THE ERA (Bradford, Pennsylvania) 10 June 07 Cameron County snake hunt on the rebound (Paul Heimel)
Sinnemahoning: "We're on the rebound," declares Bill Wheeler Jr., who has been spearheading the effort to keep alive a Pennsylvania tradition - rattlesnake hunting.
Under pressure from animal rights groups and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Wheeler and other leaders of the Keystone Reptile Club have made many changes in their organized snake hunts.
One of those concessions, the elimination of "rattlesnake sacking contests" in 2006, led to a decreased attendance last year. The turnout at this past weekend's Sinnemahoning Snake Hunt and the interest already shown in the Cross Fork Snake Hunt on the June 23-24 weekend tells Wheeler that the new brand of snake hunt is a keeper.
"Sure, we've heard complaints, but I'm absolutely convinced that it was the right decision - and that's coming from a guy who has probably participated in more snake-sacking contests than anyone," said Wheeler, a Spring Grove resident who has assumed the Keystone Reptile Club mantle from his father.
There's no doubt that the contests were crowd-pleasers. Teams of two would enter a pit with five live rattlesnakes and race the clock to corral them in a burlap sack. The fastest teams earned prizes.
Occasionally, there were snakebites, which can cause intense pain and disfigurement and are potentially fatal.
"It became impossible to get insurance because, let's face it, rattlesnake-sacking is an extreme sport," Wheeler said. "Just one claim could have destroyed the Keystone Reptile and maybe even one of the fire companies or other organizations that sponsor the snake hunts.
"But the biggest reason we eliminated the sacking contests was the message that they sent," he continued. "Our club tries to educate the public about proper snake-handling techniques and treating the species with respect. The sacking contests didn't really fit in with that."
Wheeler said his club has made other changes to adapt to new Fish and Boat Commission regulations designed to protect the timber rattlesnake, which carries an official designation of "candidate species" for endangered status in Pennsylvania.
Habitat destruction, taking of snakes by collectors and the killing of snakes in casual encounters have all diminished the reptiles' numbers and range, the agency reports.
The commission limits the harvest of timber rattlers to one a year.
Hunters must be licensed and may participate in only one organized event per year. They're also prohibited from taking snakes that are under 42 inches.
The size restriction is designed to protect female snakes, which typically are smaller than the males.
Female timber rattlesnakes need at least eight years to reach reproductive maturity.
Despite the restrictions, some 60 hunters registered for the Sinnemahoning event, sponsored Sinnemahoning Sportsmen's Club. There were just eight rattlesnakes entered in the contest. Top prize for the longest snake went to Tommy Wise of Lock Haven, who brought in a yellow-phase rattler measure 47 1/2 inches.
Wheeler and other Keystone Reptile Club members will be back in the snake pit June 23-24 during the Cross Fork Snake Hunt.
Cameron County snake hunt on the rebound

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