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It
may be controversial, it may have its critics, it may be many
things, but one thing the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup is not is
boring. It is a huge event. It sprawls over many acres and occupies
many buildings. The crowd numbered in the thousands, outnumbering the
snakes. The rattlesnakes take center stage in the Nolan County Coliseum,
but outside Rattlesnake Central is a big carnival, buildings filled with
vendors, booths selling and cooking food of all sorts, many free
samples. Best pork rinds ever tasted. And deep-fried rattlesnake. |
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click a thumbnail to view a photo | |||
A huge rattlesnake sits above the entry to Nolan County Coliseum, the rattle at one end, the forked tongue at the other. |
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You can't tell it from this photo, but this may be the world's biggest t-shirt advertising the World's Biggest Rattlesnake Roundup. The population of Sweetwater, Texas on a normal day is about 12,000. The population more than doubles during the Rattlesnake Roundup. |
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Click
here for a map showing the location |
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This may have been the most disturbing thing seen. Total overload for even a mild ophiciophobe. This is the Snake Pit where the rattlesnakes are placed after they are measured and weighed, prior to being milked and skinned and fried or sold. Those who make it out alive are bought by a company called Maverick Trading Post that sells reptile meat to restaurants and makes snake paraphernalia. In the Snake Pit two cowboy handlers walk amongst the slithering mass, causing some rattling, both of the snakes and of the nerves of the onlookers. The smell coming from this tank was not pleasant. Bounty Hunters brought in 4,207 pounds of rattlesnakes at the 2003 Roundup. | |||
This little guy, who looks like he has a snake coming out of his ear, is at the snake Milking Pit. | |||
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More
Sweetwater Information, |
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Click
here for a map showing the location |
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Click here for list
of Durango Texas blog posts |
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After being milked the milker walks the
rattler around the Pit, letting onlookers feel the rattling tail or
pet the snake.
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Watch our Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Video | |||
Click
here for a map showing the location |
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The reactions of onlookers made for great people watching. | |||
Check out the expression on the kid in the background as the rattlesnake handler holds the head of the recently milked snake and lets people pet the shaking rattle. |
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The handlers seemed to have no trouble with the snakes. One hand would hold the head while the other held the tail end. | |||
The woman on the right was a bit unsettled at being so close to the rattlesnakes, but she persisted in trying to get a photo. | |||
Here we see the venom being milked from a rattlesnake. Milk seems an unfortunate choice of word for this, as milk sounds like something one might drink and which usually comes from some form of breast or udder. Rattlesnakes appear to be breast and udder free.. | |||
Here we see the handler using a hook to pull a snake out of a bucket so it can be milked. The photographer was looking through the camera lens when that hook went into the bucket and a snake was suddenly being drawn much too close. | |||
A sign saying 'Snake Contest Sponsored by Coors Light' which would seem to contradict the common sense thinking that alcohol and snakes don't mix. | |||
The various Snake Pits had viewing stands. Here we see the Handling and Safety Pit. Rattlesnakes are placed on a table to show what they look like when ready to strike. And then agitated to strike. An agitated rattler moves faster than one might have expected. | |||
Click
here for our Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Video showing the above scene in action |
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A sign overhead points towards the 'Skinning Pit' and 'Skin Sales'. | |||
The snakes are executed away from public eyes. But they are skinned in full view. A Chinese woman offered the Sweetwater Jaycees (they run the Rattlesnake Roundup as well as the skinning and frying) one dollar per snake gall bladder. To be used in some medicinal concoction believed by some to be as useful as Viagra. |
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Rattlesnake skin for sale for $5 a foot. Great gift for the person who has everything. | |||
Click
here for a map showing the location |
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This young Sweetwater native is showing us what a basket of fried rattlesnake looks like. Many people were heard to say it tastes just like chicken. But it is very bony, as in the worst type of bony fish, like a big-boned trout. With a poultry flavor. |
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The menu from the Sweetwater Jaycees Fried Rattlesnake Restaurant. A very popular place to eat. |
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The Research Pit where the snakes are weighed and measured. And then thrown in that big pit we saw above. | |||
The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup has no Rattlesnake Queen or Rattlesnake Princess. Instead Miss Snake Charmer is chosen. Miss Snake Charmer, Alanna Adams, kindly agreed to pose for us in full Miss Snake Charmer mode. During her reign as Miss Snake Charmer the winner of this coveted title is required to skin or milk a snake. A choice between handling a bloody dead snake, or handling a cold-blooded live slithering snake. It is believed that no Miss Snake Charmer has ever been snake bit during her reign. And unlike some previous Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundups no one is believed to have been snake bit at the 2003 event. |
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Click
here for a map showing the location |
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Much Rattlesnake stuff for sale. | |||
Here you can pick out a rattlesnake to bring home with you. | |||
The Marines had a booth among the snakes, searching for a few good men and women. If you could do 10 pull-ups in the correct Marine fashion you got a Marine t-shirt. It fits quite nice. | |||
Now, we've left Nolan Coliseum and its snakes and have gone into one of the other buildings filled with more people and things to buy. | |||
A big carnival with a Big Texas Sky and the hint of the flatlands of West Texas in the background. | |||
Now we are in the Barbecue Cook-Off area. The Cook-Off sprawled over a very large area, dozens of encampments competing for best barbecue credentials. | |||
Here we see the Hillbilly/Hippie Barbecue group. | |||
Our last look at the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup looks towards the Barbecue Cook-off area. As you can see, Coors and Coors Lite play a predominant role in all parts of the Rattlesnake Roundup. Including this website... | |||
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Click
here for a map showing the location |
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We have blogged numerous times about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup on our Durango Texas Blog. Below are links to those blog posts..... | |||
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008 Rattlesnake Phobia |
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup |
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2008 Sweetwater Texas Rattlesnake Roundup |
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 The Sweetwater Texas Rattlesnake Roundup Anti-Venom |
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 The 2009 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup |
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Comments |
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 Alma's Mating Rattlesnakes & The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup |
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TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009 Sweetwater Sucks & Other Dumb Comments |
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 A Rattlesnake Bridge & The Sweetwater Texas Rattlesnake Roundup |
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TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010 YouTube Rattlesnakes, Australians, Americans, Texans & Nazis |
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011 The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup Starts March 10 In Sweetwater Texas |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011 We Need To Thin Down The Population Of Rattlesnakes At Our Ranch |
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SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Pageant Hopefuls Decapitate & Skin Snakes |
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Weekend Kick Off Is Thursday March 8 With The Rattlesnake Review Parade |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012 The 2nd Saturday Of March Dawns Cold Thinking About Rounding Up Rattlesnakes |
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 Apparently Killing Sweetwater Rattlesnakes Is Senseless & Makes You Look Like A Moron |
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012 The Sweetwater Rattlesnakes Will Have Their Day |
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MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2013 Apparently I Have A Big Rattlesnake Surprise Waiting For Me |
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2013 Apparently Children Are Witnessing Rattlesnake Beheadings In Sweetwater Texas |
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Visit our Eyes on Texas Blog
to make a comment or share info about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup |
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