Snake handler killed.

[RLB]

I’m allergic to tetanus shots and anti venom is made the same way. It’s an animal serum derivative and those are a no no for me.

If bit by a rattlesnake, what do you have to lose?

[bboswell]

If bit by a rattlesnake, what do you have to lose?

Getting bit is not an automatic death sentence even without AV.

[Still Hunter]

Thoughts and prayers out to the family. Each one of us could die each time we get in a vehicle to just drive down to the convenience store. We never know when it is going to happen.

A buddies son in law, big boy too, about 6'3" and 290, got hit on the foot walking past his shed about 5 years ago. It took 7 vials ( at $5,500.00 each) to keep him from dying. It was not a large snake by the fang marks. They never found the snake. His yard now all around his house is manicured like a golf course. No high grass any where.

[4barchery]

The anti-venom is very expensive. At my Abilene and Brownwood hospitals, we would order a lot in February. That was when lots of guys came out to the deer lease for turkey season and get their camp in order after the fall hunting season. Most of the bites we saw were on the hand from guys that were picking up something in tall grass. Any children's bites were mostly on the legs

We only kept so much on hand and we knew that some of them would need to be transferred to DFW or Lubbock if they needed a hand surgeon.

Those that didn't need any special surgery, we would admit to the ICU at least to watch them overnight. Physicians were nervous that venom and or anti-venom would cause cardiac problems.

I know some patients had hell with their insurance because they were "out of network" since they lived in DFW, Austin, or San Antonio. I had to sign a statement for one guy that we were the only hospital in a certain area that kept more than two vials of crofab on hand.

[ultrastealth]

That's sad to hear

In no way do I intend to be disrespectful but the phrase "play stupid games win stupid prizes" comes to mind.

This

[Geezy Rider]

I've been to a few different snake hunts and I really don't enjoy the ones where dare devil stunts are performed. It sends the wrong message to people. I don't care how much of a professional you are or think you are. People getting bit on a regular basis will get a snake hunt shut down quicker than anything. Treating the snakes with disrespect will too. Rattlesnake hunts are how a lot of small towns make most of their money so they can't afford for them to get shut down do to blatant disrespect towards the snakes or carelessness when handling them. These events need to be more of a focus on education instead of showing off. Because it doesn't look good.

The snake hunt in Sweetwater is a good example of what will be the demise of these traditions in Oklahoma and Texas both. They don't do anyone any favors by clowning around with these snakes or putting their hand prints on the wall using the blood from the snakes. That's frickin stupid as crap. Some of us actually enjoy the sport in it. These ain't animals to just go out and jack with and show your ignorance towards in front of the whole world. And it ends up in front of the whole world. People like filming at these events so folks need to keep that in mind. I don't want stupidity from someone else reflecting on me.

And I've heard about how things are done in Freer. Kissing snakes on the head and all that crap. If you don't want to get bit,keep your hands off em. If you're gonna act a fool with em do us all a favor and don't. If you're scared of the outcome don't do it. Because it can happen and it will if you're messing around.

Agree completely.

Our roundups and shows were always geared towards education and safety. Other that slaughtering some for food, they were not abused. We walked among them and handled them, we did it all as safe as possible.



Still love catching them.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DirtyDave]

Some churches in the eastern portion of the country handle snakes as a test of their faith. Several have been bitten by Eastern Diamondbacks and died. The verse they base this off of is found in Mark 16:18. One of the last guys to get bit was named “Skeeter”. Lol

oof haha

[okrattler]

Some people may look at it as dumb or that he got what he had coming but I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Was it an unnecessary risk he was taking? I suppose but he had to of known those risk. It's not much different than jumping up in a deer stand. People do it all the time, it's not a big deal. Until it is. And all for what? We all take risk. All we can do is never get complacent. It only takes once.

I'd feel more comfortable handling a rattlesnake than getting on a platform 30 feet in the air. Some people don't mind it and never think anything of it.

[Triple 7]

I wonder how he got bit on the shoulder. Was there one behind him that he wasn't watching?

[Geezy Rider]

If bit by a rattlesnake, what do you have to lose?

I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking but to take your question literally, what I have to lose is my life at the most. At the least, some muscle tissue and money from a hospital stay.
If you’re asking what can I do if bitten? All I can do is get to a medical facility. But, before I rush to a hospital I’d verify that I was actually envenomated. If not then I’d just clean the wound and carry on with my day after a prayer of thanks.

Getting bit is not an automatic death sentence even without AV.

Very true. Most bites, if envenomated, are not fatal. Very young or very old people and those with underlying conditions are at greater risk.
I know one guy, that I worked the pits with, that was bitten three separate times and each bite was a dry bite. I also know of another guy, who had a rattlesnake ranch, who had been hit fifteen times but only envenomated three times. Of those three bites only one was nearly fatal but not from the venom but from the anti- venom. He, like me, and this is how I found out I was allergic, is allergic and when the rattler bit this guy it mainlined him. The quick shot of venom to his bloodstream caused him to pass out. While he was unconscious, he was given anti-venom and that’s what almost killed him.
When I’m messing with snakes, I let those around me know that if I pass out, do not let them give me the serum.

[gingib]

That's sad to hear

In no way do I intend to be disrespectful but the phrase "play stupid games win stupid prizes" comes to mind.

x2!

Similar to extremely overweight adults who also smoke!!!!

You would think he would have antivenom. Lesson learned

[okrattler]

I wonder how he got bit on the shoulder. Was there one behind him that he wasn't watching?

I'm gonna guess and say he was doing some stunt he shouldn't have been doing. Nobody gets bit on the shoulder by a snake and it's an "accident." Probably a stunt he's done hundreds of times before and it turned out differently for him this time. If you get too comfortable with anything it's bound to end up that way.

[okrattler]

x2!

Similar to extremely overweight adults who also smoke!!!!

You would think he would have antivenom. Lesson learned

Anyone who smokes is asking for lung cancer. Ain't nobody immune to that. Again, everything we do has a risk of some kind. Driving a car,getting out of bed in the morning,ect.

Live the way you want to. We're all heading towards a hole in the ground. It don't matter. Some will just get there sooner. Hell even eating or drinking the wrong thing brings you one step closer. It makes no difference.

When your time is up, it's up. Doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing.

If you drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco you're just as careless with your life and stupid as someone who handles snakes or jumps off cliffs for kicks. Same crap. We're all headed to the same place so pick your poison. Anyone who thinks anything less is foolish. From the moment we're born the clock is ticking. You can live your life as carefully as you want and you can still die a young man. It's not up to us.

I will say this. People who live without fear, die having lived the fullest lives. Go full tilt until your dying day.

[ThisLadyHunts]

Historically, tetanus vaccines used a horse serum. This has not been the case for some time for both the toxoid and anti toxin. Antivenom now uses sheep serum. So you may not be allergic to the modern antivenoms. Sheep serum generally causes much fewer side effects than the horse serum that antivenom used to be produced from.

Does this suggest that horses and sheep are natural immune or resistant to snake venom? I know very little about sheep but I’ve never heard that snake bites had no consequences for horses.

[Hogmauler]

It’s true that we all take risk. And I have been 20 feet up in a lock on stand, but had my fall arrest system on. That’s not to say that somehow I could not have been injured. I definitely would be wearing leathers, welding jacket, some type of bite resistant gloves, etc etc.
Again, I’ve seen folks go and purchase exotic vipers, the last show a woman bought three vipers. Yes it’s her right. But the problem starts if one gets out.
When you collect snakes it is inevitable that one will escape. In our case we e had four get out in the house. My wife captured three out of the four. They were out several days.
What if that had been a Bushmaster? I have friend that raises Bushmasters. He makes approximately 70-80 thousand a year selling the babies. Most of his clutches are sold before they hatch. He got one out for my son and I. It was a seven foot female. He said “ if this was evening or nighttime I would never attempt this because they are very aggressive ate that time. The point is if one of those gets loose in the house, not a seven footer a one footer, your note going to get much sleep until it’s caught or you step on it. He has a redundant system. The one hundred or so vipers he has are kept in a locked room inside a locked building. He told me only 20% of people bitten by a Bushmaster survive. Probably because very few if any carry anti venom for that type of bite.
Folks, even “pros” get bitten. It’s not a matter of “if” its a matter of “when”.
I am drawn to rattlesnakes. Absolutely love the different types and markings of em. But not enough to own em.