Hillbilly Dave Hackathorn, of Waverly, holds a Burmese python he captured in the Florida Everglades. Hackathorn will be in the first episode in Season 5 of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2 on the History Channel. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — A python hunter from Waverly will be in the season opener of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” premiering in January on the History Channel.

Dave Hackathorn of Waverly will join Troy “King of the Swamp” Landry, Bruce Mitchell, Kaylyn Glenn, Cheyenne “Pickle” Wheat, Zak Catchem, Aaron Crum and Dusty Crum to hunt and capture the giant invasive Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades where the serpents threaten the ecosystem.

Hackathorn is known as Hillbilly Dave.

“I’ve been called that for a long time,” he said.

Pythons are killing the native mammals, Hackathorn said. Raccoon, possum and bobcat have been nearly eradicated by the snakes in the last three decades, according to surveys by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Dave Hackathorn and his wife, Chris, pose with a python captured in the Florida Everglades. (Photo Provided)

“Now they’re going after alligators,” Hackathorn, 56, owner of Straight Up Tree Service, said.

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. The snakes were released to the wild by pet owners and after they escaped from pet stores because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992.

Hackathorn is no stranger to the Florida Everglades, which was part of the appeal to become a python hunter. Hunting python for eight years, Hackathorn helps his friend with a charter service for other python hunters and is a licensed air boat captain.

He and his wife Chris go to Florida every January and February when the pythons breed. They plan to return in January.

She goes to Florida as much as she can, limited because of other responsibilities. The hunt is exciting, but Chris doesn’t participate in the actual capture.

Dave Hackathorn, center, poses with “Swamp People” stars Bruce Mitchell and Kaylyn Glenn. Hackathorn, who owns the Straight Up Tree Service in Waverly, will be in the season opener of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2 on the History Channel. (Photo Provided)

“I will hold them after they are caught,” she said.

Hackathorn’s reputation over eight years of python hunting reached the producers of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion,” who contacted him about appearing on the show.

“The TV show needed help,” he said. “So they contacted me to help them out.”

Episode 1 of Season 5 will air at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

Chris is proud of her husband. They’ve been talking have a watch party with their friends.

From left, Bruce Mitchell, a star on the “Swamp People” series on the History Channel, and Dave Hackathorn of Waverly. Hackathorn will be in the first episode of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” premiering 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2. (Photo Provided)

“We probably will,” she said.

The episode was filmed in May, Hackathorn hopes to become a regular on the show.

“I was told I’m going to be in the first episode of the season,” he said. “I don’t know how many episodes I’m going to be in. They told me they were going to try to get me in as many as possible.”

The Everglades are a perfect breeding and feeding ground for the non-venomous pythons, Hackathorn said. Conditions resemble their native Southeast Asia.

Python hunting is encouraged in Florida. No permit or hunting license is required, there is no bag limit and the season is year-round at 32 designated areas and private property, but the snakes must be killed on site in a humane way. Contractors through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are paid for each snake and receive a fee based on the size of the python.

Dave Hackathorn, left, and Troy “King of the Swamp” Landry during the filming of Season 5 of the premiere of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” in May in the Florida Everglades. The show airs 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2. Hackathorn is known as Hillbilly Dave. (Photo Provided)

The numbers of Burmese python killed each year in Florida has increased since 2017 when the wildlife commission and the South Florida Water Management District established the Python Action Team and Python Elimination Program.

Prior to 2017, around 600 pythons were killed each year. After 2017 the numbers jumped to as much as 3,000 a year.

The wildlife commission each year in August also holds the Florida Python Challenge. The challenge encourages the humane killing of the snakes and comes up with a $10,000 grand prize.

The goal is eradication of pythons, which is unlikely because they have bred unchecked in the wild of the Everglades and have established their dominance over other species, Hackathorn said. Conditions are perfect for Burmese pythons as the Everglades most resemble their native habitats, he said.

The bounty for a python depends on how big it is, Hackathorn said. A snake of up to 4 feet is $50 and then $25 a foot after that with the hides worth from $15 to $50 a foot.

From left, Dave Hackathorn of Waverly and “Swamp People” stars Troy Landry and Pickle Wheat. Hackathorn will be in the first episode of Season 5 of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” airing 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2 on the History Channel. The episode was filmed in May in the Florida Everglades where invasive Burmese pythons have upset the ecosystem and have nearly eradicated all the mammals. (Photo Provided)

“I just skin them and sell the hides,” he said.

Hides can be used for any items that are made from cow leather, he said.

Most of the snakes he has caught were around 14 feet in length. Hackathorn said he’s caught several pythons 16 to 17 feet long.

“That’s a big snake,” he said.

Python hunting does not come without risks. Bites are common, Hackathorn said. The python is not looking to eat or kill someone and is protecting itself from danger, Hackathorn said. The constrictors generally run away, but will defend themselves and fight when confronted and cornered, he said.

“I’ve been bit a lot of times,” he said. “I’ve been bit bad several times.”

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

The airboat captained by Hillbilly Dave Hackathorn in the Florida Everglades. Hackathorn hunts Burmese pythons that have nearly eradicated the mammals in the Everglades and will be in the first episode of Season 5 of “Swamp People: Serpent Invasion” at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 2 on the History Channel. (Photo Provided)