Hunting Rattlesnakes?

[Doug]

Does anyone hunt rattlesnakes for fun or profit? I was reading on another forum that there's a market for live rattlers and also frozen snakes. The guy telling the story was from Texas. I never knew rattlesnakes were a money making venture. Anyone know anything about this?
Doug

Here's the link to the whole story:
http://trapperman.hypermart.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/033289.html

 

[trophy_killer]

Man, just seeing that picture gives me the chills. There isn't anything that scares me, except a big ol' rattler. They scare the living day lights out of me.

 

[Delw]

I hate snakes and think they should all be killed... Anything with out eyebrows should die

I got bit a few years ago while quail hunting, and have stepped on a bunch while bear hunting....

Death to all snakes.....


Delw

 

[Washington Hunter]

Doesn't Texas or New Mexico (can't remember which) have what they call a Rattlesnake Roundup every year? And all those snakes are sold, but for what I don't know.

 

[Oak]

In CO there's a season on them. You must have a small game license. The season runs from June 15 - Aug. 15 with a daily bag limit of 3 and possession limit of 6.

I've got some pictures at home I took back in my young and stupid days when I'd catch them for fun. I'll post them when I get home next weekend.

Oak

 

[Elkhunter]

I see nothing wrong with snakes Del, it is those eight legged freaks that should die. Doug, DaleT hunts them, maybe he can help you out.

 

[mtmiller]

Looking for someone smart here. I used to think it was called anti venom (made sense). Then I saw it as anti venon, so I started to use that term instead. Now I saw Delw use anti venom, so I had to look it up again. I found both words associated with snakes, so I am not sure which is the correct usage. Can anyone tell me what the difference is? Maybe there is none? I am too lazy to look in the dictionary and now I am late for work. later...

 

[Delw]

LOL elkhunter...

I had some friends that used to catch them alive, toss them in the freezer, pull the fangs out, toss them back into the freezer to get cold again then , then pull them out and horse around with them.... They done this for years.....One day I walked across the steet and he had caught a few snakes... did his normal routine with the snakes... well this day was exceptionally hot out 110+º... seems the snake thawed out a little quicker and it nail him right between the index finger and thumb(that big web of skin you have there) took all the skin off... we all were laughing he went to the hospitol for some stitches and everyone forgot about the snake that bit him ... it was still loose in the back yard... I dont think it was ever found....


Delw

 

[Elkhunter]

LOL Del

It didn't take much to amuse them did it?

As much as you dislike snakes, you would love it here. In the past 13 1/2 years I have only seen like 4 snakes and they were all just little, non-poisenous snakes. The lawn mower ate one of them last year. I often wonder what it was thinking as it was slithering through the grass, minding it's own bussiness, when suddenly out of now where this giant metal object rides over it and bam, lawn mower baldes going full speed from the 25hp engine slices and dices it it and sucks it up faster than it could possibly fathem and threw it into a dark cave full of cut grass.

 

[Ithaca 37]

There's not much justification for killing snakes unless they are an immediate threat to you or living right in your yard or campsite. I just leave them alone. They are very beneficial. We've had big long topics on them in one of the other sections. It was about rattlesnake hunts, but I can't remember which section.

 

[2fastnaz]

I'm with Del on this one! Death to all rattelers! I sat on one while rabbit hunting when I was 17

!Sickest I've ever been! As long as I dont see or hear them they have a chance, if I see it, it's eating lead. There are places out here that are just thick with them. You can still sell them to ASU here but you have to have a herpa....herba..... you gotta have a liscence.
I think I read somewhere that they're protected in NewEngland or some yankee place. No offence to any yankees.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-10-2003 12:09: Message edited by: 2fastnaz ]</font>

 

[Delw]

its in texas....


here in AZ asu research used to buy them $50 each for live ones... they made anti venom with them... then after a the flock of CA's moved here they shut it down...
Delw

 

[azbirdhunter]

I agree with ya Del. Shoot em when ya see em. I'd be pissed if one got ahold of me or my dogs. Besides you can keep the shin for all sorts of stuff, and eat too.

UMM UMM GOOD

 

[Ithaca 37]

Here's some good info about snakes:

http://www.kingsnake.com/snakegetters/emergency.html

The dog training club I'm a member of trains about two hundred dogs each summer to stay away from snakes. I started it as a fund raiser about 7 years ago. We charge $25 per dog. Best little fund raiser and community service project we ever came up with. Takes us about 6 hours to make about $5000 bucks. Beats having a bake sale all to hell.

Our dogs don't go near snakes and I just ignore them, so we never have any problem. Stay away from them and you can't get bit!

Copperheads make me a little nervous though.

I actually kinda like rattlesnakes. They do everything they can to get you to leave them alone.

2fastnaz, Sorry to hear about your bite. Couldn't you get anybody to suck the venom out?

What would you do if you were a snake and some rabbit huntin' kid sat on you?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-10-2003 18:14: Message edited by: Ithaca 37 ]</font>

 

[schmalts]

I would kill a rattler, but i like other snakes because they have a role in rodent control. We have big pine and king snakes here that get to be 6 feet long. They are real docile and dont fuss much if you pick em up. We do have some timber rattlers but i have never seen one, they live along the mississippi river bluffs.

 

[AZHUNTERR]

we used to go uot an hunt snakes a few years ago we take the one about 3 foot long skin them strach the skins on 1x6 boards an sell them for about 20.00 to 25.00 an i ate the meat some times my buddy still dose it he love the meat

 

[ELKCHSR]

I prefer to leave snakes and spiders alone, the good they do outweigh the fears they bring apon a few of the more timid humans!!!

 

[BbarC]

The grand daddy of all snake roundups is in Sweetwater Texas every year in early make. They take in thousands of pounds every year. They are used for antivenom, meat, and skins. The price varies from $3-$9 per pound. Get one over 6' and you can get a big price bonus. We're still catching a few, but they are moving away from the dens. Some hunters gas the dens with a pump up sprayer with gasoline, but I dont like to gas the dens as you may kill some that dont come out. Besides lots of the buyers dont like to buy them that have been gassed. I have just put together a snake pit for the tourists attraction here at the store. I have a large tank5'x30' steel and above ground that I have built habitat with dirt rocks and stumps. I can put in rats and cottontails to feed them and have water available. It's a pretty good draw to stop the tourists as many have never seem the rattlers before. Largest one we have in there is about 5'5". Bob

 

[Doug]

NOTICE:
Anyone caught shoplifting in the BbarC Gun Shop will be hog tied and placed in the snake tank until police arrive.

 

[Nut]

LOL@Doug


BbarC I think that would be a

sign to put up in the store