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Rattlesnake Round-up in Sweetwater
Well, we missed it. If only I had spotted this earlier,
I could have flagged it for you. Well, someone needs to go and do this next year and then send us a post about it.
I'm talking about the World’s
Largest Rattlesnake Round-up in Sweetwater, Texas. The contest draws people from as far away as Australia (of
course...what'd you think we were gonna say? France?) who all come together to share the experience of ferreting out
poisonous serpents from the region's many holes and bushes.
But there's more than merely snake hunting.
You can't miss the Miss Snake Charmer Scholarship Pageant, which brings together legions of lovely teens to smile, pose
and hack off rattlesnake heads before skinning their bodies. Tell me that doesn't sound fun?! One fact is certain:
Sweetwater is hard-core about rattlers. And the audience gets to learn a thing or two about snakes...probably more than
you ever wanted to know. During the course of the weekend, trained experts will milk venom from the fangs of live
pit vipers, and the culinarily adventuresome can sample juicy chunks of deep-fried diamondback meat. Then there will be
the award for the Longest Snake. Last year the record was 77 inches. Sorry, you can go ahead and pick that one up.
Filed under: History, Learning, Festivals and Events
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joy Churchman Mar 9th 2006 1:27AM
Well, I'm no bleeding-heart animal activist, but I'm getting the impression they catch the snakes to kill them.....if that's so, it does seem like a barbaric shame.
Sure, I know they are poisonous, but they ARE living creatures, aren't they?
Steven Weissmann Mar 9th 2006 7:44AM
Sounds like fun. An invitation should be sent to the Croc hunter-Steve Irwin. Oy, look at the size of this beauty, isn't she glorious?!!!
Betty Bennett Mar 22nd 2006 11:01PM
My husband and I went to the Roundup after hearing about it for years. I am not a snake lover and was quite prepared to see this slaughter as a good thing. I do not presume to judge those who live with the danger of the diamond backs in their backyards every day of their lives. For myself however, I came away with a better understanding and much more respect than fear of the snakes.