Is there anything that can be done to stop rattlesnake roundups?

[Nicky]

Hey everyone,
I'm sick of hearing about it every year isn't there anything to stop killing all those beutiful rattlers i mean surly thats more than animal crulty so how come huiman society won;t step in? Is there anything we could all do to stop it like a petiton or protest or something anything.
kayla

[Frank_S]

Try a redneck roundup... :0)

They dont have fur so most people dont care.
Frank

[BoidKeeper]

Frank S you took the words right out of my mouth!
Trevor

[BWSmith]

There are things that are being done. We have managed to stop a couple here in Georgia. The problem is that the Roundups are al held in towns of about 2-3000 people and it is the major source of revenue for the town each year. So you cannot just apeal to them from a conservation aspect, you have to make it financially feasible for them to stop them. What they have done with one here is changed it from the Rattlesnake Roundup to the Wild Chicken Festival. Private Hot Keepers and members of the SHHS still go down there and display rattlers etc. since snakes are the main draw. I have personally spoken to a couple of the coordinators of the Claxton Roundup and they don't even care for the killing of snakes. I met them by accident actually. I was in claxton herping and someone at the diner saw my SHHS shirt and struck up a conversation so I left my card. Someone called me to come pick up a couple Diamondbacks, and it turned out that they were two of the coordinators. Every once in a while, they call me to pick up snakes. They said that they would rather me have them than they get killed. So maybe there is hope. We are making headway slowly, but surely.

[Nicky]

well thats good to hear. Considering theres a national shortage of anti-venom you'd really think they would be using all those snakes for anti-venom rather than just killing them what a waste of life but at least were slowing turning things around. Its ashame the human society won;t step in if it was dog or cat roundups they would of been there in a second. I supose snakes aren;t cuddly and therefore no one really cares except for herp keepers. good job on stopping someof the roundups in georgia!
kayla

[BWSmith]

I had nothing to do with stopping the Roundup in Fitzgerald, GA. But hopefully Claxton will be next to switch over. If nothing else, I may be able to rescue some of the rattlers. I waiting for a return call.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Actually....we do have cat and dog roundups here...Ironically, the organizations that do this are called "Humane Societies"

[Nicky]

i;ve never heard of that befor is there any articals i could read on it or anything

[BWSmith]

He is referring to strays going to the pound I think, since most are destined to be euthenized.

[Nicky]

oh right lol half frozen from outside stupid canadian winters brain needs to wamr up befor it can work lol.