PUBLIC OPINION (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) 11 June 04 Snake hunt contest gets OK (Jim Hook)
Cumberland Valley Hose Company on Wednesday got the go-ahead for its snake hunt and sacking contest set for June 19 and 20.
Participants will not be allowed to collect snakes from Michaux State Forest, according to Cumberland Valley Fire Chief Chris Helm.
Fish commission officials have said they are worried about the dwindling population of rattlesnakes in Michaux.
The fire company and Keystone Reptile Club, hosts of the event, had been negotiating with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for more than a month.
The two-day event at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds features a contest for collectors of local snakes and a contest for people who pick up western diamondback rattlesnakes and put them in a sack. Admission is free.
Bass Pro Shop is bringing its King of Bucks trailer full of the original mounts of championship deer taken across the nation. Another 25 vendors have signed up for the outdoors show.
Children can fish for trout in a temporary pond and win prizes donated by local businesses.
The snake hunt will be limited to the north side of Interstate 81 in Franklin, Cumberland, Fulton and Juniata counties, Helm said. All of Perry County is off limits to collectors because it will be part of a Landisburg-area snake hunt in July.
Each collector must have a permit from the Fish Commission. After being on display, each local snake is returned to where it was found.
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 contest gets OK