Rattlesnake Round Up

[frankykeno]

I was just watching a program on TV about these rattlesnake roundups down in Florida of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. What a horribly disturbing thing to watch! Even if I didn't have a passion for snakes, this would still be awful for me. I think what got me was these parents taking their kids off for a "fun" day of watching these poor wild creatures brought in, some badly damaged already from exposure to the gas fumes that they use to drive them from their burrows, basically tortured, harrassed and then killed. Oh and the kids get a "really neat" toy...a rattlesnake's rattle stuck on stick.

What a completely wasteful and stupid human act this is! What a lesson to teach those kids about honoring our wild creatures and our world! I had to wonder if you walked around a round up and took a poll, just how many of those same folks would think what Michael Vick did with dog fighting was bad, but what they are doing with these snakes is just a "fun day".

I'm amazed in this day and age that something this barbaric is allowed to occur, especially with young kids in attendance! I really don't see how this is much different than dog fighting, male chicken fighting (the real word gets automatically censored LOL), bull fighting...whatever. Just disgusted me!

[jotay]

I saw that program also and another program that was real in-depth about a town in Texas that has a huge roundup.

I find it totally disgusting and appalling. They have no thought for nature or living creatures. When they use the gas to draw them out of the burrows they harm and kill many other animals.

I wish we could do a round up on those jerks.

I also heard on the show that some areas that use to do the round ups still do them but w/o the killing of the snakes. It is now more like a fair and they have snake demos to show folks not to be so scared and what to do if they come upon a rattlesnake ie leave it alone.

On the one show I watched they crown a round up queen and one of her duties is to take a live rattler and gut it and skin it for the people to watch.
Friggin unreal

[Aric]

I saw a show once about a big one in Texas, saying thats the towns only real income. I find it completely sick, what gets me even more is they take school children on a field trip to the place where they actually kill the snakes and teach them the process.

[frankykeno]

Yep I saw that one too Johanna, where they do more of an educational, snake friendly rattlesnake festival. No snakes are harmed and it seemed a very good way to educate the public and have a fun time of it.

It's funny because I grew up in a hunting family where hunting was a very social event and a lot of fun. It was never disrespectful though of the animals. Anyone shooting was expected to hit what they aimed at, kill it cleanly and eat what they killed. My family was never big into "trophy hunting" type thing. If you got a nice trophy that was a side benefit, not the focus of the hunt.

I remember my dad going on one cariboo hunt and he said he was saddened by it. A huge stream of cariboo coming by and you just shot them down...no chance for the animal, no skill to it for the hunter and the meat wasn't even that tasty. Dad never went back again and I understood this was just not the type of hunting he believed in and taught his kids about.

[jotay]

My family wasn't big hunters but that is the same way I was taught.

My dad and his family mostly hunted when he was growing up and it was totally for food as he was dirt bag poor.

I don't get the so-called " hunting reserves" everyone I know that ever went said that is was like shooting fish in a barrel. I just don't get how that could be fun, or thrilling or even hunting?

[frankykeno]

Well if hunting is a sport, those "canned hunts" are about the least sporting way to hunt. blech!

[Lucryth]

I'd a pretty big hunter, dove, quail, turkey.
I enjoy the hunt, its quite the thrill, and its exciting when you do actually knock a bird down, and believe you me, its not an easy task to accomplish.
9 outta 10 times the birds will get the better of me, mostly because I'm not the best shot, but those birds are extremely intelligent (or maybe I'm not )
And yes, I do agree with you Franky, "Rattlesnake Round-ups" are horrible, and I've been to one where they starved, dehydrated, and practically tortured the Rattlesnakes. Don't worry I said something along the lines of "Lets see you take one of them one-on-one in the wild" and walked off. (This was at a gun exhibition, which surprisingly included everything from firearms to sugar gliders, lol) I've have come across a wild rattlesnake, and if possible I will just turn around and walk the other way, their not looking to fight, or harm us in any way, I deem it only humane that we return the favor.

[Ginevive]

I am with you all on this. How disgusting.