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The country muic chanel had a show on tonight about a rattlesnake round up in a small town in Oklahoma. It was SICK, I litteraly felt ill. It had a bunch of redneck, inbread, country bumpkins on there as "professional snake handlers" abusing and butchering these animals. There was even a guy holding the severed head of a rattlesnake, in tongs, and the toung was still flicking out smelling the air. I feel that shows like this, as well as most of the shows about snakes on The Discovery Chanel and Animal Planet, convey a negative image of snakes and the people that truly care about them. I would like to see ONE show that doesn't portray these animals in a negative light or cause more fear to the viewing public. Why can't they just have one show that actually educates people about these animals. I think that some of the hosts of these shows should step up to the plate (Jeff Corwin, Steve Erwin, O'Shey etc.) and have an episode exposing these rattlesnake round up's, giving them and the people that support them negative "air time".
Getting off the soap box now

Thanks,
Just my opinion
Link

>>The country muic chanel had a show on tonight about a rattlesnake round up in a small town in Oklahoma. It was SICK, I litteraly felt ill. It had a bunch of redneck, inbread, country bumpkins on there as "professional snake handlers" abusing and butchering these animals. There was even a guy holding the severed head of a rattlesnake, in tongs, and the toung was still flicking out smelling the air. I feel that shows like this, as well as most of the shows about snakes on The Discovery Chanel and Animal Planet, convey a negative image of snakes and the people that truly care about them. I would like to see ONE show that doesn't portray these animals in a negative light or cause more fear to the viewing public. Why can't they just have one show that actually educates people about these animals. I think that some of the hosts of these shows should step up to the plate (Jeff Corwin, Steve Erwin, O'Shey etc.) and have an episode exposing these rattlesnake round up's, giving them and the people that support them negative "air time".
>> Getting off the soap box now
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Just my opinion
>>Link

The methods and treatment done by these people is illegal and blatantly breaking a lot of cruelty laws and environmental regulations. Living here in Texas I have corresponded with the appropriate agencies and they will not perform any kind of enforcement nor do they care! It can also be a double edged sword. By making Round-ups illegal, keeping them may also go that route.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

I thought about it, and very easily came to the conclusion that if keeping hots became illegal due to roundups becoming illegal, that is a price I could live with to see those horrendous things disappear.

In other words, while it would pain me greatly, I would gladly sacrifice my priveledge to keep hots in order to ban the barbaric practice of roundups. Of course, just like people who illegally keep hots, roundups would probably continue to exist underground

I was just looking at HSUS's website regarding rattlesnake roundups and realized that I would have to say this has been one of the first things that I have ever seen that the HSUS and us herpers can actually agree on.

I hope we dont actually have to side with those morons.

Chris

>>I thought about it, and very easily came to the conclusion that if keeping hots became illegal due to roundups becoming illegal, that is a price I could live with to see those horrendous things disappear.
>>
>>In other words, while it would pain me greatly, I would gladly sacrifice my priveledge to keep hots in order to ban the barbaric practice of roundups. Of course, just like people who illegally keep hots, roundups would probably continue to exist underground

The trick is to stay one step ahead of the rules and regs. maintain a good relationship with the local Animal Control and State Agencies. I train both of them and handle reptile calls for them also.

I developed a State certified workshop for Animal Control Officers that teaches Identification, Capture Techniques, and Husbandry. This gives them hands on training and also continuing education credit hours which they need to keep their certification.

We even discuss what constutes cruelty to reptiles.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

these events still happens is political and monies taken in to help the economics of the townships and area. While promoters also make promotional monies from advertising and sales. I keep saying these events have no business in the 21st century but then that would also wipe out some traditional thinking of other things that some people might view having no business in this century. LOL ! There has been though some movement to restrict the numbers and takes with some rattlesnake roundups. My state has enforced the possession of the required hunting license and the number of animals turned in and or caught by ones permit. My state also will hand out fines ( heard )if having other non-native species trying to turn in. Then the other places that have these things are getting hit with either ( couldn't tell it this year with the biggest one in Texas and a few in Ok. ) the numbers of visitors or numbers of turned in snakes that has been down in numbers. Probably MY biggest prob is gasoline is still used at den sites as we all know and the bringing in and or holding of species from far away locations. I know of studies that states the snakes are not dilapidated in areas of events but I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS ! Especially when I have first hand knowledge of the Waurika Ok event of snakes coming in from Texas. BUT we know that or we should know that. My other big concern has been that some of these who knows how long kept and sick snakes are re-released back. Thus the scenario on the Desert Tortoise syndrome. It may take years to manifest into what happened to the desert tortoise but look at the virus of west Nile that has been around for 60 years and has mutated as viruses do. AND as stated before several times, what effects does the use of gasoline have on other animals and ground water ? To think that at these events people are still consuming rattlesnake meat as a treat or to "fit in " and ingesting a highly known carcinogen ( gas ) plus other out-rite toxic levels of petroleum. NOT ME !
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

I remember watching a show on one of the animal channels and being fascinated with the topic of how venom from Gilas and Copperheads is being studied for use against Diabetes 2 and Breast Cancer. It makes me ILL that when these people get these diseases that they will beg for a cure. They are killing off the cure for their own "pleasure" of a STUPID roundup. I want to participate in the research on this topic for humanity's own good and they are,(have been for years),wiping out all hope for this. These people probably run out and say "save the rainforest because we don't know what is being lost" and then they do things like this. But then again, they can't possibly be that smart, I'm to kind to give them that much credit. Sorry, I too am on my soap box, but I just had to reply, I feel it's my duty to reply. Conduct genocide on roaches or ants, there's billions of them and unlike these reptiles, they will survive.

Why dont we just have a rodent round up walks around with severd rabbit heads on stakes and what not ! thatll show up.... go up the the hicks rank and have a cow round up and blast all their cows up with the 12 cage

until the bigger impact of the environmental orgs and agency and wildlife ( in which seems to blatantly turns their heads on these events ) i think it's a matter of time.....maybe a long time ! I have seen letters written to the promoters of sales anywhere from the soft drinks and beer companies and threaten to boycott. It doesn't seem to do any good. My BIGGEST complaint is Texas where we of non-residents and you residents have to have a permit and bag limit in order to even take pictures out looking or hunting. AND we get harassed still in parts of Texas. You think that these guys that brings in hundreds of rattlesnakes that may or may not have the required hunting permit that is required by us ( they )> even have one ?
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

Some of main boys at the round-ups do not have permits! I have checked on several of them. This was through the Game Wardens so they are aware of this also. Did they pursue it? No way!
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

i never hear of anyone actually taking such a direct approach (as to try sabotoging a roundup somehow,etc.) this surprises me,but i know these are surely gun toting rednecks we are dealing with here...anyone seen/heard of someone attempting this before?(not that i am gonna try it,but of course i have considered it)...has anyone here even been to one of these stupid shameful things,just to see it all first hand?(i have not).....luckily i live nowhere near any of these inbred redneck gatherings,as i am a passionate and sometimes impulsive man,smile.....