STAR-TRIBUNE (Casper, Wyoming) 08 May 06 Snake wranglers turn hobby to business (Anthony Lane)
Snake skins destined to become belts and wallet covers hang from the ceiling in Daryl Pike's shop.
Their living cousins rattle and hiss nearby from inside a modified chest freezer.
"I pay $3 a pound for live snakes," the Powder River resident said. He seemed reluctant to explain all of the steps between live rattlesnake and tanned skin, citing the unwanted attention of "tree-huggers."
The finished products, to be shipped to gift shops and sold at fairs, were visible everywhere. A tag reading "$30" hung from a snake posed in a striking position, clear droplets affixed to fangs simulating venom that had been removed.
Carroll Pike lives next door to his brother and contributed many of the recent additions to live snake collection. He walked over to the shop on Thursday evening, one prairie rattlesnake's green and sand-colored skin around his waist, another forming the band of his straw hat.
In the past week, Carroll Pike said, he has made two trips to the snake den where 19-year-old Danny Baker was bitten in late April, gathering nearly 20 snakes. The den is located in an area of rough dirt tracks to the west of Poison Spider Elementary School. Beer bottles and fire scars dot the area.
Carroll Pike said such uses make it a bad place for a snake den. He uses a bucket and a pole with a sort of clip on the end to gather snakes. Eradicating the animals in at least some places, he said, could make sense.
In other spots, Carroll Pike said, he is careful with how many snakes he takes.
"You've got to farm them or you'll wipe them out," he said. "They're not a bad animal."
Others in the family spoke of the importance of snakes in controlling rodent populations.
"They're fascinating animals," said Dolly Pike, Daryl's wife.
Regardless of any analogy to fishing, hunting snakes is a dangerous activity. Carroll Pike recalled being bitten last year by an unseen snake. He held his thumb pressed to his palm for the length of a trip to Wyoming Medical Center.
"I don't know if it would have killed me, but it d--- near scared me to death," Carroll Pike said, his face breaking into a smile.
He explained his decision to continue gathering snakes with a fishing metaphor. "You can't quit because you wrecked your boat," he said.
Daryl Pike said his business in snake products, which is licensed by Wyoming Game and Fish, is fairly successful. One problem, he said, is the mismatch between snake lengths and human shapes.
"Everybody that wants a belt needs a 44-inch belt," Daryl Pike said. "You can't hardly make a belt that long."
Snake wranglers turn hobby to business