WALB (Albany, Georgia) 27 January 06 Time to round up the rattlers
Whigham : Most of us go out of our way to avoid rattlesnakes, but not the folks who'll gather in Whigham Saturday. They go looking for them. It's a tradition almost half a century old.
Barry Strickland has been hunting rattlesnakes since high school. "That would be 27 years ago," he says.
Since then he's graduated, to become one of the organizers of Whigham's annual Rattlesnake Roundup Festival. Tomorrow marks its 46th year.
"When they feel threatened they coil up and let you know that they're there. That's what the rattle's for," he said.
Rattlers don't strike unless that threat gets too close. If it does get to that point, the snakes can defend a two-thirds radius of their body length. "The biggest snake you're going to see is around six feet. So, if you're over four feet away you're pretty safe."
Contrary to popular belief, the woods are good, because you tend to make a lot of noise. Chances are, a rattler will be gone before you ever see him. "As long as you're vigilant, and you're paying attention to what the snake's doing, you're pretty safe," said Strickland.
Proven at last year's Rattlesnake Roundup. Not one bite among hundreds of snakes. It only costs a dollar to attend, and parking is free.
Time to round up the rattlers