I experienced true West Texas culture today. I got to participate in something I have wanted to since the first time I lived in Abilene. I was a little nervous and prepared to be disgusted, so much so that I brought a book so I could go back to the car if needed, but I was quite enlightened. What did I do? I went to the Sweetwater Texas Rattlesnake Roundup! I know it sounds crazy, and it was! Check out the pictures as I tell the story.

Kelli and I in front of a snake pit

The SRR (Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup) is the world's largest rattlesnake roundup that happens every year. Do not take what I say as fact because I am going on observation, but this roundup happens not to torture poor, innocent snakes (like I thought it might be), but to help control the outrageous rattlesnake population in the area that can be very dangerous and deadly.

Full snake pit

They bring in hundreds, maybe even thousands of snakes each year that people caught. This takes place in a fair grounds type place and the main building consists of many booths selling tacky jewelry and rattlesnake souvenirs such as key chain rattles and snake heads in a jar. There are also stations where they are measuring and weighting the snakes, killing and skinning the snakes (I avoided this one), giving demonstrations to teach people about them, and milking them...yes milking.
Milking a rattlesnake has nothing to do with milk or utters, but instead it is getting the venom from their fangs to make antidotes for people who get bit. They put the fangs over this funnel and somehow the poison just comes on out! CRAZY!

Also at the SRR they fry up rattlesnake for people to eat. I, being someone who claims to try anything at least once, had to give it a bite and that was enough for me. It did not taste bad, it just did not taste like much and was kinda hard to eat with all the little bones. Gross I know, but I could not turn it down!

Here is the brave crew!

So what did I learn? It seemed to me that the point of the SRR was actually to round up rattlesnakes to help control the population. Even though they did kill the snakes I felt like they treated them with respect. I felt bad for the little guys but I tend to have a little too much compassion sometimes. Yes, they have made a show out of it all now, but what a cultural experience! It really is a pretty big deal out here in West Texas and while I never want to go again, I am glad I got to check it out.

Thanks to Donald for getting us all together and for these pictures that are his.

Stay tuned for spring break camping stories...