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CHAMBERSBURG PUBLIC OPINION (Pennsylvania) 03 April 04 Snake hunt set for June - Firefighters seek permit for fund-raiser (Jim Hook)
Volunteer firefighters at Shippensburg's Cumberland Valley Hose Company looked beyond bingo and the community fair for their latest money maker.
They're banking on thrill of snakes. Rattlesnakes.
Fire Chief Chris Helm, a snake hunter and member of the Keystone Reptile Club, announced the snake hunt and sacking contest on Friday -- nearly three months ahead of the event and a couple of weeks before the state decides whether to issue a permit for the event.
"We're doing this so you understand this isn't a back-in-the-hills, hillbilly thing," Helm said to reporters. "There's going to be no harm to any of these reptiles. They must be returned to where they were caught -- unharmed."
The event will be very controlled and organized, according to Helms.
Firefighters say they are expecting controversy and even welcome a visit from animal rights activists.
Andrea Cimino, wildlife campaign manager with the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C., said society investigators have visited snake roundups in Pennsylvania and Texas. She said she is not aware that any Pennsylvania roundup has been the site of public protest, but the society still worries for the snakes.
"There are not as many concerns with Pennsylvania roundups as in the larger ones (in the West)," Cimino said. "Public slaughter is not allowed, but we are still concerned."
Let's back up.
The plan
The Snake Hunt and State Sacking Contest scheduled for June 19 and 20 is actually two separate snake contests. Pennsylvania's timber rattlesnakes and other native snakes will be featured in the snake hunt. Western diamondback rattlesnakes from Oklahoma will star in the sacking contest.
In the snake hunt, participants can search anywhere within a 30-mile radius of the Shippensburg Fairgrounds for a variety of snakes during the weekend. The snakes are brought to the fairgrounds for judging -- the longest, the biggest, the most rattles, etc.
After being on display, each snake is returned to where it was found. Each hunter must have a state permit to participate.
In the sacking contest, a two-man team picks up five diamondbacks and places them in a sack. The state record last year was 18 seconds. Women and children also participate in sacking contests, but sack nonvenomous snakes provided by the reptile club.
The fire company bills the outdoors event as fun and educational for the whole family and a boost for the local travel industry. Hunters will be renting motel rooms, Helms said. Weekend camping will be allowed at the fairgrounds for a fee. Nine vendors have already signed up for display space.
Visitors get in free. Besides gawking at someone sacking 7-foot diamondbacks barehanded, visitors can examine Pennsylvania snakes close-up and ask questions about them.
Firefighters expect to make money selling chicken barbecue, refreshments and "snake hunt" T-shirts. The reptile club also will sell souvenirs.
The permit
The Fish and Boat Commission is to decide about issuing a permit for the event before the end of the month, according to a commission spokesman. The commission issues about 10 each year.
Keystone Reptile Club has a state permit to hold four roundup events a year. The club chose to drop its July snake hunt because attendance was low at the remote location in Grampian, Clearfield County, Helms said.
The Shippensburg roundup would be in an area with more human inhabitants, but also in an area where the fish commission has great concern for the population of timber rattlers.
"There are certain areas where rattlesnake populations are sensitive, and we may want to discourage hunts in those areas," said Dan Tredinnick, spokesman for the Fish and Boat Commission.
Timber rattlesnakes are on the cusp of being listed among the threatened and endangered species, he said.
Snake hunters check the length, weight and sex of each snake caught and its location, Helms said. The information is given to the state, which is conducting an inventory of timber rattlesnakes in order to establish management areas.
"We have real reservations about hunts," Tredinnick said. "We want to make sure certain standards are followed, who's involved and how the snakes are handled. There are some individuals who don't want to treat snakes with respect."
Snake hunts can be educational if conducted correctly, he said.
Some snake hunts in western states allow hunters to burn diamondbacks out of their holes, neglect the snakes in captivity and kill them.
"Lots of snakes have suffered considerable abuse before being brought to Pennsylvania" for sacking contests, Cimino said. A snake may be handled more than 15 times during a sacking contest and suffer a broken jaw and ribs. Handlers can be bitten.
The state doesn't allow Pennsylvania snakes to be used in sacking contests.
Cimino's chief concern with snake hunting is that each snake be returned to the exact spot where it was found. Snakes don't do well in new territories, and if they do survive they can disturb the genetics of a population.
No snakes will touch the ground of the fairgrounds, Helms said. The main event will be held inside a double-fenced "pit."
"A person of the general public has a greater chance of getting struck by lightning than being bitten by a rattlesnake (at the fairgrounds)," Helms said. "The sacker is a different story."
Usually at least one participant, typically one holding a sack, is bitten during a sacking contest, according to Helms.
"I hunt them a lot," Helms said. "I'm not a sacker."
A medical helicopter will be at the event all weekend, according to Sue Fisher, a member of the project committee.
"We may have anti-venom," she said.
Committeeman Mike Weimer said that he had preferred dead snakes to live ones before he was dragged off to a snake hunt.
"I got to touch a snake," Weimer said. "I became more respectful and understanding. I wouldn't have gotten that if I hadn't gone on the snake hunt."
For more information about the snake hunt and sacking contest, call Cumberland Valley Hose Company Fire Chief Chris Helm at 532-5353 or check www.cvhose.com.
Snake hunt set for June - Firefighters seek permit for fund-raiser

It kills me that people can be so stupid. What kind of fund raiser uses a deadly animal as the main focus? Fire men are supposed to be heroes in the eye's of the public? Not encourage them to handle deadly serpents. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not putting all firemen in the same category as these freaks. But really what the hell? Firemen should all try to be roll models and not support this crap.

The event sounds like a bad idea that has been poorly planned after reading the post. What kind of remark is "We may have anti-venom "? Hopefully they contacted their local trauma units to pre-pair them for any mishaps.

I'm not sure how true the following statement is, "Timber rattlesnakes are on the cusp of being listed among the threatened and endangered species", but if this is true? Why not leave the snakes in these areas alone.

The last gripe I have about this festival is the education part? What makes these snake hunters teachers? Anyone can catch a snake and hopefully not get bite (Unfortunately several people do get bite every year by venomous snakes in this country), this doesn’t make them teachers.

If part of the fire departments goal is to educate the public to venomous reptiles in the area? Why not put together a reptile festival with professional CB reptiles. I'm sure it wouldn’t be hard to find people who want to show off their animals and teach the public about them.

Hopefully no kids decide they want to be like these collectors and decide to try and collect on their own, like the 14 year old kid below.

This is all only my opinion and I don’t expect everyone to agree with it. I do hope you show some sort of question when reading the original post. Thanks for reading my two cents which is more like five cents.
Jason

They're endangered here in Ohio, it makes me sick that it's still legal to hunt them in Pennsylvania. They'll just keep hunting them until they ARE endangered. That's what happened to all our predators.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

What's to prevent these "snake hunters" from going back, AFTER the festivities, and killing the snakes they just let loose? OR, telling anyone and everyone where the dens are so that the "snake haters" can go there and decimate populations. What if someone dies from getting bit during the snake bagging? Sheesh... Antivenin or no antivenin, who's paying for the hospital bills that might be incurred? So much for a "fund raiser!" Be a heck of a way for them to test their EMT skills!

Yeah I live in PA and I don't think they should kill the rattlesnakes.Law DOES require that all of these morons have a permit or they can be fined.

Not EVERYONE in PA will hunt rattlesnakes. There are a lot of hillbilly rednecks out in western PA that hunt em and eat them thinking they are cool.

I do agree with one law and that is a person may kill a timber rattlesnake/copper head if they are in harms way. Now the only reason I agree with this is because my uncle has a cabin in the mountains that is used for a little vacation getaway and there are TONS of Copperheads and a few rattlesnakes. Now the closest neighbor is 25 mins away by car and nearest medical facility is nearly 50 miles or so away. A copperhead was in the cabin with me,my son who was 2 at the time and my ex. My ex grabbed my son and went into the bed room and shut the door. I opened the front door and waited a few mins to see if the snake would leave.He didnt move for 15 mins.Then I tried 2 shoo the snake out with a broom. The snake would NOT move and actually attacked me as I backed up. Needless to say I just killed the snake with a metal shovel. I did not want to hurt the snake but didn't want anyone getting harmed. Cooperheads are the most abundant snakes up there and frankly I will never take a chance with a kid around with one of these snakes.

I have seen about 10 of these snakes basking on a rock close to the cabin.We actually made a concrete walkway in front of the house to avoid stepping on or near them thats how many there are up there.