Snake hunters face tighter restrictions in Pennsylvania

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

CROSS FORK, Pa.

About halfway down a steep mountain valley, amid sun-warmed rocks and a tree stump, three timber rattlesnakes lay coiled, soaking up the midmorning sun.

Unafraid, Shane Hahn moves in.

With a tool that looks like a golf club with a hook, he gently grabs the venomous snake near its head, using his other hand to lift its thick body. About 45 inches long, it has a black head and eyes, with dark cross bands -- a black phase rattlesnake.

A member of the Keystone Reptile Club, Mr. Hahn, of Waynesboro, is demonstrating the sport of snake hunting on the weekend of the 34th annual Cross Fork Snake Hunt, an event he and his companions are helping to run.

Organized hunts, in which snakes are caught, measured and later released, are big fundraisers for a few volunteer fire departments, mostly in northern Pennsylvania. Seven hunts were permitted by the state this season, which ended July 31 -- five by fire departments, two by sports clubs.

The state Fish and Boat Commission is worried about declining numbers of timber rattlesnakes, which are considered "species of concern," and has approved new restrictions.

"The whole plan here is to strike a balance between a recreational use and trying to allow the species to continue," said Dan Tredinnick, spokesman for the fish commission.

The state increased permit fees from $5 to $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents, figuring fewer people will hunt snakes; and established a 42-inch minimum length in hopes of protecting smaller females.

Last year, 1,126 persons obtained permits to hunt snakes and 160 were taken. Participants in organized hunts cannot kill snakes, though state law allows hunters to get a permit to kill one a year. The state does not have statistics on how many were killed or kept in captivity.