2018 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup

What with today being the second Thursday of March, if history repeats itself, today marks the start of the annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas.

The Eyes on Texas have only seen the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup once, early in this current century.

A video was made from that visit, along with a Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup webpage.

There are many people who object to what they believe to be the barbaric practice of rounding up rattlesnakes, to be milked, butchered, skinned, and eaten.

Every year we receive multiple missives from people who somehow think we are involved in the rattlesnake slaughter to which they so vehemently object, including many people from the United Kingdom, such as the individual who sent, yet again, a missive received a couple days ago...

If you're wondering, we're still on your case.  Leave those Rattlesnake alone!!!!

Signed., Robert Piller <cates1980@hotmail.co.uk>

Well, Robert, we really were not wondering if you were still on our case, or not, but we can assure you we will not be harming any rattlesnakes.

Below is the video of the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup from way back in 2002, or was it 2003?

Deep-Fried Western Diamondback Rattlesnake available at Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup in March

Soon it will be the second weekend of March which will have the Eyes of Texas and people from other locations on the planet focused on Sweetwater, Texas where the 2015 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup takes place.

Rounding up rattlesnakes is controversial. You can read about this controversial issue via a previous Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup blog post on this subject, with additional links to other previous blog links on the subject.

Among the controversies regarding the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup is the fact that most of the snakes which get rounded up are killed.

Some of the butchered rattlesnakes roundup in Deep-Fried Western Diamondback Rattlesnake & Chips Baskets, which you see being offered by the young rattlesnake purveyor in the picture.

Squeamishness prevailed, so no one in our tour group sampled any fried rattlesnake, though we were assured it tasted like chicken. Chicken with a lot of little bones.

The World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup  takes place on the Second Weekend in March.

Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup weekend starts up on the second Thursday of March with the Rattlesnake Review Parade at 4pm through downtown Sweetwater. That evening, the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant takes place in the Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

The doors open at 8:00 a.m. Friday for the Annual Sweetwater Jaycees World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up, with snakes being weighed in at 7:00 a.m. that morning at the Nolan County Coliseum.

For more information about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, including video of our visit to the Roundup, go to our Eyes on Texas Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup webpage.

I Regret I Have No Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Gall Bladders to Sell

That is a screencap from our Eyes on Texas webpage about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup you are looking at here.

During the years since the Sweetwater Rattlesnake webpage was added to Eyes on Texas that webpage has probably generated more questions and comments, via email, than any other subject, or webpage.

For the most part the strangest comments or questions come from Europe, most from the UK and Germany.

Today an interestingly odd question came from Texas...

Dear Eyes on Texas

On your website “A Chinese woman offered the Sweetwater Jaycees (they run the Rattlesnake Roundup as well as the skinning and frying) one dollar per snake gall bladder.” I live in Texas and I wonder if I can buy 600 snake gall bladders for 600 dollars. 

Thank you.
G

I had no memory of mentioning on the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup webpage that a Chinese woman was seeking snake gall bladders. When I looked at the webpage I eventually found the mention of snake gall bladders.

The entire blurb about seeking snake gall bladders...

The snakes are executed away from public eyes. But they are skinned in full view. A Chinese woman offered the Sweetwater Jaycees (they run the Rattlesnake Roundup as well as the skinning and frying) one dollar per snake gall bladder. To be used in some medicinal concoction believed by some to be as useful as Viagra.

Why does the Texan, Mr. G., seek 600 rattlesnake gall bladders, one can not help but wonder? Does he figure if one snake gall bladder is good to fix that which Viagra fixes that 600 snake gall bladders would be like Super Viagra on Steroids?

I used to reply to these type inquires, informing the inquirer that my only connection to the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup and snake gall bladders, skins or rattles was that I made a webpage documenting my one and only visit to Sweetwater.

The past couple years I don't bother letting inquirers know that I am not a supplier of rattlesnake related products. I figure they should be able to figure that out on their own.