That's just it though...populations are generally not too high. When people turn this hunt into a contest, they go far & wide to find & catch them from areas where they bother NO one, & they do so any way they can, even when it means harming the environment (pouring gas into holes, for example) that kills all sorts of animals & renders groundwater unfit. This is wrong on all levels. And since it's a contest...people WILL cheat, they WILL keep doing this...it's already against the law & defies common sense. The rattlesnakes are getting harder & harder to find...combined with climate change, habitat encroachment everywhere & endless pollution, they may well be driven extinct. I have a problem with that, & so should you.
So, you really think it's alright for people to go out & catch them and just keep them in containers (trash cans etc) without food & water, sometimes for months! -in anticipation of this sick festival & the chance to tease, torture & slaughter them publicly? The clear message to children in attendance is to disrespect & kill nature. Do you think they'll suddenly grow some empathy when they find frogs or king snakes? Not likely...
FYI, Hanta virus is alive & well, especially in areas where snakes have been made scarce...we need snakes, and even rattlesnakes are part of the balance of nature. They are NOT out to "get us", though in Texas who could blame them?
Frankly I'm shocked & deeply disappointed that anyone here keeping & presumably caring about snakes would hold views such as yours. Can rattlesnakes cause harm? sure...but so can bears, coyotes, skunks, wild felines etc. By your logic, maybe we should just eliminate all wild animals? But you know what causes even more harm than rattlesnakes? Humans. I'd rather find myself alone in a dark alley with rattlesnakes than most of my fellow humans.
I've been heavily involved with snakes (including numerous rattlesnakes) for many years, & because I've been public about it, people often volunteer comments to me. They tell me all about the harmless gopher snake that they "just had to kill" because it vibrated it's tail at them & wouldn't leave when they yelled at it. Beside knowing NOTHING about snakes, I've concluded that many people hate snakes because (some) snakes dare to hold their ground or appear to defend themselves...despite the obvious fact we appear to be huge predators coming after them. What does that say about people? You know what I think? that we're only as good as the way we treat the "least" of us...
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
That's just it though...populations are generally not too high. When people turn this hunt into a contest, they go far & wide to find & catch them from areas where they bother NO one, & they do so any way they can, even when it means harming the environment (pouring gas into holes, for example) that kills all sorts of animals & renders groundwater unfit. This is wrong on all levels. And since it's a contest...people WILL cheat, they WILL keep doing this...it's already against the law & defies common sense. The rattlesnakes are getting harder & harder to find...combined with climate change, habitat encroachment everywhere & endless pollution, they may well be driven extinct. I have a problem with that, & so should you.
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