Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This weekend is the largest rattlesnake round-up in Texas. The way the snakes are treated before they are slaughtered for public entertainment is sickening. I'd been posting on the Jaycees website all day, leaving polite messages about alternatives, such as the way Georgia turned their round ups into wildlife festivals (though it took the near decimation of the Eastern Diamondback population in Georgia for this to happen).

I've now been blocked from posting or commenting on the page.

The Jaycees claim that the venom collected is used for antivenom but the snakes are kept in such horrible conditions that no hospital would accept that venom. This year, they had to up the bounty on the rattlesnakes from $3.00 a pound to $10.00 a pound because it was so hard for them to find enough snakes to slaughter this year.

If you find this practice as abhorrent as I do, please consider posting POLITELY on the Jaycee FB page, the link is

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetwater-Jaycees-Rattlesnake-Round-Up/253049219648

Thank you,

ReallySusan

Not completely true the Whigham roundup still exists. They had 82 2011...which was way down from 2010...this years grand total was 37 ...monster was 6lbs....that was the average in 1992...and the total then was 582....wtf....Any more research needed? Btw the hunters resoonse to the low numbers. 1. extended hinting seasons.????what that means. 2.The hot weather this year made the Snakes not go underground. They know this how? They gassed the burrows that are no longer useable...and if they are there were no EDBs...EDBS also stay underground because of the heat..so the statement makes no sense.....I live in N. Fl...grew up in S. Ga....the edbs are in trouble

It is an abomination! I live in this degenerate state, unfortunately. I hve refused to stop in Sweetwater on trips heading into the southwestern part of Texas.
The worst insult? Animal Planet's idiotic show "RattleSnake Repulic" which glorifies these idiots. When I heard one got bit, I applauded the snake!
How to stop this? Ahh, that's the problem, texans take a dim view of anyone steping on their rights to do whatever they want..
Some of which, I understand,and even support. But there is no educational or economic value in Roundups, they are strictly to make some folk look more macho.. Worse, some still gas burrows to catch the WDBs. Something must be done, I just do not know what..

Sincerely,
Matthew

the best way to stop this to ban hunting from oct 1 to april 1st. this will make it useless to gas den sites . they can still hold their round up .now hunters have to hunt the the snakes which is far harder than gassing