People Killing snakes

[satomi325]

I figured if I'm going to say anything about the TV show I should watch and episode and so I did. it really wasn't as bad I thought it was going to be.

The actual show is relatively tame due to being a public channel.
However, there are a lot of behind the scenes video taken of the same group in the show that partake in the inhumane treatment of the snakes. There's a bunch on youtube.

[reptileexperts]

Heh,

Ok, so I've been in attendance to the round ups in the past, and yeah its all a show and party and celebrates the death of the snakes. Am I for it? No, no where near!

Here's some interesting information for this year . . . Texas has been in one of the worst recorded droughts in the last century, It's even worse off in West Texas, where numerous amounts of these snakes come from before being brought to the round up. Every year the committee (JC Committee) pays out money per pound of snake you bring it. The cost goes up and down as needed, however, because of the lower numbers last year (They should be happy right? After all the original goal was to lower the amount of potentially dangerous snakes in the immediate area) they increased they payout to a record high reaching double digits for the first time in years and years per pound. . . What does that mean?

It means that they have over harvested the amount of snakes that can be taken from a single place, and are now encouraging people to extend their current range of searching and capturing. Is it regulated as some people have suggested, not at all. There is no limits. In fact, there are contest to see who can bring in the most pounds of snake, and a contest to see who can bag the biggest. This drives people to search out snakes from all over the state, and even from other states, in order to bring them to the festival.

To capture the snakes, these people will use inhumane use of poison sprayers filled with Gasoline, and spray them into the hides and rocks where these snakes are located. They then use tongs to grab the snakes and throw them in trash cans. Do they ID the snakes? Nope! I photographed numerous species in their snake pits that they obviously had no care far species wise. Were their protected species? no . . . I could not find any that were actually protected. Had I been able to photograph one protected species during my survey of their pits, I would've had a strong foot for the article I was part of trying to get it stopped back in 2006. . .

All in all, there will always be support for these events. For every 1 person that loves rattlesnakes, there are probably 100 that hate them. The odds are stacked against us to be able to stop such events from occurring, at least when they are backed up by such a powerful organization such as the Jacee's. There has been success in shutting them down in Alabama, but the sweet water round up is the largest in the US currently.

Is it a profit game? probably, but its hard for me to grasp it. I'll end with this - While I was at the event I found a bright golden Rattle Snake in the pit. It was absolutely stunning in both pattern, coloration, and health. I contacted one of the leaders of the events and said I'd like to pay double for that snake what you paid in its weight so I can let its gene flow live on. The works laughed at the concept and informed me these snakes were not for sale . . . alive.

None the less, these round ups are forcing populations into a bottleneck event that will severely impact that stability and survivability of the species. The more we take from the top in a whole, the less genetic variation the species will have to evolve from. This will create a weaker species, and ultimately lead to local extinction. . . if there was conservation behind the madness, maybe introducing new genetics to every den they know if and not draining it all the way, it may have some ground to stand on. But for all it does wrong, it's impossible for someone like me to see anything done right.

[MidSouthMorphs]

Rattlers should be controled some way. I dont belive they should do it the way they are doing it but where i live in texas rattlers always end up in my back yard where my kids play sooo

They were here long before you, technically you are invading their land. Just my $.02.

[MidSouthMorphs]

I know several roundups have been shut down and now have been reintroduced as festivals. If it hurts the local population for example like the Eastern Diamondback in some areas then I am against it. I personally would not do it nor kill an animal if I didn't absolutely have to. I am a catch and release guy myself.

I am not saying what everyone does it wrong, to each his own. Everyone has their own opinions and I respect them all to a degree.

[angllady2]

Urban Jungle Radio is involved with a massive effort to shut down Sweetwater. They've got some pretty heavy hitters on their side.

I suggest you look them up on Facebook for the latest.

Gale