While I can appreciate the concern that want to own a gaboon would cause, I'll paste Louisiana's laws on owning venomous:

Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76 Part XV
J. Restricted Amphibians and Reptiles
K. Venomous and Large Constricting Snakes
1. The importation and/or private possession of constrictor snakes in excess of 12 feet, including but not limited to the following species: Apodora Papuana (Papuan Python), Liasis Olivacea, (Olive Python), Morelia Spilota (Carpet or Diamond Python), Morelia Kinghorni (Scrub Python), Morelia Amethystina (Amethystine Python), Python Natalensis (Southern African Python), Python Sebae (African Rock Python), Python Molurus (Indian Or Burmese Python), Python Reticulatus (Reticulate Python), any species of the genus Boa (Boa Constrictors), and any species of the genus Eunectes (Anacondas), and venomous snakes, (hereinafter “restricted snakes”) obtained in any manner, shall be by permit issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries except for animals kept by animal sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife research centers, scientific organizations, and medical research facilities as defined in the Animal Welfare Act as found in the United States Code Title 7, Chapter 54, 2132(e).
Venomous Snakes—any species under current taxonomic standing recognized to belong to the Families Viperidae (Pitvipers and Vipers), Elapidae (Cobras and Mambas), Hydrophiidae (Sea Snakes), Atractaspididae (Mole Vipers), as well as the genera Dispholidus, Thelotornis, and Rhabdophis of the Family Colubridae only.


i. Any person requesting a permit to allow importation and/or private possession of venomous snakes shall demonstrate no less than one year of substantial, practical experience (to consist of no less than 500 hours) in the care, feeding, handling, and/or husbandry of the species for which the permit is sought, or other species within the same zoological family, which are substantially similar in size, characteristics, care, and nutritional requirements to the species for which the permit is sought.

This is why OP needs a mentor. It's required in Louisiana. I live in Texas and there is no such law as this, not even in the city where I live. I can go to Walmart with $20 and get the permit to own venomous and then go pick up a gaboon without any experience if I wanted. At least OP is trying to go about this the right way. I also never read anything about OP planning on picking up a gaboon in the next few days or anything, so if we could all not jump the gun on assuming we know what OP is planning, that would probably help out a lot.

Additionally, I'd like to point out that there has only been a single link to an outside thread within this one that I don't have immediate access, and I don't know about y'all, but the first thing I'm going to do when looking at a thread is not hunt down every other thread that a person has created. If someone else wants to, that's all fine and good, and linking them here may be helpful, but generally on forums, the place to hound someone on other topics is not on every single new thread they create. From what I do know of OP's other threads, none of them are that incriminating to me. OP joined recently and has been asking for a lot of advice, and it seems that some people may take that to mean OP is new to snake keeping? Whatever it is, there seems to be a lot of assumptions being made, and a lot of unnecessary harshness happening.

And yes, people may be giving OP private encouragement or help, but what is public is a lot of backlash on a decision that OP is free to make regardless. It's saddening to see a community that prides itself on being supportive and helpful doing the very opposite.

As far as screening goes, that's fine! Let him show himself online. I don't believe that anyone in this thread is going to be the hots owner mentoring him, though, or is even local to his area, so there's little being said that is helpful.

500 hours is not a hurry, by the way.