DAILY REVIEW (Towanda, Pennsylvania) 22 June 08 Some wrangle rattlesnakes at annual event (Tiffany Peden)

Monroeton Continuing a more-than-40-year tradition on Saturday was the Rattlesnake Hunt at the Monroeton Rod and Gun Club.

About 15 hunters were out in the hills and fields of Monroeton on Saturday, searching for an acceptable rattlesnake to take back to a pit set up at the club.

Not all rattlesnakes are allowed to be caught, said Paul Dodge, director of the Monroeton Rod and Gun Club. Hunters first need a permit to hunt for the rattlesnakes, and each person is allowed to catch only one rattlesnake, he said.

Also, only male rattlesnakes that are more than 42 inches long are allowed to be caught, Dodge said, adding that the laws are dictated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Males can be differentiated from females by counting the number of scales they have, he said.

At this traditional, annual event, Dodge said, the rattlesnakes used to be cooked; however they don’t allow this anymore.

The event lasts two days, he said, and once the event is over, the snakes have to be taken back to the exact same place the hunters found them.

“Some snakes won’t be able to find their way back to their den if they’re put in another place,” Dodge said. “They could die if they’re not taken back.”

Dave Schwechtje was waiting in the rattlesnake pit for the hunters to bring back rattlesnakes. He said the ones that are caught on Saturday will stay overnight so that people can see them today, too.

He had two different kinds of rods in the pit with him that he said the hunters typically use to catch the rattlesnakes. Usually he said they will grab them by their tail and put them in a container.

It is a dangerous activity, however, as he said it sometimes happens that people get bit when trying to catch a rattlesnake, and then they have to have a visit to the hospital.

The rattlesnakes that were brought to the pit would be measured to see who had the longest, and those people would win a prize, he said.

While the hunters were out looking for rattlesnakes, more than 200 other people gathered at the Monroeton Rod and Gun Club for the chicken and rib barbecue, horseshoe toss and children’s games. Some people just lounged on picnic tables with friends, chatting in the nice weather.

The event usually draws in about 2,000 people, Dodge said.

The Rattlesnake Hunt continues today at the Monroeton Rod and Gun Club.
Some wrangle rattlesnakes at annual event

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