VenomousReptiles.org Speak Out

Speak Out: Where do you stand on “free handling” of venomous snakes.

173 opinions on this subject. Enter your opinion at the bottom of this page.
[Speak Out Home Page]

Clif on 2004-10-05
Having read all the posts and the reasoning behind free handling or not, let's honestly ask ourselves a question: Do I have $5,000 to $50,000 (or more) that I am willing to risk on medical bills for a venomous snake bite? For the younger folks: Do my parents have that kind of money? A $20,000 medical bill could cause disastrous financial implications for many families and I would venture to guess that there are not too many truly wealthy hot herp handlers around.

It is true that your chances of actually losing your life from a snake bite may be slim (obviously depending on the type of snake you intend on free handling), but you are certainly going to experience a great deal of pain and possibly lose a digit or some portion of your body if bitten.

Please think about what is stated above, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself these questions. Life and limbs are precious....and $$ are nice to have as well.

ALA_herp31 on 2004-10-01
Well as for myself i do not freehand any hots, unless it is apsalutly nesasarie. I would never and i mean never recomend free handing any venomous reptile, or any other venomous animal for that mater. The only time i ever done any free handing was with a Northern Copperhead that was in a mans yard and he was fixing to kill it insted of trying to rack it up in a buket or somthing to move it. I took a old branch and got him to start moving away from me, then grabed the tail and used the branch as a makeshift hook. After doing that tho i got to thinking bout what i just did and relised that i could have took a bite very easy. I could not find a buket to put him in so i had to walk evry bit of 3 football fields away to let him go in the woods, witch made things even more dangerous.....so in my mind i think that free handing i a very big risk.....and if i can help it i will never free hand again................happy herping Wally.

myfacewithin on 2004-09-21
No offense, but when you don't use punctuation and spacing, it greatly reduces the effectivness of your statement. I personally think that if you want to handle a hot, then then snake will either be your judge or your saving grace. They will return either your respect or disrespect. It all depends on you.

littleherper on 2004-09-14
If you wanna get bitten by a venomous snake because of doing something stupid its not my problem.

arconea on 2004-09-11
Um...pretty dumb. You're eventually going to get bitten. No brainer in my book.

LordChristensen on 2004-09-07
If a person is going to "Free Handle" any venomous snake whether it be crotalid or elapid etc. They must be willing to take the risk and be prepared to accept the consequences of their actions should they be bitten. "May the hand be faster than the fangs."

JTL on 2004-09-05
Sirs:
With reference to " free handling " I can only guess as to why people do it, I personally feel it is for the rush of endogenous opiods in the body and they enjoy the High. I have only free handled 1 Hot snake and that was a Southern Copperhead and at the time a Mailman was trying to crush it with his jeep delivery truck. I gently picked up the snake used my shirt tail to wipe off the blood on her rear ventral side and decided that it was superficial and released her in my back yard at the tree line and watched her crawl off.
When I reaolized what I had just done my knees became quite weak and I felt a bit peaked. Why I was not bit ? I do not know , but it all worked out OK. I collect venom on a catch and release basis only and I use the behind the head approach, and this is as close as I wont to get to free handeling.
I would be interested to see how a free handler would react to a Hot snake being handed to him by a stranger, ie. not recently milked, fangs intact, and not druged? I would think that a lot of them would back down.

As for shows like this Irwin guy and the rest, I feel they are responsible for a number of bites especially by youths, the last time I saw this guy on TV he was trying to subdue a crock and he and 5 others were on the crocks back, Now is that stressful? I would say yes. The National Geog. programs are OK I guess. I remember when I was 12 and there was nothing that could hurt me I was king, so to our young friend in Florida please think before you free handle anything, but you are not going to listen to me so my hopes for you is that you will stay with Copperheads, if you are going to get bit that is the one to get bit by and I am not being mean but I hope he teaches you a lesson and a very mild one, HAVE RESPECT for snakes, they are here for you to admire and learn from, not to be molested for intertainmend .
Truly yours
Joel La Rocque
ratherbeinco@hotmail.com

BwViper on 2004-09-04
Well, it's no different than getting in your car and driving down a road at 100 mph, towards the grand canyon, with no brakes.

It's no different than putting a loaded gun to your head and expecting it not to go off when you pull the trigger.

It's no different than jumping in an crocodile pit, filled with 20' crocs.

Ever heard the phrase "you play you pay" Well my freehandling friend. It is only a matter of time, if you freehandle venomous animals, you are going to get bit. If you're lucky, you will only end up will a big fat hospital bill or you could end up DEAD!!!

It's up to you if you live or die when dealing with dangerous animals. Be smart, choose life, choose not to free hand hots!!!
Bobby

Anonymous on 2004-09-03
This is for anonymous. Finally someone supports steve irwin. Good on ya mate

Turtle on 2004-09-01
Kinda like asking Mike Jackson to baby sit.

<-- Page 3 -->

Enter your opinion about Where do you stand on “free handling” of venomous snakes.:

The opinions expressed within VenomousReptiles.org Speak Out are those of the contributor, and not necessarily that of VenomousReptiles.org. VenomousReptiles.org simply provides a forum for people to express their opinions on various venomous reptiles subjects of interest.

Do you have an idea for a Speak Out topic? Email our Speak Out Manager with your ideas.