Snake hunts: one down, one to go

A family tradition continued last weekend as Bill Wheeler Jr. (right) hosted the Sinnemahoning Snake Hunt on behalf of Keystone Reptile Club. His eight-yearold son, Russell Wheeler, displayed a milk snake.

An old tradition has taken on a new flavor in two local communities.

Organized rattlesnake hunts, which began as a means of reducing populations of the poisonous reptiles, have gradually made a 180-degree turnaround.

Today, both the Sinnemahoning Snake Hunt and the Cross Fork Snake Hunt are family-oriented events with public education and conservation as their overriding themes.

Sinnemahoning staged its hunt last weekend, with a good turnout and positive reviews. Cross Fork hosts its Snake Hunt over the June 23-24 weekend.

Much of that turnaround is attributed to Bill Wheeler Jr. of Spring Grove.

As president of the Keystone Reptile Club, co-sponsor of both the Sinnemahoning and Cross Fork hunts, Wheeler recognized that changes had to be made. He spearheaded the plan to include more children's activities, partly to change the Snake Hunts' image as two-day parties where the beer flowed freely and attendees' behavior was sometimes R-rated.

But the biggest change was the elimination of "rattlesnake sacking contests," effective in 2006.

"Sure, we've heard complaints, but I'm absolutely convinced that it was the right decision," Wheeler said.

There's no doubt that the contests were crowd-pleasers, as teams of two raced the clock to subdue five live rattlesnakes in a cloth sack. Occasionally, there were snakebites, which are potentially fatal.

"It became impossible to get insurance because, let's face it, rattlesnake-sacking is an extreme sport," Wheeler said. "Just one claim could have destroyed the Keystone Reptile Club and maybe even one of the fire companies or other organizations that sponsor the snake hunts."

"But the biggest reason we eliminated the sacking contests was the message that they sent," he continued. "Our club tries to educate the public about proper snake-handling techniques and treating the species with respect. The sacking contests didn't really fit in with that."

Wheeler said his club has made other changes to adapt to new Pa. Fish and Boat Commission regulations designed to protect the timber rattlesnake, a candidate species for official endangered status in Pennsylvania.

Habitat destruction, taking of snakes by collectors and the killing of snakes in casual encounters have all diminished the reptiles' numbers and range, the agency reports.

Hunters must be licensed and may participate in only one organized event per year. They're also prohibited from taking snakes that are under 42 inches. The size restriction is designed to protect female snakes, which typically are smaller than the males. Female timber rattlesnakes need at least eight years to reach reproductive maturity.

Despite the restrictions, some 60 hunters registered for the Sinnemahoning event, sponsored Sinnemahoning Sportsmen's Club. There were just eight rattlesnakes entered in the contest. Wheeler said each of the eight would be returned to its original den after the weekend's activities.

Top prize for the longest snake went to Tommy Wise of Lock Haven, who brought in a yellow-phase rattler measure 47 1/2 inches.

A schedule for the Jne 23-24 Cross Fork Snake Hunt is posted on the Internet at www.crossfork.com.