Rattlesnake Roundups are big business

There are some folks who seem to like to put themselves in harm’s way such as wild bull riders and rattlesnake hunters. I never want to see one injured, but still I can’t work up much sympathy for them when they are. Bull riders have the ever popular rodeo to display their skills, but what about the rattlesnake hunters? Clark E. Adams and John K. Thomas have answered that in their informative book, Texas Rattlesnake Roundups published by Texas A&M University Press.

Rattlesnake roundups, usually held at a community building, were first organized in the 1920s as a way to control the snake as a predator, but soon the activity attracted those who wanted to make a buck. Selling snake parts, items made from the reptile, admission and vendors’ fees added to the treasury of the sponsor.

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