I ain't shooting it. I'm... I wanna catch it, you know? That's-

Joe Rogan 21:31 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:31 Dude, that's what I'm all about.

Joe Rogan 21:33 Oh, my God. This is, this is you-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:35 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 21:35 ... after this thing bit you.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:37 Yeah, this is-

Joe Rogan 21:37 Holy shit.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:38 ... right where I'm getting ready to try to tourniquet my arm.

Joe Rogan 21:41 Holy shit, man. And you're filming this?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:44 Yeah, I got my shoulder cam on, and then I put a GoPro on the ground.

Joe Rogan 21:49 This is wild.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 21:51 And, you know, normally I, I don't always get great fo- I mean, I get pretty good footage with my cellphone, my shoulder cam, but like I, I was set up this day. And I knew I had my GoPro running when this thing bit me.

Joe Rogan 22:03 Are you cinching up at the top of your arm right above the wound or on the-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:06 Above the wound. Above the wound.

Joe Rogan 22:07 Okay, above the wound.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:07 Yep, above the wound. And, uh, you know, to be honest with you, the, the first thought that went through my mind when that thing bit me and I have all these cameras going and I see all this blood, is, "This video's definitely going viral." (laughs)

Joe Rogan 22:24 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:24 Ju- just don't die. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 22:26 It would really go viral if you died.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:28 Yeah, I'm sure it would've.

Joe Rogan 22:30 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:30 I found GoPro footage of me in the woods-

Joe Rogan 22:32 So now you have to carry this thing out while you're holding onto its head.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:35 Yep.

Joe Rogan 22:35 Wow, she really is like a limp noodle.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:37 While, while it's still alive.

Joe Rogan 22:39 She really is like a limp noodle.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:41 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 22:41 One, one should be there.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:41 She, she's gassed out. She is done.

Joe Rogan 22:43 That's insane.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:44 She is done.

Joe Rogan 22:45 Wow, man. That's-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:47 Yep.

Joe Rogan 22:47 That's some man shit right there, son.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:50 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 22:52 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 22:52 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 22:52 Not a lot of human beings are capable of doing that and just keeping it together. Uh, it's creeping me out just watching you hold onto that thing as you're walking through the, the woods with it.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:02 W- what I think it is more than anything, and, you know, I h- hate to kinda take away from myself, but it's, it's what we're taught as kids, you know? We're taught to be fearful of snakes, that they're this evil, dangerous thing. And I can't tell you... I, I think that's why I've been so successful on social media, is these people, they just freak out watching these snakes, you know? They can't believe it, and it's... They're not really that crazy. They're really not.

Joe Rogan 23:31 (laughs) I think you're just used to them. I think they're really fucking crazy. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:37 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 23:37 There's a reason why they're only in one state like this. Look at the size of that thing, man.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:43 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 23:43 That thing's enormous. And they eat alligators.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:46 Oh, yeah. I've-

Joe Rogan 23:46 I think, bro, I think they would eat you.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:48 I, I've rescued-

Joe Rogan 23:49 I really do.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:49 ... three alligators from pythons.

Joe Rogan 23:51 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 23:52 That's actually how I started my social media, is I, um, made the news. Went kinda viral for rescuing an alligator from a python. I had a guy out on a guided hunt with me. He, uh, recorded it, videotaped it, and it, you know, made the news, and, uh, a local clothing brand, Flo Grown, in Florida, made my Instagram, made my social media and was like, "Dude, you gotta start using it. You know, we'll send you clothes," and that's-

Joe Rogan 24:20 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:20 ... really how it all got started.

Joe Rogan 24:21 That's crazy. That's how it got started. That's amazing. Look at these things.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:27 And I actually... This was the smallest of the three I've rescued. Um, it was the third one that we finally got on video, 'cause I, I never, I never used to really record anything.

Joe Rogan 24:38 Imagine how fucking confused alligators must be, like, "I thought we were at the top. I... We were at the top forever."

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:45 Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 24:46 "What happened?"

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:47 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 24:47 "What the fuck is going on?"

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:48 "2023, times are changing."

Joe Rogan 24:51 So, the source of all this, I thought initially that it was people releasing pets, which it was.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 24:58 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 24:58 But it was also, there was some sort of, like, a python research center, and it got damaged?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 25:03 (laughs) So, (sighs) there's a lot of speculation with that. To me, that python research center, um, is kind of more of, like, an urban myth.

Joe Rogan 25:12 Oh, really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 25:13 Yep. Um, there's never been a facility named. Uh, there's ... this place that they keep speaking of, people keep mentioning, w- we don't know what it is. W- you know, no one's ever been like, "Oh, it was this facility." There's, it's just not, not a thing.

Joe Rogan 25:27 Interesting.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 25:28 And people, yep, people were releasing pets that got too big. Um, they were escaping as well. But to me, that's not enough to be where we're at today.

Joe Rogan 25:39 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 25:39 It, it's just not enough. Why don't we have anacondas all over? Why don't we have, uh ... Well, I mean, we do have Nile monitors, but why don't we have Nile monitors everywhere? Why don't we have caiman everywhere? We have some caiman, but nothing like the python. To me, it was ... And, you know, I do have some things that are leading me to believe this. I'm not just pulling this out of my butt. But, you know, this is definitely, um, an opinion, I would say. Uh, I believe that they were intentionally released by somebody or multiple people, um, probably reptile breeders, i- in a hope that they could stop importing pythons from overseas as pets and start farming them in state and collecting them out of the Everglades, uh, reproducing them, getting big breeders out of the Everglades, using them, and then cutting out that essential mid- middleman.

Joe Rogan 26:43 Whoa.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 26:43 Um, and, you know-

Joe Rogan 26:45 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 26:45 ... there's definitely been a lot of things that kind of confirm this to me. Uh, and I'm not the only one that believes this either. Um, but I definitely don't want to get into, like, necessarily mentioning names or anything like that.

Joe Rogan 26:57 Yeah, we don't have to mention names.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 26:59 But, um ...

Joe Rogan 26:59 So, what ... But what gave you this ... Like, what evidence is there of this, or what?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 27:03 Well, um, just from what we've seen with other, other species. For something to take hold like this and become so prevalent, it needs to be intentional. There needs to be thousands to be released at a time. And, um-

Joe Rogan 27:17 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 27:18 During the height of the Burmese, it was the most popular pet, uh, being imported into Florida. During the height of it, you would have 1,000 come in in a week in a crate and they would, you know, sell them all over the country. And, um, I- I think it was the kind of thing where it's like, "Well, we can ... Let's dump one of these crates out there and, and see, see what happens and see if we can start farming them out there." These people, um, I've even just hear how they talk about the python problem in Florida, and it's, uh, it's ... I don't know, there's, there's definitely something to it, and just-

Joe Rogan 27:52 How do they talk about it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 27:54 Kinda defending it, almost, you know, like, uh, "Oh, leave the pythons alone," and-

Joe Rogan 28:00 What?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:01 (laughs) Yes.

Joe Rogan 28:02 Who does that?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:03 Uh, different p- different, uh, old-school breeders that I would, the diff- old reptile importers.

Joe Rogan 28:10 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:10 Like the, the kind of, some of the founding fathers of, of it, the, uh, exotic pet trade in Florida.

Joe Rogan 28:17 Dude, I think you just uncovered a giant conspiracy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:19 Yeah, well, it is. It is, for sure.

Joe Rogan 28:21 Somebody needs to look into that.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:22 Um-

Joe Rogan 28:22 Those people are actually responsible for this?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:24 Yeah. Uh, well-

Joe Rogan 28:25 Holy shit, man.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 28:26 ... there, there have been people caught. There have been people caught. Um, and I may be wrong on this, but I- I believe the guy was given, like, life in prison or something crazy. But I think it was on the West Coast, he was caught, um, that it was a sting operation where they have surveillance, him dumping hundreds and hundreds of reptiles in- into ... I don't know if it was the Everglades. I think it was maybe the western, probably the western side of the Everglades Conservancy area, and, uh, everything from chameleons, tegus, monitors, pythons, all kind of different species.

Joe Rogan 29:00 And why was he doing that? Aren't they valuable?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 29:03 Yep. Um, but what we're seeing in the state is people doing that to farm them, especially with chameleons. People will go out and they'll dump maybe 50 chameleons into an area spec- in a specific tree more, more often. And then they'll come back a year or two later and there's a huge population of them. And then they go out and they pick them, and then they sell them for $50 to $100 each. You could go out and make three grand in a night just from a couple hundred dollars of chameleons you put out there, you know, a year ago or so.

Joe Rogan 29:35 Ah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 29:36 And it- it's become, you know, a, a business. Uh, and, you know, there's, there's right and wrong ways to go about things. Um, you know, by no way am I knocking the reptile trade or anything like that. Um, as a kid, I grew up, uh, with 20 different reptiles as pets and, um, breeding them and selling them as pets. There's nothing wrong with that. There's a, there's a right and wrong way with anything, like owning a gun or, or anything else. Um, you know, it's, we shouldn't necessarily make these animals illegal, because what we've seen when ... Just recently, they've made iguanas and tegus illegal in Florida to own as pets, and we're seeing people dump their pets because FWC has been going around. And they said they wouldn't, but they have been. They've been going around and actually euthanizing people's pets.

Joe Rogan 30:31 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 30:31 And to someone that, you know, this iguana or this python even or anything, to a lot of people, it's, it's like a dog. It's like someone killing your dog. It, it really is. And, um, they would much rather turn it loose and give it the chance to survive than to have it euthanized.

Joe Rogan 30:49 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 30:50 And then what you're left with is irresponsible pet owners. You're, you're left with people that are breaking the law to own these animals.... probably don't have proper enclosures, probably don't take good care of them, and probably will just release them when they're done with them. So you take all of the good away and you're left with the bad, when instead, we should put popu- pop, uh, regulations in, in place, proper regulations, where people then are forced to house these animals correctly. Um, and the problem is no longer pet iguanas or pet pythons, it's wild breeding animals. And when they made these, um, iguanas illegal just this past year, they've now stopped all of that free management we had of people coming from all over the country, coming to Florida, catching these iguanas, catching these tegus, taking them out of the state and selling them where they can't survive anyway 'cause it's too cold. Um, and it was, it was helping us. It was helping control these populations. Now all of that is gone. Um, y- you're not allowed to do that anymore. And this year in particular, I'm seeing more baby iguanas than I ever have in my entire life. It's, it's out of control.

Joe Rogan 32:11 So that was the primary way that they were regulating, or that they were controlling the population size, was people coming in and grabbing them?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:18 No, that's not the primary way, but that was a huge way. Um, that was-

Joe Rogan 32:21 What percentage do you think it was?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:22 That was on top of what myself and, and other, uh, people in the state are doing. Um, that was for, especially for the juveniles and baby iguanas, that's 90, 90%.

Joe Rogan 32:34 Whoa.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:35 Um, you know, that, that's what they're after. They go out there, they trap them. Uh, I, I'm, it may even be, you know, bigger than I'm thinking. Uh, the, a lot of people were making livings off coming down here, catching them, taking them out of state.

Joe Rogan 32:50 And out of state they can't survive?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:51 No, it's too cold. Uh, y- you see it just with, you don't have these animals surviving in North Florida.

Joe Rogan 32:57 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:57 It gets, it gets too cold.

Joe Rogan 32:59 Interesting.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 32:59 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 33:02 That's crazy then. So it's like te- almost like a perfect scenario, because they can't be invasive. They can't survive.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 33:07 Mm-hmm. Yeah. And, and that's the thing, you know. We all fought against this when they were trying to get these, these new laws passed, because at face value it seems like, oh yeah, make them illegal, it, it'll help.

Joe Rogan 33:20 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 33:20 But, um, you know, when you talk to the experts and the people that really know, it's, it's counterproductive.

Joe Rogan 33:26 And at this point there's so many iguanas in Florida that the idea of eradicating them-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 33:30 Uh, no. We're never getting, we're never getting rid of the pythons, we're never getting rid of the iguanas. They're here to stay, but management is absolutely essential.

Joe Rogan 33:40 Is it possible to manage the pythons in the Everglades?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 33:45 Yes. It, it is. Um, you know, how effectively it is remain to be seen. Uh, I feel right now we're losing, we're losing that battle. But that's because the state really ties our hands. Um, for the general public, it's almost impossible for them to go out and hunt these pythons. They just don't have the access. Um, you know, they're not getting compensated for it, nothing like that. A lot of these areas where the pythons are, you're not legally allowed to go off the trail in a vehicle, and that's the only way you can get around. Uh-

Joe Rogan 34:20 So you have to stay on trail?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 34:22 Y- you have to stay on levies, roadways, um, in-

Joe Rogan 34:26 Is there an extensive trail system or is it mostly just wild?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 34:29 No, it's mostly just wild. And, and here's an- another thing which you're gonna get a kick out of. In the national park itself, you are not allowed to remove invasive species. If you come across a 20-foot python eating a deer, you are not allowed to do anything because it's inside the national park and everything inside the national park is protected, even the invasive wildlife.

Joe Rogan 34:53 Oh, wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 34:53 Now they do allow state contractors to go in the national park and remove these pythons, but that's not nearly enough. We need the general public involved. We have a lot of people wanting to help. And inside the national park, even a state contractor is not allowed to get off the road in any sort of vehicle, airboat, anything. And that's the only way you can get around. The Everglades is 1.5 million acres of impenetrable swamp. You know, half of it's underwater, sawgrass that'll slige y- slice you open, twice as tall as you, and too thick to even get through. So you would need an airboat, you would need a swamp buggy, and, uh, none of this is allowed. And we really saw kind of the, the, the, um, tides of, of battle kind of change, I guess you would say, when it became a national park. So we had

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 35:54 python sightings in the Everglades in the '60s. They were seeing these snakes and nothing was done. What was actually done was the Florida gladesman, who historically lived and survived off the Everglades and was, um, a keeper of the Everglades, was kicked out of the Everglades when it was made a national park. Um, it's another thing, it's a rabbit hole I don't necessarily-

Joe Rogan 36:21 How many of them-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 36:21 ... want to go down to.

Joe Rogan 36:22 How many of those guys were kicked out?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 36:24 It, it... Hundreds, maybe thousands. It's, uh, hard, hard to say. Um-

Joe Rogan 36:29 So it was all the folks that were living in there?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 36:31 Yeah, so they actually had camps out there. Uh, they built camps and they'd live out there. Some would go out there recreation. A lot of them would live out there, make their living out there, gator hunters, commercial fishers, um, moonshiners, drug smugglers, all kind of stuff. And, um, you know, a lot of these camps was actually, especially when you're getting more into the pythons starting to take over when they were really trying to get everyone out, which that's not the reason they were trying to get everyone out, was 'cause of the pythons. Um, it was 'cause they were trying to turn it into national park and they felt like these people shouldn't be in there. They were burning down camps and there's actually stories of-... burning down camps with Gladesmen inside, and all kind of shady stuff going on. Um, you know, that's maybe a topic for another time, but-

Narrator 37:20 How long- how long did it take to move these people out of the forest?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 37:24 So, the national park, I believe, was started in, like, '47. It was actually u- finalized in sometime in the '60s, maybe the late '60s. And then, um, from there, I want to say the whole exodus, kicking everybody out, probably 20 years or so.

Narrator 37:47 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 37:48 Um, 15, 20 years. An- and it's still kind of a- a raw spot for a lot of us. Um, a lot of us don't like the Park Service because of everything that happened. And, uh, you know, we- we feel that the Everglades should be, uh, you know, open to the people to enjoy it. And, um, you know, enjoyed in- in the right way, of course. But we- we really seen that when the Gladesmen, the eyes, and the ears, and the keepers of the Everglades was removed from the Everglades and our access was limited, the pythons took over. Um, the water quality went down. We're seeing fracking in our Everglades. We're seeing, um, oil drilling, all kind of stuff that, um, you know, w- we feel the Everglades should be represented and preserved in a better way.

Narrator 38:37 Do you think that that was one of the reasons why they wanted to get everybody out, so they could extract the resources?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 38:41 I think there was definitely some, um, you know, ulterior motives, for sure. Uh, I work closely with a lot of these state departments, you know, so I'm not trying to ruffle too many feathers. But- but yeah, there are, you know, there's- there's definitely some shady stuff going on in the Everglades. Why- why are we not allowed to enjoy our Everglades, but, you know, we're allowed to take from her natural resources and, um, diminish her? Uh, the- the government is.

Narrator 39:11 And not manage the invasive species at all.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 39:12 And not manage the invasive species properly, and not manage the water properly. Our- our Everglades is dying, is dying because of- of their water- water quality issues. And our state-

Narrator 39:23 What is the source of the water quality issues?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 39:25 Um, it's a very complicated issue. Um, and it's not one that I'm extremely, um, versed on, I would say. I mean, I definitely know about it, but you know, I don't want to say the wrong things. Uh, overpopulation, too many people moving to Florida, um-

Narrator 39:44 So it's pollution-based? Is that...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 39:45 Pollution-based, uh, agricultural-based.

Narrator 39:48 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 39:49 Um, and th- th- the core of it is not allowing the water to flow south how it needs to naturally. So, the Everglades is the greatest filter in the entire world. It- it- it's a natural wonder of the world. It really is. And right now, we are not using it the way we should. Uh, we're... There are steps being taken to send water south and to start to restore some of this natural- n- natural flow. But the problem is, if we restored the natural flow to where it was, Palm Beach all the way down to Miami returns as a swampland.

Narrator 40:27 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 40:29 All of the sugarcane, which is huge money, at the south of Lake Okeechobee is swamp and is- is no longer, um, being able to use for sugarcane. And we see a lot of that, you know, um, make the decisions in what happens with our, uh, Everglades and conservation, is it's a lot of corruption, a lot of, uh, m- money driven rather than we need to set aside this piece of land, have it ch- uh, gather water, treat water, send it south to be filtered through our Everglades, and provide water to where it's dry, clean, healthy water, and then it can be filtered out through the Bay of Florida. Um, we're seeing more where that land is being kept for agriculture or something else, or where a project gets started and then it's lobbied and nothing gets done. We're seeing a lot of, um, just promises not being made as well.

Narrator 41:34 So, have they dammed the flow of this water?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 41:37 Yep. So there's a series of- of levees and locks that control the water in South Florida. It's controlled by South Florida Water Management. And you know, they started managing the water 100 years ago or more, I believe, uh, maybe even much further than that. And that's really where we went wrong, is we should have learned to kind of work with the water flow more, um, and not totally shut it off the way we have and- and totally made it manmade. Um, which, you know, like I said, they're trying to re- reverse some of that. Um, they just built a- a new lock that's gonna s- help send some of the water south through, uh, Tamiami Trail and 41, but it's just not enough. Uh, we need more water to be filtered and cleaned, and less of it to be dumped out into the estuaries on the east and west coast. This water will remain stagnant and it'll build blue-green algae, which is actually a bacteria. And this bacteria produces toxins. I believe it sucks up all the oxygen in the water. And I don't know if you've seen these fish kills we've had on the east and west coast, but that's exactly what it's from, is our water management. So it's not just the Everglades, but it's the east and west coast. And that's because they're taking the water that needs to be sent south, cleaned and filtered, and they're sending it out into these estuaries where it kills everything.

Narrator 43:03 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 43:04 And it- it's... You know, they're- they're protecting... Which, you know, I'm not blaming US Sugar by any means. Um, US Sugar does a lot to actually help Florida conservation. But it's just kind of a situation we've got ourselves in where there's not a great solution besides, you know, really taking away a lot of this money. And, um...... uh, our estuaries are just suffering for it. Our Everglades is suffering for it.

Joe Rogan 43:30 Have they done anything to try to figure out how to mitigate whatever pollutants are getting into the water? Have they tried to figure out some sort of a solution?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 43:39 Um, I'm sure. I'm sure. Uh, I don't know if it's gained any traction 'cause right now, we're, we're having algae blooms as we speak, um, on Lake Okeechobee and different areas. And, um, no, I don't know of any, any solution to really compat- com- combat that algae bloom. Um, and especially once they have it, you know, it's, uh, the water levels get so high, they, they have to flow it out.

Joe Rogan 44:03 Is there a way to do this without flooding Miami?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 44:07 I'm sure there is. I'm sure there is. But to get it in a way where everyone's happy and on board with it, and there's the money to do it is, is another thing.

Joe Rogan 44:14 But, uh, so how did Miami get built? Was Miami originally swamp, and they just filled it in?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 44:20 Yeah. Um, the canal systems were able to redirect the water. Um, and, you know, I'm sure they, which, you know, I don't know exactly how Miami was built, but I'm sure, yeah, they built up on the limestone on the swamp. It's essentially limestone bottom down there. And then they divert the water with these canal systems. And they're able to, you know, send it in areas that's not Miami or send it through the canals through Miami out into the Intracoastal and, and things along those lines.

Joe Rogan 44:47 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 44:47 And they have a series of locks and gates that help control all this. It's, uh, it's very complicated, uh, and, you know, I wish I knew more.

Joe Rogan 44:55 But if the natural flow of water-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 44:58 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 44:58 ... what happen if they just removed all the levees and just let everything flow all the way down, it would flood Miami?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 45:04 Yeah, yeah. It would flood all, all, all through, which, you know, who knows? They maybe, uh, uh, if you could take away everything they did, all the ground being built up and everything, yes, it would, it would be a swamp.

Joe Rogan 45:16 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 45:18 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 45:19 It's kind of crazy when someone sets out to do something to make it habitable for people and doesn't take into consideration that this is just this immense ecosystem.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 45:28 Oh, yeah. You, you'll get a kick out of this. So in, in an effort to dry up the Everglades while they were doing this, they wanted to dry the Everglades up. They actually from airplane reloose- released Melaleuca seeds over the Everglades because Melaleuca sucks up water. So now, they pay contractors to go out and remove the Melaleuca from the Everglades-

Joe Rogan 45:54 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 45:54 ... because it's sucking up all the water.

Joe Rogan 45:57 Oh, boy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 45:58 It's, it's crazy.

Joe Rogan 45:59 There's so many instances in human history of people putting in a species to try to mitigate another species and having that species run amok, like the Australia situation with the wild cats.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:12 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 46:13 It's insane.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:13 It is.

Joe Rogan 46:14 Well, they have feral cats everywhere in Australia.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:16 Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 46:16 They've decimated ground nesting birds, and they kill everything.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:20 Everything, everything. We see it in Florida. We see it in Florida. We have feral cats like crazy, and they're-

Joe Rogan 46:25 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:25 ... killing everything.

Joe Rogan 46:26 We saw the numbers. We read the numbers out one day on the podcast about how many animals get killed every year just in the US by feral cats, and it's in the billions.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:37 Mind-blowing.

Joe Rogan 46:37 (laughs) It's so crazy they're such little murderers.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:40 I think they've said, like, 15 to 20 different species are attributed to them being extinct-

Joe Rogan 46:47 Yes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:47 ... at least because of the cats.

Joe Rogan 46:49 (exhales) It's crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 46:51 Yeah, it is.

Joe Rogan 46:52 So the Florida situation as it stands, wh- what, uh, what are the official efforts to mitigate the, uh, python population?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:03 So, um-

Joe Rogan 47:04 What do you think they could do? Could they just open it up to pe- so in a perfect world, if you were the, the, the King of Florida-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:12 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 47:12 ... and they said, "Hey, man, python cowboy, tell us what to do," and you're like, "This is what we're gonna do. You're gonna open this up to vehicles and put a bounty on these things."

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:22 Yep. Um, not-

Joe Rogan 47:23 Th- that would be it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:23 Not necessarily.

Joe Rogan 47:24 No?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:25 No, no, not necessarily. So that can be a little bit risky. Um, you know, we've seen not so much in these past python challenges. These past python challenges, the tournaments we have in Florida where the general public goes out there and competes for money catching pythons-

Joe Rogan 47:41 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 47:41 ... they've been great. They've been super successful. We're not seeing much bad come from them. But in maybe, you know, six or seven years ago, maybe six years ago, I think it was, when they first came out with these competitions, and there wasn't any education behind it, it was, it was a free-for-all. You had a bunch of rednecks riding around in trucks with shotguns and AR-15s shooting every snake that moved, leaving trash out there, and it, it was just a terrible thing. Barely any pythons were caught or removed, and it, it just was not beneficial. Now, with all the education we've put out, um, between the news, social media, TV shows, um, you know, the state programs, we see a different kind of snake hunter out there. We see people that are trying to help, trying to do things the right way. They care about the ecosystem. They don't want to leave behind trash. And, you know, that is very encouraging for me to say something more like, yeah, let's, let's have a public bounty system where the general public can get out there and do what they need to do. But in order for that to be successful, we do need more access. Um, you know, if, if they want to protect the national park and all that, that's fine, okay? Let's still allow people to remove invasive species when they come across them, whether they're a state contractor or just some average Joe. But we will have penalties in place for anybody harming a native snake in the national park, where then people will be careful not to get in trouble and do something illegal. Um, outside the national park, which, you know, we have all kind of Francis S. Taylor, Rocky Glades, Frog Pond, all these different areas, Area 321, that have pythons in them and that we...... should allow more access, more airboat access, more buggy access year round,

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 49:43 and, um, show people how valuable these snakes are. The skin is extremely valuable. Um, it makes beautiful leather. There's people lining up to buy this leather. Um, I fund my entire python operation off this leather. I've actually quit. I resigned from the state. I, I hunted py-... I was one of the first state python hunter. Hunted for them for maybe about five years. Uh, this past two years, I decided to resign from the state because I'm not allowed to use a dog if I'm hunting for the state.

Narrator 50:20 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 50:21 Which is, you know, a little funny.

Narrator 50:23 That sounds crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 50:24 Yep. So, um, you know, my thing is showing people that I'm funding my entire, entire operation off these snake skins. You can, mm, possibly make a living off these snake skins, definitely make some side money, and you're gonna be getting out there, helping the Everglades. If they were to add a bounty on top of that, I think in the very beginning, you might see a little bit of what we used to see, where you just have people out there for the wrong reasons, you know, trying to just get a picture with a snake or whatever. But I think they're gonna quickly see how hard it is. Um, they're not just catching snakes like they thought they were. And all those weekend warriors, all those people, they're gonna die off, and you're gonna be left with the general public that really does wanna help. They're gonna be good at it, and that's the only way we're, we're gonna get that under control. Um, you know, it's gonna have to be a delicate process to get there, I feel like. Um, you know, maybe everyone has to sign up for a license, and then for that license, they go through some kind of training course, like we do already for the python challenges. And, um, to me, that, that, that is the way to go. We need more than just the state contractors, who, to me, they're all hunting the same spots. They all hunt the public highways or these couple of levies that produce pythons, and they're just driving the road all night, up and down. And we need to get out in the swamp to get where they're nesting, where they're breeding, and where they're eating our native wildlife, and we're just not doing that like we should be. And that's why I've been putting so much into this python team I've been putting together, specifically to use dogs to help us find these snakes. And just this nesting season alone, I've completely proven that, that that's the only, only way to do it.

Narrator 52:19 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 52:20 Yep. This, this season alone, I found maybe, uh, I think eight nests now, um, which to give you an idea, before this python season, there was like a handful of nest, nests ever found in the state. It's a very rare thing.

Narrator 52:39 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 52:39 Very, very rare. Before I used a dog, I found one nest. That's it. I don't know of any other person in the state of Florida that has found more than one nest. So, for this last two months alone, I'm finding that many nests. I'm finding, um, underground pythons. We never really understood how much they nest underground, that we have this season with my dog finding these, uh, snakes actually underground.

Narrator 53:10 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 53:11 And, um, you know, that's where a lot of them are going to nest. Almost every snake I've found in a hole-

Narrator 53:16 Is this one... Finding it underground python nest?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 53:17 Yeah. I, I took out, um, SeekOne Productions. They're like a, uh, a hunting media company.

Narrator 53:23 Oh, this is crazy. You're actually digging into the ground to get-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 53:25 And, and my-

Narrator 53:26 Oh, shit.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 53:27 My dog, Otto, alerted me to this hole, and he let me know that there was a python in this hole. And, uh, to be sure, I took my little camera, stuck it down in there, and sure enough, I could see a python in the very back of the hole.

Narrator 53:41 How do you train your dog to find pythons?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 53:44 Um, you know, there's definitely training that goes in- in- into it, but it is natural ability. Uh, these dogs are extremely talented. Not every dog will be a snake dog, especially. Um, you know, I've, I have 20 or more hunting dogs right now. I use them all to help me with invasive species and different things like that. Only a few of them will find me a snake. Uh, dogs and their instincts generally don't like snakes. They want to stay away from snakes. A lot of the dogs I've found, the snake's like invisible. It'll, it'll be stepping on it like it ain't even there. Um, but a few of my dogs, I don't know what it is, they, they're really, really good at it. Really good at it.

Narrator 54:27 And so just completely natural that they gravitate-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:29 It is.

Narrator 54:29 ... towards snakes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:30 Um, we train all of our dogs. Don't, don't get me wrong. But we... Mainly the training was for other stuff ahead of time, and I'm just transferring it over into snakes.

Narrator 54:38 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:39 These dogs, I work with them every... Especially my dog, Otto, who's really getting the snakes for me now. This dog's with me every day. Like, we, we are s-

Narrator 54:47 What kind of dog is Otto?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:48 Uh, he's a German wire hair pointer.

Narrator 54:50 He's adorable.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:52 Um-

Narrator 54:52 He looks so happy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:53 No, he loves it. He loves it. I always say, when I die, I want to come back as Otto-

Narrator 54:56 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 54:56 ... 'cause he is the happiest freaking thing in the world.

Narrator 54:59 And so Otto's the best one that you've ever had for snakes?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:01 He, he is my best python dog, yeah.

Narrator 55:02 Look at this. He's got a snake in-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:04 He's my, uh-

Narrator 55:04 ... his mouth.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:05 He's my phenomenal python dog, my phenomenal iguana dog, and I mean-

Narrator 55:09 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:09 ... he'll, he'll do everything else as well. There's, there's nothing that dog cannot do.

Narrator 55:13 So, when you find those eggs, do you destroy them?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:15 Yeah. So what I actually do is I'll-

Narrator 55:17 Oh, he just snatched up that iguana.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:19 (laughs) That, that i-... They normally don't make it that easy. That iguana was sleeping. I don't know what it was doing. But, um, yeah, so I'll freeze the eggs, which kills them.... and then I preserve them and donate them, sell some as educational displays for schools, um, research, stuff like that.

Joe Rogan 55:37 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:38 'Cause it is, they're- they're a dinosaur egg. They're huge.

Joe Rogan 55:40 Yeah, wild.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:41 They're huge. Twice as big as an alligator egg.

Joe Rogan 55:42 And how many eggs will a female python produce normally?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 55:46 So, on average, um, what I've been finding this- this last season, which has really kinda, you know, uh, given us a lot more data, uh, your average snake size is gonna lay 20 to about 60 eggs.

Joe Rogan 56:03 And what is their primary food source out there now that they've kinda decimated most of the wildlife?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:07 But I would like to add-

Joe Rogan 56:08 Oh, okay.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:09 ... that they're capable of 100 eggs or more.

Joe Rogan 56:12 Oh, wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:13 Um-

Joe Rogan 56:13 Like a really big one?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:14 Oh, yeah. A 16-footer, a 17, 18-footer, they get that big. Excuse me. So they can lay large clutch of nest. Or large clutch of eggs, I'm sorry.

Joe Rogan 56:24 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:25 Um, we just found a nest this season, uh, underground as well. It was an underground 16-footer, and she was on a nest of 70 active eggs. And especially on an-

Joe Rogan 56:37 Whew.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:37 Yeah, it's- it's cray. Well, it shows what we're up against too.

Joe Rogan 56:40 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:40 You know, it's, um, it can get discouraging. It- it can be.

Joe Rogan 56:44 One snake gives birth to 70 snakes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 56:46 Yep. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I- I'll- I'll kinda get to that. Um, so, you know, especially an underground nest like that, almost all of those are gonna survive. Uh, when they're- when they're hatched, they're already two foot long, which is, yeah, which is about the size of most of our adult native snakes. So they're getting preyed on maybe for that first month, and then after that they're, not much is messing with them. Um, and they grow very, very quick. Uh-

Joe Rogan 57:17 And it's mostly birds prey on them?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 57:18 Yep, birds, owls, stuff like that. Uh, sometimes alligators a little bit, but pythons are eating alligators more than alligators are eating pythons.

Joe Rogan 57:27 So what is their primary food source now?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 57:29 R- right now, uh, rats, Everglades rats, there's a lot of rats out there, and alligators I would say. Uh, they've wiped out most of all the other mammals, um, and, you know, they're working on our wading birds, for sure. But I've been seeing them eat a lot of alligators.

Joe Rogan 57:47 So that's probably their primary food source?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 57:49 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 57:49 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 57:50 Whi- which honestly, you know, this- this may sound bad, I'd rather them be eating the alligators than anything else. We got plenty of them, they're not gonna wipe out the alligators by any mean.

Joe Rogan 57:58 Right, right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 57:59 Um, but they- they will wipe out everything else. We're 99 or 90 to 99% of our small fur-bearing game in the- in the Everglades has been wiped out by pythons. And that- that is real.

Joe Rogan 58:12 Phew.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:12 That is real. But-

Joe Rogan 58:14 So deer? Like if you want a deer hunt in the Everglades.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:16 This is- this is small fur-bearing mammals.

Joe Rogan 58:18 Oh, okay.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:18 So this is like-

Joe Rogan 58:19 Like raccoons?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:20 ... m- uh, marsh rabbits, raccoons, otters, things along those lines. Um, our- our deer are wiped out as well. Our deer populations are at a fraction of what they used to be, and that's because of large pythons, our water management, and panthers, for sure.

Joe Rogan 58:35 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:36 Um, so, you know, everything's really kinda struggling, but-

Joe Rogan 58:39 What about black bears?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:40 Oh yeah, we got black bear down there. Um, the black bear, I- I don't know. You know, I don't think they're getting affected by too much other than the water. Um, you know, uh...

Joe Rogan 58:51 So the water is a primary concern of yours it seems like.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:54 Yeah, absolutely.

Joe Rogan 58:55 That's the big one, huh?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 58:56 Absolutely.

Joe Rogan 58:56 And a lot of it's agriculture, a lot of it's fertilizer, pesticides.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:01 Yeah, we have very high mercury, uh, levels in our water. That's why actually a python over 10 foot in length really shouldn't be eating. Uh, its mercury contents will be dangerous high. And that's the same-

Joe Rogan 59:14 Shouldn't be eating, people are eating pythons?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:16 You can. I wouldn't say people are, you know, down there having it for dinner every night. I've eaten it a number of times.

Joe Rogan 59:22 Yeah?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:22 Um.

Joe Rogan 59:22 What does it like?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:24 Very chewy. Um, very, very chewy. Uh, I'm no chef by any means. I- I think if you knew what you were doing and you were able to get it really tender and nice, it wouldn't be too bad.

Joe Rogan 59:36 Like sous vide or something?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:37 Yeah, yeah. Um, the- the flavor's, the flavor's not bad at all. It's nice white meat, um, it's you're kinda eating it off the- the f- ribs like fish kind of almost, but, um, it's not bad at all. The iguana's delicious.

Joe Rogan 59:51 Yeah, I've heard iguana is very good.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:53 Iguana's delicious.

Joe Rogan 59:53 I've seen a lot of people, uh, kill them and cook them on YouTube.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 59:58 Yeah. Yes, sir.

Joe Rogan 59:58 Where they- they cook like some stir-fry or... What do you, how do you cook iguanas?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:04 Again, it's not something like, "Hey, darling, I got some iguanas fried up for dinner," you know. It's, uh, I'm feeding most of it to my livestock and then making leather products from the skin. But, um, I've barbecued it. I've, um, uh, kind of pan-fried it in some General Tso's and pineapple, and that was actually really good. The, uh, I got a big male that had like these huge cheeks, and in the cheeks there's a- a nice medallion of meat and, uh, that's how I fried that up. It was good.

Joe Rogan 1:00:33 Mm. Was it- does that taste similar to anything?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:37 It's almost like a dark meat frog leg.

Joe Rogan 1:00:40 Mm, okay.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:41 Which sounds-

Joe Rogan 1:00:42 I've had frog legs before.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:42 ... maybe a little gross, but it- it's not bad. It's not bad.

Joe Rogan 1:00:44 Frogs are pretty good.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:45 Yeah. Oh, yeah, frogs are delicious.

Joe Rogan 1:00:47 Yeah, it's just people have to get past the fact that it's a frog.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:50 Mm-hmm. Yeah, same thing with python and iguana.

Joe Rogan 1:00:53 Yeah, so is that a common thing where people hunt and eat iguanas now in Florida?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:00:58 Um, not so much to hunt them to eat them. I think that's more just like a YouTube thing, you know, people-

Joe Rogan 1:01:03 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:01:03 ... love that stuff.

Joe Rogan 1:01:04 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:01:04 Um, it- it's more so you have people hunting them 'cause it- it's fun. It is. It's- it's a really fun thing to do. I do guided hunts for it and I do guided hunts for just about everything in Florida, and I always say I've never seen people have so much fun as I do on these iguana hunts. I mean, you're just... You may shoot at 100 iguanas in the day, you know, and watch my dog go in and catch it, bring it back and...

Joe Rogan 1:01:29 Are you using air guns?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:01:31 Yeah, we're using, um, really high-end semi-automatic air rifles. Uh, 25 and 30 caliber. This is actually out on a golf course.

Joe Rogan 1:01:38 The size of these suckers.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:01:40 And, uh, yeah, that's a big breeder. That's, that's what I'm looking for when I'm out there. You know, I'm removing any iguanas I see, but those are the, the big problem. Those big breeders. They, uh, they usually have a harem of, like, five or six females. And little fun fact, they have two peckers. So, they're out there slanging it, you know what I mean?

Joe Rogan 1:02:00 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:01 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:02:02 And they're everywhere?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:04 Uh huh, yeah. They're, they're everywhere. They are everywhere.

Joe Rogan 1:02:06 And is there a, a limit? Like, if you're, uh, after invasive species, are you allowed to just shoot as many as you find?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:13 Yeah. Yeah, it is. Um, I don't want to make it seem like, you know, the iguana thing is just a free-for-all in Florida. Uh, the iguanas, they're in these real residential areas. Uh, you know, urban settings where you just can't really walk around and shoot stuff in people's backyards. You're trespassing. People are calling the cops on you. Um, I'm permitted and licensed to do this in, in the various areas I do. Someone will hire me, bring me in, and, um, you know, definitely for people to go out and do this on their own, they need to be careful. They need to make sure they're in a public area where they're allowed to do that.

Joe Rogan 1:02:47 Your dog just jumped in the water and caught a swimmer.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:49 Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:02:50 That's amazing.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:51 Yeah, he'll dive down, pick them up off the bottom, and-

Joe Rogan 1:02:54 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:02:54 ... jump them, grab them out of trees.

Joe Rogan 1:02:56 It's crazy this one dog is just so good at reptiles and snakes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:01 We have, um, a number of them backing him up now.

Joe Rogan 1:03:03 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:03 Um, they're not quite as good as him, but, but they are, they are good.

Joe Rogan 1:03:06 Do they learn from him?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:07 Yeah, yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:03:08 Is that how it works?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:08 I usually have him mentor them a little bit, take them out.

Joe Rogan 1:03:11 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:11 See how they do it, or see how he does it, and, um, you know, they'll, they'll pick it up. Him though, he's just had so much experience. I've had him since six months old out on golf courses helping me, and he's just, he's got it down. So, you can see here, he, he knows to-

Joe Rogan 1:03:26 He's trying not to hit its head.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:27 ... to re-grip-

Joe Rogan 1:03:27 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:27 ... 'cause the tails break off.

Joe Rogan 1:03:29 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:30 And, uh, here. Watch this. He drops it trying to show off for the clients, and he is very upset, but, you know, old dad's got his back there. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:03:43 (laughs) Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:44 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:03:46 What? Was it hurting his mouth? Like is part of it, or his spine?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:49 No, he was just-

Joe Rogan 1:03:52 Excited?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:52 ... shaking it around and excited, and, and-

Joe Rogan 1:03:54 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:03:54 ... yeah, it wiggled out of his mouth. A lot of times when he catches them, especially after he gives him a kind of, little bit of a thrashing, they just, they just give up.

Joe Rogan 1:04:02 Ah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:02 And I think he was kind of thinking this one was a little gay, gave up, and was being silly with it, so.

Joe Rogan 1:04:08 Ah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:09 He ain't supposed to do that. That's not, not good.

Joe Rogan 1:04:11 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:12 He's supposed to keep hold of it until it gets back to me.

Joe Rogan 1:04:15 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:16 (sniffs)

Joe Rogan 1:04:16 Um, when, when you're out there, like on, on a typical day, how many iguanas are you seeing?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:22 Depends on where I am. Uh, depends on, uh, if this is my first time removing iguanas on this golf course. I have communities and golf courses and city parks that I've been managing for the past couple years, and I may go, me or send one of my guys, and, you know, we may only get 15 to 20 that day. Or I may go to a brand new one that's like Jurassic Park, and I get over 100.

Joe Rogan 1:04:46 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:47 Oh, yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:04:47 Like Jurassic Park?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:48 Like Jurassic Park.

Joe Rogan 1:04:49 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:51 Six-footers.

Joe Rogan 1:04:52 Is it a-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:52 Fucking-

Joe Rogan 1:04:53 Really?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:53 Dude.

Joe Rogan 1:04:54 What's the biggest one you've ever seen?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:04:56 Um, biggest one I've ever seen, shot him, uh, six and a half foot, maybe a little more. I don't-

Joe Rogan 1:05:03 How big do they get?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:03 The problem is I don't measure or weigh them all.

Joe Rogan 1:05:05 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:05 Pythons I do. Um, but iguanas, I just don't.

Joe Rogan 1:05:09 How big do iguanas get? What's like a, the biggest iguana ever?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:11 Six, six and a half foot basically.

Joe Rogan 1:05:12 So-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:12 I've never heard of one bigger. 20, 20 pounds essentially.

Joe Rogan 1:05:15 That's like as long as this table almost.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:17 Uh, tip to tip? An little, almost.

Joe Rogan 1:05:20 A little shorter?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:20 Almost.

Joe Rogan 1:05:21 That's insane.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:21 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:05:22 For an iguana. Like, what does that weigh?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:25 It looks like it weighs about 50 pounds, but they're 20 pounds that big. About 20 pounds. 15 to 20 pounds. 20 pounds is monsters for an iguana.

Joe Rogan 1:05:33 Do you... Is there any video that we could see of like a Jurassic Park type situation? Do you have any video of them, like, all over a golf course?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:40 Um, there's, there's definitely some on YouTube. I, I think of one-

Joe Rogan 1:05:44 Oh, let's see it.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:45 ... in particular where it's like 100 of them running from this guy just walking, playing golf. Um, generally when I see that, I'm, I'm blasting, so I'm not really-

Joe Rogan 1:05:53 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:54 ... taking too much video. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:05:56 So, yours is semi-automatic? You can fire off multiple shots?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:05:59 Yeah, semi-automatic. I got eight shots, and I keep spare magazines on me and swap them out real quick.

Joe Rogan 1:06:04 (exhales)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:06:05 Yeah. And, and a lot of times too, when I get into this, a place where I know it's covered with them, and, um, a lot of times they'll close down the, the area for the day for me. I'll bring in my guys and we're all, you know, geared up. We all got guns. We got a couple dogs. Um, and we're just annihilating them. You know, all day, we'll just come in and wipe them out.

Joe Rogan 1:06:25 What's the most you've ever shot in a day?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:06:28 Uh, close to 200.

Joe Rogan 1:06:30 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:06:31 Close to 200.

Joe Rogan 1:06:32 That's so crazy. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:06:33 Yeah. Just iguanas, and then on top of that, you know, we'll, we'll have different invasives. We'll get, uh, cane toads while we're there. Muscovy ducks, Egyptian geese. Um, sometimes pigeons will become a big problem. They're also invasive. They'll have us remove them, and, uh, you know, it kind of becomes, uh, a little bit of a cleanup. This is a big boy.

Joe Rogan 1:06:53 Booyah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:06:55 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:06:56 So, is there any video, Jamie, of, uh, a bunch of invasive pythons on a golf course? Just Google-

Narrator 1:07:03 I did. I did.

Joe Rogan 1:07:03 ... python-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:04 It's giving me a news story.

Narrator 1:07:05 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:07:05 ... infestation golf course.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:07 All right. Yeah, there's one video in particular where I was blown away. I was like, oh, I gotta get out there.

Joe Rogan 1:07:13 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:14 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:07:14 Now, do they pay you per python? Do you... How do they... How's that work?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:18 Oh, for the iguanas?

Joe Rogan 1:07:19 Or, uh, I mean for iguanas, right?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:20 Um, yeah. It kind of depends on, on how I... There is no state bounty for iguanas. Uh, I want to make that clear. A lot of people think there is. There, there's not.

Joe Rogan 1:07:29 Should there be?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:30 Um-Yeah, that'd be great. But I don't see how that would be possible. I really don't. Um, i- i- because of h- where iguanas are and- and how many iguanas people would be getting, the budget would have to be huge, and you would have a bunch of people just running around the city shooting stuff. You would have guys getting shot. You would have windows getting shot out.

Joe Rogan 1:07:51 Right, right, right, right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:51 You just, y- you need...

Joe Rogan 1:07:53 Professionals.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:07:53 Y- yeah. Y- y- you really do for iguanas, more than anything. Pythons, they're out in the middle of the Everglades away from people, and you're generally gonna be grabbing them or just shooting them pointblank. Um, so it's kind of a little bit different. But, um, it all depends on how I work the job. Most jobs, I'll- I'll set it up to where it's per iguana. That way, they kind of know what they're getting into, and it... I- I like to kind of stay motivated and, like, each one, it's like-

Joe Rogan 1:08:18 Mm-hmm. Yeah, of course. Right, of course.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08:19 ... cha-ching, cha-ching. You know? Um, so that's generally how I'll do it, and every- every place is different. Um, I may have a place that's, you know, only $10, $15 for an iguana, and I got places that it's $100 or more per iguana I get.

Joe Rogan 1:08:33 Mm-hmm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08:34 So, you know, it's all, it's all different.

Joe Rogan 1:08:36 That could be a very profitable day if you can go HAM. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08:38 It can. It can.

Joe Rogan 1:08:40 Do you find any videos of, uh-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08:41 Uh, it's nothing that's super imp- I mean, I'm seeing... Here's one. It's tons of red iguanas. Hold on. Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:08:48 Is there more than one type of iguana that's invasive down there?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:08:51 So we have the green iguana, which, you know, they- they do get orange. Those are the big orange ones you see. Those are just big, dominant alpha males that turn that orange, like kind of like a peacock, you know, sort of thing.

Joe Rogan 1:09:01 Hm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:09:02 Um, but we're also dealing with Mexican spiny-tailed iguanas. And they're not, uh, quite a b- as big of a problem. Uh, we are seeing them in certain pockets and certain areas, uh, you know, kind of populations booming. The main thing about them-

Joe Rogan 1:09:17 Oh. (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:09:17 ... is... Yeah, look at all that- that poop.

Joe Rogan 1:09:20 This is crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:09:23 And, you know, when we first start an area, especially areas where I first start doing guided hunts, it'll look like this, and we c- we clean it up pretty quickly. Uh, we are seeing huge results for the iguanas and e- and even the pythons in a lot of the areas that we're focusing.

Joe Rogan 1:09:40 Th- Wow. And these are all just invasive species that are brought over as pets?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:09:44 Yep, yep.

Joe Rogan 1:09:45 Wow.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:09:45 And well, you know, they're, they... These specific ones weren't necessarily pets. These were probably wild-born. But, you know, their lineage does come from escaped and released pets.

Joe Rogan 1:09:54 Right. Yeah. It's just crazy how much of an impact that can have.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:10:00 It- it- it is. Those, uh... You know, and it's kind of cool to see... Not necessarily cool, but interesting to see, um, the- the differences in impacts. The pythons are wiping out our native wildlife. And the iguanas, while they do have impacts on our native wildlife, specifically our burrowing an- animals like our gopher tortoise, our burrowing owls, and they're both protected and threatened species already, they more so have an impact on our infrastructure. Uh, they cost our state millions and millions of dollars every single year with the burrows they dig, the vegetation they eat.

Joe Rogan 1:10:35 They dig under houses too, right? And they fuck with the structure of the...

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:10:39 Yep. So they'll dig these burrows to- to lay nest, and they'll undermine housing foundations, sidewalks, seawalls. And the main concern has been roadways and our levy embankments. As I was explaining earlier, those levy systems manage our water, which is absolutely crucial for the State of Florida. And the iguanas will degrade the embankments so much where they have to come in and totally rebuild them back up. To give you an idea, the town of Davie, which is just a small town here in South Florida, last year or the year before, they spent $1.7 million repairing iguana burrows along their levy embankments. That's not roadways. That's not houses. That's not sidewalks, seawalls, just the levy embankments. And you spread that across the whole state, I mean, you could be talking $50 million, maybe more. Dade County, uh, Miami-Dade, has been talking about upping their budget for iguana removal, which I'm planning on putting a bid in for it. Um, their budget before was just not adequate for what needs to be done. They're now comparing it to the mosquito problem. And the mosquito problem, I believe they spend like $40 million a year on. So I think their budget in the prior years was like $250,000 for iguanas, and they're quickly seeing that we need to spend millions o- o- on these, uh, reptiles to get them out.

Joe Rogan 1:12:10 Have you seen this insane research they're doing about injecting mosquitoes with vaccines?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:17 (laughs) Scary shit.

Joe Rogan 1:12:19 Yeah. What the fuck are they doing?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:21 Scary shit. Well, they- they want you to get that damn (laughs) shot anyway.

Joe Rogan 1:12:26 Yeah, but this, this is crazy. This one's crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:29 Yeah, that is.

Joe Rogan 1:12:30 Like, the idea that you're gonna contain those mosquitoes once you release 'em out in the wild.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:34 Yeah, and what's gonna happen? We've seen-

Joe Rogan 1:12:35 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:35 ... how things have gone wrong before.

Joe Rogan 1:12:37 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:37 Or-

Joe Rogan 1:12:37 How do you not learn from all w- all the stuff we've been talking about earlier today, invasive species, cats, toads, th- th- the fact that you've got some genetically engineered mosquito and you're releasing it on the human race. Like, holy shit, man.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:12:51 Well, well, here's something on that too, is... So they're doing that. They've already released them in Florida, from my understanding. They're already out there. They-

Joe Rogan 1:12:59 Which mosquitoes?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:00 The modified ones. I don't know about the, the-

Joe Rogan 1:13:03 Not the vaccine ones?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:03 Not the vaccine, but the modified ones.

Joe Rogan 1:13:05 And what are these modified ones supposed to be doing?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:07 I guess helping with the mosquito population? I don't- I don't-

Joe Rogan 1:13:11 I hope so.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:11 (laughs) I don't know. But I do know, supposedly, and I- I'm pretty sure this is accurate, we had our first case of malaria in Florida, like ever-

Joe Rogan 1:13:21 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:22 ... or from a, for a very, very long time.

Joe Rogan 1:13:24 Texas as well.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:25 Texas as well.

Joe Rogan 1:13:26 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:26 So, you know, it's a little-

Joe Rogan 1:13:27 Same places where they're working on these fucking mosquitoes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:29 Same places they're working on these fucking mosquitoes.

Joe Rogan 1:13:32 Yeah, I don't know if that's why. I'm not saying that's why, but I am saying that I am very concerned when human beings are making a decision that could infect-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:41 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:13:41 ... affect, rather, the entire population that lives down there-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:45 Yeah, absolutely.

Joe Rogan 1:13:45 ... or the entire country, or anywhere w- where there's mosquitoes.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:48 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:13:48 How can you not say that these things are gonna go everywhere?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:50 Yeah, well, you know, like you said, what if it goes bad? Then what? What do you do?

Joe Rogan 1:13:54 Well, this idea that we're supposed to trust these guys, that they know exactly how everything's gonna work out, like, fuck off.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:13:59 Yeah. Mm-mm.

Joe Rogan 1:14:00 Yeah, what are you doing?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:01 Nope. Yeah, just like they knew about COVID.

Joe Rogan 1:14:04 It's like they know about everything.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:05 Yeah. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:14:05 There's never been one thing they've ever gotten perfectly right. And th- this is a- a- a giant overstep.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:12 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:14:12 It just seems like that involves everyone. That should be something that the public should be educated on before these decisions are made, that people should discuss it. It should be something that- on the tip of politicians' tongues, like, "Hey, what the fuck are we doing?"

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:25 (laughs) Dude, it's a plot of a horror movie. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:14:27 Yeah, it really is. It is. There's so many of those going on simultaneously.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:32 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:14:32 It's hard to pay attention. We're getting invaded by aliens. We're about to go to war.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:35 AI.

Joe Rogan 1:14:36 Jesus Christ, AI, ChatGPT, and f- sentient AI, and-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:40 It's a crazy time, man. It's a crazy time.

Joe Rogan 1:14:41 Whew. It just... I feel like we are literally, like, on the launching pad.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:47 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:14:47 I- I feel like it has just begun, like-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:49 Absolutely.

Joe Rogan 1:14:50 ... I think it's gonna get way crazier over the next few years.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:14:53 Yeah, for sure.

Joe Rogan 1:14:53 But when you see just... Florida is just, to me, is always such an interesting test case 'cause it's such a wild place. It's always a place that people have kinda gone to get away from everywhere. It's the South, but it's very different-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:07 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:15:07 ... than the rest of the South. And then the fact that it's... I mean, it's got such a crazy history of cocaine and Miami and the violence and the organized crime, and-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:18 That's all linked to the- the exotic pet trade as well.

Joe Rogan 1:15:21 Is it?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:21 It all goes hand-in-hand.

Joe Rogan 1:15:23 Y-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:23 Yes, sir.

Joe Rogan 1:15:23 How so?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:24 So, you know, the- the big thing with all these big drug dealers, you know, at the time, was having these crazy exotic pets, tigers, fucking anacondas, big snakes, all kind of stuff.

Joe Rogan 1:15:35 (groans)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:35 And they... you know they ain't the best pet owners.

Joe Rogan 1:15:38 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:38 You know what I mean? And not to say that the animals released or escaped from them became a problem, but it was the whole culture of it.

Joe Rogan 1:15:47 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:47 Everyone wanted to be like these drug dealers, so they all wanted these crazy animals, too, for the wrong reasons.

Joe Rogan 1:15:54 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:15:54 And I think that's why it- it... at least one of the reasons it became so popular down here to have these crazy animals. It's a good climate and everything for it, too, obviously. But, um, uh, it- it was just such a- a big thing and still is.

Joe Rogan 1:16:10 (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:11 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:16:11 Florida is unlike any other place. It really is. It's li- unlike any other place in the country.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:17 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:16:18 And the fact that you guys are dealing with all these different invasive species there, it's almost appropriate.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:25 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:16:25 Like, for the- the-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:25 (laughs) Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:16:26 ... 'cause the- the state is so crazy.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:27 Yeah. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:16:27 It's just like, "Of course."

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:29 (laughs) Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:16:29 "Of course that's where it's happening," 'cause there's not really another state in the country that has such an issue with- other than hogs, wild hogs, which are-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:36 Well, it- it's so perfect for it, too.

Joe Rogan 1:16:37 Yeah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:37 You got the Port of Miami, where stuff from all over the world's coming in through. The climate's perfect. The- the- you got the Everglades, and it's just everything. Everything lines up. It's the perfect storm.

Joe Rogan 1:16:49 When did you first start, like, camping out in the Everglades, like?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:53 Um, that was when I was (sighs) at least hunting for pythons or just-

Joe Rogan 1:16:58 Just anytime.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:16:59 Ah, I've been going in the Everglades for a while, you know? Growing up as a Florida boy, we're all kinda, you know, out there running around, catching snakes, and-

Joe Rogan 1:17:06 How many people go missing out there every year?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17:09 Uh, (sighs) I don't know. I don't know.

Joe Rogan 1:17:12 It's not one- it's not zero, right?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17:13 No, I'm sure it- it ain't zero. Um, I mean, I've almost been (laughs) been that person before. Uh, I'm- I'm sure there's- there's some, for sure.

Joe Rogan 1:17:22 Do you think people g- are getting eaten out there?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17:26 (sighs) Maybe if they're doing something they shouldn't be, you know?

Joe Rogan 1:17:31 Like what, being out there? (laughs)

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17:33 No, no, maybe, you know, swimming across a damn canal at night when they ain't supposed to, stuff like that. That's mainly when I see people getting attacked by an alligator or, you know, they're generally gonna stay away from you. They don't want nothing to do with you. If you come across an alligator that's been getting fed by people, that fucker's dangerous, for sure.

Joe Rogan 1:17:51 Mm.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:17:52 Um, main thing is, you know, we have these people that are not-

Joe Rogan 1:17:57 Since 1965, there's only been 175 unsolved cases involving deaths and murders.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:03 Okay.

Joe Rogan 1:18:03 That's just the bodies. But that's, like, deaths and murders.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:06 Well, th-

Joe Rogan 1:18:06 I would imagine that would be a good place to drop off a body.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:08 Th- that's kinda what I was gonna say is it's a very good place to go hide stuff. I've- I've found vehicles that were used in crimes dumped out there.

Joe Rogan 1:18:14 Ah.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:14 Um, I've found dogs from dog fights that were dumped out there.

Joe Rogan 1:18:18 Oh.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:19 I've found animals that have just been dumped. Um, I've found very intricate and mind-blowing Satanic rituals and sacrifices out there.

Joe Rogan 1:18:32 What?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:32 Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Um, so I was-

Joe Rogan 1:18:37 Right.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:37 ... which I found- I found different stuff before. You know, I'll find maybe s- where someone was doing some voodoo, some Santeria, sacrificed a chicken, whatever. All that's, like, kinda normal out there. That's not that crazy. But what I found this night was- was very crazy.

Joe Rogan 1:18:54 Oh, you documented it.

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:18:54 Yeah, the- the police came and investigated it. Um, it made the news. And that's- that's the facility I was hunting. Uh, it's Aerojet. It's actually, uh, an abandoned space rocket facility from the Cold War, where they were developing and testing space rockets.

Joe Rogan 1:19:11 And what were you hunting there?

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:19:12 Pythons. Um, I was out there, you know, hunting these snakes. And this- this facility is- is, um... you need special access. I was given special access by the State of Florida to remove pythons from out there. And nobody can just go back out there, but people do go out there, as you can see from the graffiti and different stuff like that, usually to do stuff that they're not supposed to do. There's a lot of crimes committed out there. There have been, um, murders out there, gang initiations, all kinda stuff.

Joe Rogan 1:19:43 So they have a pentagram that's-

Mike "Python Cowboy" Kimmel 1:19:45 So...Yeah. It's, it's a whole thing. So we go out there, the first thing I came across was a big rock pile with a upside down wooden cross on top, and a bunch of red spray painted upside down crosses all over. And you could tell the, the cross, I think, was burnt a little bit. And it wasn't, you know, crazy, super crazy. It was, it was like, "Oh, this is new." You know, "This wasn't out here a few days ago." And then I found this little doll and, um, as I kinda investigated that doll more, uh, a little red scarlet snake actually came up and wrapped around her neck. And I picked up the s- there it is, I picked up the scarlet snake and, um, which, you know, is kinda weird that there's a live snake, a red snake on this doll. And I've caught a lot of snakes in my life, and that is the only one that was bleeding out of its anus. There was blood coming out of its b-hole, which, you know, I don't know why, who knows what. It was a little weird to me. Um, and then the night just kinda gets weirder from there. You see the, the red lettering in the other clip, it was a big Latin saying, uh, like 100 foot long pretty much on the road. I drove