When I had a boa (BCI) for many years, she always grabbed her f/t rat from the end of my long feeding tongs. Boas have strong feeding responses that only get stronger. You will want to own feeding tongs that are not less than 18"...please be careful...don't handle your boa before or after feeding (for at least a day+)...they stay in feed mode, & when they get big, this is truly DANGEROUS to you.
You never want to feed on a paper towel, as it doesn't take much dampness for the paper towel to stick to the prey & be ingested...NOT good for your snake! Please avoid this...
Never feed "by hand"...your warm & wiggling hand will register as "prey" to a hungry snake...not funny when it's a feeding mistake, as they may not let go. USE TONGS always.
When not feeding, don't be too quick to handle...make sure your boa understands it's NOT food. I never had even one bite...it's do-able! You mentioned hook training, I don't do that- I'm not saying it's not good, it's just not my favorite technique. I use my scent to repel most snakes by blowing air across my hand, but if I see that's not quite enough, I use a quick spray-mist of water to their face. This doesn't hurt anything, but it just "changes the channel" quicker. And no, it's not "mean" either...some of my snakes will even drink from the spray...and they certainly get rained on in the wild.
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