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My advice to you is not to do it. Find someone who raises hots for a living and ask if they can teach you the ways of the trade. Learn from them. I was a very idiotic teen, and since I couldn't afford the things that I should have been using to relocate the animals, I just used what I had. I was very lucky that nothing like this happened.

Don't do this. It is a very dangerous move. Fangs can pierce the snake's mouth and stick your finger, or the snake can make a sudden strong movement and whack ya'... Just don't do it...

If you must go out in the wild and play with venomous snakes, invest in a reasonably long snake hook. 30" is usually good for copperheads, but don't mess with an Eastern Diamondback, or you'll die. You wanna play, play with something that isn't going to kill you.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS!!! My original recommendation stands...find someone that is already experienced and ask them if you can hang around. That is the safest way for you to learn how to deal with these animals.

But you're 16. I was once, too. So please...buy a snake hook before spring rolls around... A good, long, solid snake hook. And be WAY more careful than you think you need to be...
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Last December I purchased some Tongs and a Hook for snake relocation down here in the basin. We have a number of people who need snakes removed from their houses.. I will take pictures of them if I get any calls. I would rather move them to another area then see the people kill them needlessly.
 
You live in Oklahoma... If I remember right, they do a rattlesnake roundup every year or so, right?
They may have a place somewhere away from the city that someone keeps hots for exhibition/education. I would do an internet search, in fact here is someone you may be interested in learning from... Be it, they are a removal service.http://www.totalwildlifecontrol.com/snake-removal-prevent-snakes.html

You may also want to see if you can volunteer at the zoo in the reptile section... I have not been there in years myself, but I remember that section was always my favorite to visit.
 
heatfreakk3 said:
I do work at my zoo. I am a volunteer and will be working with the reptiles when im done training.
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You haven't got much of a chance of working with hots at a zoo at 15. Their insurance company would have a COW if they let you...

Your best bet is going to be finding a removal and relocation service that is willing to train you in exchange for grunt work, like cleaning buckets and washing vehicles. From some of the things you've said in this topic, I just don't think you should be out trying to learn on your own.

Please don't take this the wrong way. You cannot afford to make a mistake. And without having any experience, you don't even know enough to know what you need to learn. You can't "be careful" if you haven't the faintest idea of how to deal with one of these animals.

Now...before you go off and get yourself a net, let me ask you a question that you should seriously ponder...

What, precisely, do you think you are going to be able to do when you have a net that is completely entwined around a living, pissed off copperhead? How do you expect to reasonably and safely extricate this animal that can slither in, out, around, through, and between each of those holes in your net?

Like I said...you don't even know what you need to learn yet. Please heed my advice, and be patient. You live in Oklahoma. There are field herpers in your area. I've never been there, and I don't know any, but I promise you there are field herpers in your area. Check out F8ieldHerpForum.com, fnid some herpers in your area, and tag along on a few outings. Get something in the way of experience under your beslt that is going to teach you WAY better than Animal Planet...
 
Yeah well i kind of work with the actual zoo keeper for the hots. Like they would feed them and stuff but i would help prepare and bring the food in and things like that, they wouldnt allow me to handle a hot right now lol. Also when i said net i have like this really long net with extreamly fine holes and the end of the stick is really long to, so i could of used that with the snake stick to catch and remove the snake or whatever. But i am not going to try it. I know i woujld need training and need to learn a lot. I might try like what you guys said and try to tag a long with some venomuos snake removers and stuff and they could teach me and stuff.
 
heatfreakk3 said:
Yeah well i kind of work with the actual zoo keeper for the hots. Like they would feed them and stuff but i would help prepare and bring the food in and things like that, they wouldnt allow me to handle a hot right now lol. Also when i said net i have like this really long net with extreamly fine holes and the end of the stick is really long to, so i could of used that with the snake stick to catch and remove the snake or whatever. But i am not going to try it. I know i woujld need training and need to learn a lot. I might try like what you guys said and try to tag a long with some venomuos snake removers and stuff and they could teach me and stuff.
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Well, here's your first lesson, free of charge... ;)

Don't ever use anything made of fabric to transport a venomous reptile, snake or lizard. Use buckets wioth locking lids or rubbermaid-type containers with locking lids, and duct tape your lids on.

I know what you're saying about the fine mesh netting. Fabric doesn't do well at containing venomous reptiles on it's own. They make canvas hoop-nets for capturing venomous snakes, but the cabnvas bags are usually put inside some sort of locking container that the snake can't bite through.

I hope you dno't take this stuff the wrong way from me. I'm really not trying to dissuade you from learning. I appreciate your enthusiasm. I share your enthusiasm. I just don't want to see someone get hurt trying to be like Steve Irwin or Jeff Corwin.

I mean everything I've said here with respect and as honest advice. I make a habit of finding and photographing as many rattlesnakes as possible every summer, and have worked closely with several friends that keep a variety of rattlers in captivity over the last few years. I am far from an expert, but I can work with them in the wild safely. I'm not yet ready for keeping them in captivity myself, but when the time is right...I will keep rattlers. They are fascinating and beautiful animals...
 
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