Ugh, just admit you like killing stuff.

There's no need for this. No need for this ecologically, no need for this scientifically (we have much better methods), just....no need.

Just admit it that is the only reason you have against it.

It has been estimated that 7,000–8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about five of those people die. Most fatal bites are attributed to the eastern and western diamondback rattlesnake.

The meat is good and the skins are used for apparel...and then there is the trill of the hunt.

I'm not exactly a sportsman, so i probably don't have the right background to be able to appreciate something like this. So maybe you can help me out. Is it the whole experience, from fumigating them out of their dens using gasoline, the daily storage barrel shake to keep em keen, to final part weeks later where they just butcher em in front of audience? Or is it more just the first portion, with the hooks and gassing?

Also, related question, is regular 87 octane good enough? Or should a wily hunter spring for the Super +? A hunter with a conservationist bent would probably opt for the more premium grade, what with all the detergents. Should keep things tidy and we wouldn't want to despoil the land. It would also cut down on engine knock, which i believe arroyos are prone to.

Well we could send you in there with a stick and a cow bell.

And it is pretty obvious you have never been face to face with a 8 foot rattler. Let me tell you the blood pressure rises.

Maybe I could interest you in a medium rare t-bone?


Killing Cow for meat

I'm not saying those things aren't frightening. Shit, I'm all for deer and bear hunting, which is done in my area. That though seems to be a bit more regulated. Rattler-Armageddon does not. To be fair the article doesn't go to much in depth, so if there conservationist group, or land management organizations that give this the same kind of pass that is given to deer, bear, and other wild game hunting then thats cool.

I can imagine there being a need to control the rattler population, due to changes in the environment brought on by human habitation. Maybe there are no longer the right amount of birds of prey, or other predators too keep them in check. I didn't see that argument being made. What i read was "snakes are scary" and "it makes us money". Is there a hunting license involved? Is there a cap to how many pounds can be caught? Are there provisions to keep the population stable by not indiscriminately killing babies or destroying eggs? What are the allowed and the disallowed methods of hunting? Why is gasoline apparently a valid hunting implement?

These are important. Because it speaks to a thoughtful approach to the land and the animals that live there. Its also important to the people, because this means they are not doing the hunting equivalent of slash and burn farming. This hunt as outlined, just seems like a big cash grab.

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https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/nongame/media/TPWD-SHWG-Report.pdf

And here is some work at least in regards to gassing.

It is a lot like a county fair...and ya it is designed to bring in money.

Have you ever been to the southwest desert? not much there.

Sweetwater, TX

And if you get out that way be sure not to miss Midland and Odessa

A guy from Odessa died and went to hell...When the devil saw him was holding his head and crying. The Devil said "it is to late to cry now"...He looked up at devil and said, "It's not that, this place reminds me of home so much I just got homesick".

My dad was from Odessa and I was "lucky" enough to spend a couple summer vacations there as a kid. I'm pretty sure going from Odessa to hell is like getting upgraded to first class.

Ill see your cow and raise you a cuy.

NSFW (for fucking real)

Peruvian Guinea Pig Slaughtering


Peruvian guinea pig slaughtering Part 2


Peruvian Guinea Pig Slaughtering Part 3


I'm suburban, but we come from farmers. At 14 on my godfathers ranch my generation of cousins had to kill and butcher a cow for dinner. The uncles biggest regret was how me and my brother were the only two suburbanites who weren't fazed. I was downright julia child, asking for cumin, kosher salt, and olive oil. This was because when we were knee high our grandpa cooked guinea pig. Shit, we were under the impression they were going to be our pets. That goes out the window when you see gramps snap its neck and dress it in quick order.

My criticism stands. I think they are misusing their natural resources, i think they are taking equity out of their land to the long term detriment of the community as a whole. I think this is because 8 mill in the now means a lot more than whatever bogeyman might be lurking in the future. Especially when you're disinclined to look.

I think they are taking equity out of their land to the long term detriment of the community as a whole.

They don't kill all of the snakes. And why not make an event out of something you are going to have to do anyway?...yea the money helps, but this is no more inhumane than the farmers all around me who kill pigs...which are least as smart as dogs...just don't see the tragedy.

Hey, I could be wrong. I would be happy to know that this is all done with the appropriate oversight. My belief that it is not, stems from the use of petrol, and what looks like a whacking day kind of fervor. The gassing is something that is under deliberation. As for the rest, id be happy to see a report, or some independent experts chime in to say that not only is the culling appropriate but managed.

Rattlesnake Roundup

Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas

I have...and I've been face to face with a cobra (I was 9). With the rattlesnake, I stopped and backed away and it moved off. Same thing with the cobra. I was an adult when i met the rattler but I will totally own up to being scared in both instances.

This is just institutionalised cowardice. When the rattlesnakes are gone, they'll have to come up with another way to deal with the rodent problem...something chemical or perhaps more guns.

Or left to breed unchecked they will have to deal with dead kids.

Claxton has not experienced an apocalyptic rattlesnake population explosion since it stopped the killing

Ans Sweetwater has no shortage of snakes either.

Seriously? How about following the example of other countries that have venomous or predatory animals? Training and education. Australian children, for example, are taught not to go wading where crocodiles are known to exist. Your solution—kill as many as you can and make a festival of it. wow...

Wow...is right. These are reptiles..venous reptiles who live in the thousands. This is no danger their species...it is a fucking snake. And they taste pretty damn good.

You say that like killing things just to kill shit isn't a valid reason to dislike something.

I'm all for sustainable hunting - there's some populations, like deer, that need to be culled for the sake of the species, since we have all but eliminated natural predators. Heck, I've eaten rattlesnake and it is fucking delicious. But hunt it sustainably and responsibly. Not for primarily shits and giggles with the side benefit of eating some of it.

I don't think 5 deaths per year justify a pogrom against a species important to the ecosystem. 5 people out of millions doesn't constitute a severe threat. Especially when the snakes do their damnedest to warn you ahead of time you're about to do something stupid.

You want a challenging hunt? Go hunt the pythons in the everglades. That's eliminating an invasive species, more difficult than rattlers, and a python will fuck you up proper if you want a 'thrill.' Just be sure to cook it with a slow braise, or its too tough.

This program didn't start last week it has been going on for decades.

Much like how the meager scientific contributions it makes doesn't justify it as there are better methods, there's other, better ways to bring money into the economy that have the side benefit of not decimating a species' population and damaging the environment.

"Organizers of the roundup say the event helps perform scientific research and tests for anti-venom."

Not only that it keeps the population down and like #'s said it brings in revenue for the city.

I'm ok with this.

If you hate rattlesnakes so much, why don't you not marry one?

You know what they say about rattlesnake haters: they're probably closet rattlesnakes.

Did Taylor Swift hack this account?

Having killed and eaten rattle snake I don't know why that part should be a big deal. If they are fucking up the ecology of the area then that is a problem. Putting gas in the ground also seems bad. But the killing and eating of snakes is fine.