Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why is it that the Jackass lawmakers and DNR in the state of Georgia (which I unfortunately live)have made it legal to hunt all venomous snakes, all year long, and take as many as you can find? I live in a wooded area and it has been a few years since I have seen a Copperhead or Cottonmouth and even longer since I've seen a Diamond back, and yet nearly every day I see a black racer or a ratsnake, which are protected. What gives? Is it that the lawmakers in georgia still think venomous snakes are tools of the devil and should be eradicated? If thats the answer I wouldnt be surprised. We are talking about the same group of people that attempted to pass a law requiring all georgia resturants to serve sweet tea. I'm sure they would argue that venomous snakes should be killed because they are dangerous to humans, but I'd be willing to bet that 49% of bite victims were trying to handle a venomous snake and were not trained, 49% were trying to kill one, and the remaining 2% are people that were bitten by no fault of their own. I hate ignorant damn laws!

Go ahead, make my day!

I understand how you feel but the only answer is education. Most people are afraid of snakes and don't know whitch ones are venomous anyway becouse that is what they were tought. I was in the Air Force and stationed in south Mississippi for 7 years. The people there would tell you that the woods were full of snakes and you better be carefull out there becouse that is what they have been told for generations. The only way to change that is to change it. Start with the kids and educate them about snakes. You can't convince everyone but you have to start somewere. Good luck and happy herping, Dean

Actually, when you get down to it, it's all about money....If the venomous snakes are legal to hunt all year long, then that just gives the snake hunters greater incentive to collect more of them for the snake roundups....The vens are legal because of the roundups...no other reason....the roundups bring money to the cities and states, and that's what they want....

Why are non-vens illegal? Well, DNR will tell you it's "conservation" while the Wal-Marts of the world flourish in once-prime habitat....In reality, it isn't conservation at all...It's the fact that a) vens mean money in the form of roundups and b) since there is no such incentive with non-vens, they are banned due in part to the stigma of snakes....call it fear, ignorance, etc.....it is what it is, but it ISN'T conservation...

-AzAtrox

That sounds about right to me. The roundups have got to be outlawed! Its just as cruel as cock fights or dogfights, only in this case all the animals die instead of a few. Im no PETA member and I beleive that control of animal populations through closely controlled hunting is necessary if the housing developers are going to continue to make the animals habitat smaller, but the slaughtering of thousands of venomous snakes every year in roundups is serious overkill. With the ability that modern man has to make fabrics, artificial snake skin could be made to look better and more uniform than real snake skin, and the stupid hicks that wear that stuff wouldnt know the difference.

I can certainly see your sentiments....I will however give credit where credit is due....There have been a couple roundups in Ga. that have since been replaced by more ecologically friendly gatherings...(I believe one is now a "chicken festival" and the other still uses adamanteus, but does not kill mass numbers of them as in days past.)

Yes, numerous studies have shown that the roundups have had a negative impact on adamanteus populations in Ga. When one considers the relatively low reproductive rate of these animals, coupled with the time that it takes an animal to reach sexual maturity, mass killing of these predators becomes not only an issue for the snakes themselves, but for the given ecosystems as
a whole.

One might make the same argument for the roundups in Texas and Oklahoma, but since these roundups focus heavily on atrox, (and atrox is a much more prolific animal than adamanteus) there have been locality specific declines, but the species as a whole is not in peril.

Regardless, I would not be opposed to responsible management of any animal if it can be shown that such management benefits that animals' populations and the ecosystem as a whole...Problem is, no such indications are evident in reference to the roundups of either atrox or adamanteus....Even if responsible management were justified, wholesale killing of any species (with the possible exception of cockroaches! ) is unwarranted in my opinion.

-AzAtrox

you didn't mention about the 80% of the morons that get bit are under the influance of alcoholwhen they try picking them up!