My First Removal

[snakehandler]

Every job is different, each technique has its down fall....just imagine you have been pinned to the ground by the back of your head, then grabbed behind the jaw and lifted off the ground....try that down the pub next time....and let me know how it goes. Modern tongs (Gentle Giants and M1's) are designed for the animal safety the old pilstrum tongs are designed to pick up rubbish, not snakes. These pieces of equipment are used by professional herpetologists such as Dr. Bryan Fry, Mark O'Shea, Donald Schultz, Dr. Wolfgang Wuster and Dr. Sean Bush, given that snakes are their livelihood they consider animal welfare in actions that they take.

The use of tongs is only one method amongst several available, I have seen people attempt to hook a hot snake and have it go nuts, snakes come straight back when tailing, and others spin in a persons grip as they have pinned them, these were all seasoned snake catchers, no technique is perfect, but what is important is a persons ability to assess a situation and choose the technique for the situation.

 

[Eiroc]

Readers don't have all the information about a situation that has been posted (or your future tonges or catching methods in this case), so pay no attention to their useless "one liner" negative posts.

They are some good pics for a field shot and we appreciate you posting them Trigger!

 

[nvenm8]

P.S bugger using a hook with a nasty ****d brown snake it would end up around your ears before you knew it...lol

Rubbish!!!

 

[dragon170]

Good on you trigger I did the course with you but haven't had a chance to relocate anything yet. Glad everything went well with your first relocation will send you photo's from the weekend when I get a chance. keep up the good work

 

[snakehandler]

nvenm8, nice photos, but this can be shown for each and every technique as they will all work with different snakes, what is essential is being able to use a variety of techniques in case your chosen favorite technique does not work this time. On a recent course we had a person trained by another organisation to hook a snake and has been catching snakes for over two years now, he could not get the mulga snake into the bag with this technique, he had to learn to tail as well!

 

[dragon170]

might I also add this bloke is not like most of us onn here does not keep snakes and is only trying to do the right thing rather thanjust killing them unlike most people. I'm sure he would rather deal with german back packers and yellow vans lol

 

[-Peter]

First cab off the rank and you get that as the driver. Well done.

 

[wizz]

lots of fun 40 degree days ..............

 

[snakehandler]

Also remember the "bondi rescue" episode where a "trained" snake catcher was attempting to hook a hot red belly....made it look so difficult and took so long! tailing it would have been quicker and less stressful for the snake, general public and the novice handler.

 

[shlanger]

Snake removal

I used to do snake removal locally, getting 'a bit long in the tooth', so leave it for the young-uns these days. One time I was called to remove a large copperhead from under a wardrobe in a concrete floored bungalow. Some one had called the cops. So, whilst I was hooking the snake out, theres this cop with a pump-action shotty standing at the door, saying "I'll back you up mate"! I'll be right mate", says me, "I've done this before" The one thing I didn' need at the time, was a nervous copper with a 12g backing me up! (Imagine!)Hooked snake out, tailed it and dropped it into catch bag. "Gee, you made that look easy"!
says he, unloading 12g! I stopped shaking (not from fear of the snake, believe me!) got paid, went home, releasing snake at local swamp on the way.

 

[shlanger]

Snake removal

I taught myself snake handling, the hard way, got scars to prove it!

 

[-Peter]

Also remember the "bondi rescue" episode where a "trained" snake catcher was attempting to hook a hot red belly....made it look so difficult and took so long! tailing it would have been quicker and less stressful for the snake, general public and the novice handler.

Actually she wasn't trying to hook it, she was trying to get it into a position where she could tail it. Which she eventually did. It wasn't that hot a day though not cool by any means. It was also the first time she had been called out and she was really nervous and had a camera crew filming her every move and a crowd of onlookers. I encouraged her to do the rescue. She isn't a herp person and at the training course was able to bag browns but seemed to have a pathological barrier when it came to rbbs.

 

[snakehandler]

The footage only showed her trying to hook it....my point was not at her skill but at the technique used as it seemed that she was trying to hook it into the bag.....first snake job or not doesnt really matter, the point is that every technique has its flaws!

 

[Pandora Pythons]

Actually she wasn't trying to hook it, she was trying to get it into a position where she could tail it. Which she eventually did. It wasn't that hot a day though not cool by any means. It was also the first time she had been called out and she was really nervous and had a camera crew filming her every move and a crowd of onlookers. I encouraged her to do the rescue. She isn't a herp person and at the training course was able to bag browns but seemed to have a pathological barrier when it came to rbbs.

Hey guys, is there is a link to this Bondi Rescue footage? Be really interested to see it as I've recently done a relocation course also.

 

[ecosnake]

Rubbish!!!

Well your very lucky to get a placid Brown snake they do come around once and awhile, and how long were you messing around with it, probably puffed it out before you took the photos'.

Cheers

 

[Egernia]

I agree that there is not really a correct or incorrect way to catch a snake - within reason of course!

Handling snakes in a husbandry situation and removing snakes from people's backyards are two entirely different things and if you tried to use only one technique or only one tool then you would likely get bitten. You need to adapt to the situation, the snake, and the environmental conditions.

Personally I prefer tailing but when a snake is inside an engine or some such then pinning becomes the option of choice.

From the pics that the original poster posted here I would say tailing would be my likely course of action assuming that you could grab the tail before it disappears down the hole. Hoop bag in the left hand, face open to the snake, and low down to the ground. Hook in my right hand or close by. Grab the tail, snake rears back to attack, and ends up going head first into the bag. Job done.

Regarding inexperienced snake handlers and newbies - well they have to get a start somewhere so you can't really fault them for not looking professional provided that they get the snake in the bag without anyone getting bitten. If they do that then they have achieved everyones aim.

Hopefully these snake handling courses teach self regulation to their participants so that new handlers feel confident enough to walk away from a situation they do not feel comfortable with. Personally I don't think anyone should be trying to catch a brown or tiger snake unless they have a deal of experience catching blacks and even tree snakes without getting bitten. But in the real world they may not have the choice.

Do these snake handling courses give participants a list of contact information for other snake catchers in their areas? If not I think that they should so that newbies could refer calls received for brown snakes etc onto someone else until they are ready to start doing them.

 

[Egernia]

Micool I know where you are coming from. Some snake catchers talk about bites like they are notches on a bedpost, but to be honest the guy who has never been tagged is probably the best snake catcher I would think.

Like most things in life wanting to do something does not mean that you can do it.

Catching snakes well takes talent. I am not talking about an unattainable nor elite talent here, just an inherent ability to be able to read each situation quickly and to understand the limits of the snake and of yourself.

While the techniques can be taught, unless you have 'the knack' then I just do not believe that snake catching is for everyone.

It seems to me that some of these snake catching courses may be not a lot more than revenue raising efforts for those that run them. I am pro-business and have no problem with people making a living out of providing these courses, but I am concerned that there are likely people who feel empowered by doing a course but that should probably not be out trying to catch snakes!

What exactly do these courses give you? I understand that they give you advice and an opportunity to get hands on, but are they considered by wildlife authorities in regards to licencing for removal? If not, then why do people pay for these courses?

 

[ecosnake]

In most too many armchair snake catchers with opinions larger than their experience (no I aint pointing the finger at anyone really I am not J). Bagging courses or people that run them isnt very productive, nor is saying you can hook a wild brown snake this isnt very sound advice, specially to the newbie eager snake catchers. There are number of seasoned catchers, I have been around as a catcher in SEQLD for 16 years now, and I know what is best for me only, but may not be best for another I understand that. for catchers down south who deal with tigers, I would listen to what they had to say before started catching tigers as they have more experience than me, up here where 70% of what I catch are brown snake (between September 2007 till now I have 97 brown snakes on record) I would think my experienced would be heard and not contested with silly remarks like “rubbish”. I would love those how contest to come and tackle a 6 foot (well any sized actually) brown Snake on a 40 degree day with a hook, I will ring the hospital and get the anti venom ready for you.

 

[ecosnake]

Oh and about the bites, I have never been biten by a snake while catching on the job, when I was 18 years old, I stupidly was biten by an adder....its not cool to be biten its bloody stupid and careless

 

[cockney red]

In most too many armchair snake catchers with opinions larger than their experience (no I aint pointing the finger at anyone really I am not J). Bagging courses or people that run them isnt very productive, nor is saying you can hook a wild brown snake this isnt very sound advice, specially to the newbie eager snake catchers. There are number of seasoned catchers, I have been around as a catcher in SEQLD for 16 years now, and I know what is best for me only, but may not be best for another I understand that. for catchers down south who deal with tigers, I would listen to what they had to say before started catching tigers as they have more experience than me, up here where 70% of what I catch are brown snake (between September 2007 till now I have 97 brown snakes on record) I would think my experienced would be heard and not contested with silly remarks like “rubbish”. I would love those how contest to come and tackle a 6 foot (well any sized actually) brown Snake on a 40 degree day with a hook, I will ring the hospital and get the anti venom ready for you.

Its about when to take the snake as much as how. You can tail any snake as long as you have the upper hand, and the head is going away. Hook, hand , bag, done. Good hand to eye coordination is a must, and as said, picking the moment, is all important. Not for everybody, and one day, a slight misjudgement could cost anyone a hit. Black Snake, on a 26 degree day is like lightning.