Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I usually use tongs in the field when messing with rattlers, but on some larger atrox I'd feel more secure also having a hook; tong the front, hook the back. These 5' plus diamondbacks just have a lot of heft to them and I don't feel 100% safe for myself or the snake with just a tong on their midbody section.
I'm looking to get a hook that may have a slightly wider than normal mouth/hook area? I've seen some python hooks from Midwest, but those are just huge (like 5" wide!) and are bigger than I like. I'm really hoping for something more like 2" or so, maybe 3" at the outside. If they're my only choice, so be it, but I was hoping someone here knew of other products that might fit the bill.

Just make your own! Thats what I do, just get some 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch stainless rod from Lowes or Home Depot and bend one end to the desired size leaving about 4 inches of straight rod, scar this end up with a file or something. Then get an old golf club from goodwill or someones garage sale and cut the club end off, fill it with gorilla glue and shove the straight end of the hook as far into the shaft of the club as it will go and let it sit for a night. Sand off the excess and you have a good, strong snake hook.

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Dustin Smith

how do you bend a stainless steel rode? I think I get the general idea and it sounds like a winner to me. I'm guessing a hacksaw for the old golf club...I'm not a handyman by any stretch but this sounds simple enough.

Well if its 1/4 inch its not too difficult, just use a vise if you have one, and make sure and bend it before you cut it so it will give you more leverage. Or if you have a small propane torch you can heat it up red hot and bend it fairly easily just by pressing it to the ground. Hope this helps.
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Dustin Smith

I made 25 today buy one from Randal they should be at a fair price and very sturdy.
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Archie Bottoms

Is yours a similar operation?
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Dustin Smith

What do you mean
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Archie Bottoms

How you make the hooks?
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Dustin Smith

FOR THIS KIND EXACTLY THE SAME WAY
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Archie Bottoms

Oh ok, I considered welding them for strength but the tubing on the golf club is too thin. Is your caps lock stuck? lol
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Dustin Smith

I do weld them that is what I have been doing this afternoon I braze them with pre fluxed brazeing rods and map gas.I can not afford for the hook to slip while dealing with a deadly animal.
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Archie Bottoms

Good idea and good point~
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Dustin Smith

I've found that you don't even have to cut the golf club.The ones I've done I heat the shaft with a propane torch and melt the epoxy that holds the head of the club in. Also any auto parts store will sell a small tube bender used for bending brake lines for a couple of bucks that works great on bending the rod. Marty

Forgot to mention, I heat the rod before bending.

A useful trick or tip when bending the hook is to slip the steel into a pipe so the shaft part stays straight and you can bend it exactly where you want it to bend without the “straight” part getting a curve in it.