Some people shouldn't own snakes...

Man gets tagged for the 44th time by a hot?

It seems like he's trying to get a lifetime achievement award from the Darwin Awards...

I wonder how any bites it would take for that guy to say “You know what this time for me to give up”? :confuzd:

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Originally Posted by GA_Ball_Pythons

I wonder how any bites it would take for that guy to say “You know what this time for me to give up”? :confuzd:

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Or say, "I think it's about time I learn WTF I'm doing". He got bit on the hand while cleaning the cage?! How do people like this get permits to work with hots?

you'd think they'd revoke his permit after say... 5 bites... let alone 44... :confused:

ray is a legend in some circles he has a very unorthodoxed style he free hanldes all his hots most he has are kings i think he also helped write f.l. laws on snakes

Maybe it's just me, but potentially getting a lethal venomous bite over 40 times doesn't seem like it would help the public perception of this hobby.

And I would also have to wonder how he can keep his venomous permit after having so many "incidents". :confused:

i heard on another forum that he injects himself with cobra venom

Who knows what the true story is behind this guy? Based on the article though...he's either an idiot with a death wish....or an idiot with an immortality complex. :rolleyes:

he does preform self enoculations

Does injecting yourself with venom really help? What happens, does the body develop a sort of tolerance to it? By asking I am in no way going to do it myself or suggest that it should be done, just wondering how that works.:confused:

Here is his site. I am going to keep my comments to myself about this. That whole if you have nothing nice to say.... lol
Besides the last forum I was on that someone made a not so nice comment about Ray or the article it ended in a battle and the thread was pulled.

http://www.cobraman.net/

Dr. Ray Hunter is NOT an idiot!

He has more education, training and experience with HOTS than all of us put together. cobraman just has an unusual way to hadle his HOTS. He has decades of experience, so of course your going to get bit.

NO ONE is perfect...Sh*t happens.
Ray lives in my town, and Ive spent time with him, and his beautiful snakes. He has a 14 foot King Cobra, that is absolutely stunning. I went and saw him in the hospital a few weeks ago. He's doing pretty good.

I talked with him and he says, and I quote, "I think it's about time to calm down. Im getting older, deferred vision, getting a little sloppy, maybe it's time to get out of this."

So any one that does NOT know him, CANNOT call him an idiot.

I think the point of the "idiot" part was that he continues to get bit. You successfully decrease the chance of getting bit by using a snake hook.

By being such an upstanding member of the community, he should take more credance in his position among us by setting an example for all of us. "Do as I say, not as I do" is not a good rule of thumb!
Does he recommend that other people handle their hots freely like he does? Reckless, someone that continues to put their hand in the fire and get's burned should have learned a long time ago.

He may be a very book smart person, but the common sense seems to be lacking for him. If he feels the need to continue down this path, he has to bear the weight from potentially inspiring someone to free handle their own hots, "because he did it". There are too many idiots out there for him to help spur them on.

He should act like an adult, and not put himself in danger so recklessly. Just my opinion. :cool:

Crikey! Some guys end up taking just one too many risks.

I couldn't get to the link for the story (story expired...?). But here is another I found that is somewhat humorously written. And it is followed by other humorously written rattlesnake stories.

http://dev.smm.org/buzz/buzz_tags/rattlesnake

Advance Recovery, glad you spoke up for the "Cobraman." Good to hear a perspective from someone who knows him.

I have to add though, that I, too, would have given up hots after, say, the 3rd bite...?

I agree with recovery guy up there, Ray is not an idiot. He doesn't condone anything he does, he does things the way he wants to do them. He admits that because he does the self immunization thing that it tends to make him a bit complacent. If any of you got to know him you'd know this. But it yeah the pics of him free handling (which he no longer does) will give him that image he knows it but seriously he's not proud of his 44 bites. He knows what he's doing, he's a smart guy who does what he does because it works best for him.

Ray Hunter is a friend of mine. And to call him an idiot without knowing the story is well, wrong.

I hope and pray this does not make me less welcome here but I have to say this.

I see people posting things in this very thread they know nothing about. Some feel the need to put down others to make themselves feel better I guess. Ray Hunter has helped me with more then he even knows. He does not tell you to handle hots the way he does. He does not pass judgement on anyone else.

To see this here from a site that says they are for the hobby and not for slamming people kinda upset me.

Not just becuase I look at Ray as a good friend. But Becuase people posting like they know what happened becuase they seen it in the paper or read this or that on a forum.

Ray works with the F&W to RESCUE these snakes! He is a main reason why a lot are not put down. He is well respected in the hot community. And also he would not refuse to help anyone. His knowledge is right up there with some of the best keepers in the world IMO.

Do I agree with the way Ray has handled snakes? No. But at the same time I respect Ray and show him this respect becuase he is not out telling others to do what he does.

Sometimes it is better of not saying something untill you have all the info. Ray was bit by this Eastern. Yep. He was boxing it to ship it off to a Zoo. He was saving its life. More then most of us would have done. He almost died saving a snakes life.

You do not know how all Rays bites have happened. he is the one that deals with the bites.

To say he will ruin this hobby when he has done more for it then most of us combined. Come on.

I can not post anymore. Just a little upset with what I have read on a site that says they are not for attacking.

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Originally Posted by Gary Orner

Ray Hunter is a friend of mine. And to call him an idiot without knowing the story is well, wrong.

I hope and pray this does not make me less welcome here but I have to say this.

I see people posting things in this very thread they know nothing about. Some feel the need to put down others to make themselves feel better I guess. Ray Hunter has helped me with more then he even knows. He does not tell you to handle hots the way he does. He does not pass judgement on anyone else.

To see this here from a site that says they are for the hobby and not for slamming people kinda upset me.

Not just becuase I look at Ray as a good friend. But Becuase people posting like they know what happened becuase they seen it in the paper or read this or that on a forum.

Ray works with the F&W to RESCUE these snakes! He is a main reason why a lot are not put down. He is well respected in the hot community. And also he would not refuse to help anyone. His knowledge is right up there with some of the best keepers in the world IMO.

Do I agree with the way Ray has handled snakes? No. But at the same time I respect Ray and show him this respect becuase he is not out telling others to do what he does.

Sometimes it is better of not saying something untill you have all the info. Ray was bit by this Eastern. Yep. He was boxing it to ship it off to a Zoo. He was saving its life. More then most of us would have done. He almost died saving a snakes life.

You do not know how all Rays bites have happened. he is the one that deals with the bites.

To say he will ruin this hobby when he has done more for it then most of us combined. Come on.

I can not post anymore. Just a little upset with what I have read on a site that says they are not for attacking.

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Get off the soap box!
I just read this thread and No one was putting this guy down..

Really?

He was called an idiot

And his keeping of hots was put in question. By people that did not know the story. I see a lot of attacks on this person.

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Originally Posted by Gary Orner

Really?

He was called an idiot

And his keeping of hots was put in question. By people that did not know the story. I see a lot of attacks on this person.

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He as a person wasnt called an idiot! Reread the thread..

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Originally Posted by JASBALLS

He as a person wasnt called an idiot! Reread the thread..

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I will just simply quote what I see has attacks on someone when the person doing the posting knew nothing other then what media wanted them too.

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It seems like he's trying to get a lifetime achievement award from the Darwin Awards

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This not so bad but still a person that does not know Ray making a comment that is attacking. This is putting Ray down.

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Or say, "I think it's about time I learn WTF I'm doing". He got bit on the hand while cleaning the cage?! How do people like this get permits to work with hots?

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This quote says hey Ray does not know what he is doing. How did he get his permit. Sorry But again a person that does not know things about it making a judgment

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You'd think they'd revoke his permit after say... 5 bites... Let alone 44...

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This one not an attack. Just saying hey they should revoke it. Ray has done a lot for Florida hot keeping.

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I heard on another forum that he injects himself with cobra venom

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Ray does but still this is one of them things I heard this and this. Ray has and I believe still does but more then just cobras.

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he's either an idiot with a death wish....or an idiot with an immortality complex

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Looks to me as he is either being called an idiot or he has a death wish. Or both.

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but the common sense seems to be lacking for him

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This is antoher put down.

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He should act like an adult, and not put himself in danger so recklessly. Just my opinion

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Another comment basicly saying he is not acting liek an adult. and another comment about how he got bit.

My point being is look how many jumped the gun here. Without knowing anything other then what media wanted them too. I am sure if I was to say these comments to a long standing memebr here I would be told to COOL IT. Right? I know so becuase I seen it right away the first day I was here. And I thought it was very cool to see that.

But oh well.

Let me state again. I do not want to bash any one person. My point was that judgement was made before anyone knew anything.

They see what the media wants them too and then some people just go off. If that happens all the time this hobby would have been dead a long time ago.

First thing Ray said to his friends were he did not know if he could go back on forums as he knows about the bite hate. Basicly people slamming him left and right not knowing what trully happened.

He almost died. This was his worst bite he has had. But around the net All I seen was slamming him. Maybe I am a bit on the defensive side about this as he is a friend.

But again my main point was posts being made. Negitive(sp) posts at that without knowing what was going on.

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Originally Posted by Gary Orner

I will just simply quote what I see has attacks on someone when the person doing the posting knew nothing other then what media wanted them too.


This not so bad but still a person that does not know Ray making a comment that is attacking. This is putting Ray down.



This quote says hey Ray does not know what he is doing. How did he get his permit. Sorry But again a person that does not know things about it making a judgment



This one not an attack. Just saying hey they should revoke it. Ray has done a lot for Florida hot keeping.



Ray does but still this is one of them things I heard this and this. Ray has and I believe still does but more then just cobras.



Looks to me as he is either being called an idiot or he has a death wish. Or both.



This is antoher put down.



Another comment basicly saying he is not acting liek an adult. and another comment about how he got bit.

My point being is look how many jumped the gun here. Without knowing anything other then what media wanted them too. I am sure if I was to say these comments to a long standing memebr here I would be told to COOL IT. Right? I know so becuase I seen it right away the first day I was here. And I thought it was very cool to see that.

But oh well.

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Well I dont know You or Ray.. Idiots or not, Dont blame this whole forum for something 1-2 people say.. That is IDIOTIC!

IMHO..

I was not really blaming the whole forum. There are great people here but as you see some of them quotes came from super mods and Admin.

Not saying they are bad people. I really think they are good people. Just made some judgements before getting the facts. That is why I made my posts. The admin and mod team were posting it.

This is from Ray's web site. I do not know him at all. I have never even heard of him. If you think about it how many times have you guys been bit by BPs. Now how many times have breeders been bit?
I know that BPs and snakes that kill are different but still I hope people see my point about the situation. I know it is not apples and apples but every now and the an orange makes the point.

*** NOTE*** For anyone interested in getting involved with venomous snakes I HIGHLY recommend and fully endorse B W Smith’s book “VENOMOUS SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY”. Brian Smith is a good friend of mine, and while I get a kick out of his reactions to some of the photos of myself ‘free-handling’ I will be the first to admit that his book teaches the CORRECT way to handle. This book is a MUST for venomous keepers. Click photo to view or order his book:

Notice where he says the CORRECT way to handle snakes. He is not condoning what he does and even states that it is the incorrect way to handle snakes.

Ray is not an idiot, he's also not a good example of what YOU should do if you keep hots. He does things a certain way because that's how he's always done it. Long before any of us were probably even around.

Also, he is "somewhat" immune to the cobra venom now. While it is still dangerous, it's not as dangerous as it would be for you or I.

It's not possible to get bit 44 times and live if you don't have some type of immunity. He is an expert on cobra venom and has probably saved hundreds of lives with the work he does on antivenin.

So, should he own venomous snakes? I'm grateful he does.

there was in an interview w/ him on reptile radio, he seems like quite the character.

although i think it is moronic to have the "do as i say, not as i do" attitude that he seems to have.

ray is a good guy, he he has 44 bites but he also does venom production and milks alot of snakes, or use to not sure if he still does it. when you milk hundreds of snakes you are going to slip now and then. i see tons of people saying ray is not a good example but no one says that about bill haast and i believe bill was rays mentor not 100% sure tho.

ray would never tell anyone to free handle like him but hes not one to bash anyone for making a mistake. dont judge people before you get the facts stright.