Author Topic: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???  (Read 13154 times)

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Offline Gus

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Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« on: October 17, 2011, 04:58:51 pm »
Hello Everyone.

Was hoping for clarification on this issue.

I've an In-Law that is in Law enforcement up in north east Texas.
He ran over a large Timber Rattler last week and was looking to pass it on to me.
How ever, before he was to give me a call he took it in to the local Biologist for examination.
The biologist told him that it was a Timber Rattler and that they are protected and the biologist kept the snake.

Sorry to see a snake go to waste, but if they are protected isn't it illegal to poses them part and parcel?

Thank You.

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline Josh

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2011, 05:49:20 pm »
it's not protected in Alabama that I know of...
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Offline criveraville

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2011, 05:57:58 pm »
I think he got ganked :(

cipirano
I was HECHO EN MEXICO, but assembled in Texas and I'm Texican as the day is long...  Psalm 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Offline Gus

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2011, 07:20:00 pm »
Okay,

After doing a bit of searching on line I found this on Texas Parks & Wild Life site...  :(

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline mullet

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2011, 07:35:14 pm »
 Yea, but is a biologist a Law Enforcement Officer, too? I mean, who gave him the power to confiscate things? ???
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2011, 09:01:56 pm »
Just depends on where you're at. Some states they are perfectly legal to kill, protected in others. Kind of a gray area here in NC-they're listed as a species of special concern.
Smoky Mountains, NC

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Offline mullet

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2011, 12:24:56 am »
 I understand that, in Florida Eastern Diamondback's will probably be listed the same, but what authority do Biologist have in Texas to take it from you? I'm just curious the next time I hunt in Texas.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline criveraville

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2011, 12:51:58 am »
but what authority do Biologist have in Texas to take it from you?

He got ganked Eddie....

Gus tell your inlaw to go get his snake back..

Cipriano
I was HECHO EN MEXICO, but assembled in Texas and I'm Texican as the day is long...  Psalm 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2011, 12:58:14 am »
It was more like a matter of preventing someone from transferring the snake (or parts thereof) and having two people involved in sale/exchange/tranfer in threatened species. 

We (Avian Research and Consulting) are always advising the power company people here that they better put in a call to the USF&W before they move an electrocuted bird of prey.  Picking one up and having it in the bed of the truck is a serious problem if they get stopped.  One lineman asked us what he should tell a private landowner if they ask him if they can keep the owl/hawk/eagle.  We advised he tell them outright they are liable to prosecution for possession of any parts, also the lineman is liable under federal law if he tells them they can take it.  Best to just leave it where ya found it.   
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Offline Pappy

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2011, 07:38:55 am »
All snakes are protected in Tennessee .  :(  :-\
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Offline bowtarist

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2011, 11:21:10 am »
Timber Rattlers are protected in Indiana.  Purdue has 40 of them tagged on my 2 mile dead end road.  My 7 yr, old and I nearly stepped on one this summer and my dog was bitten and nearly died 4 days after we had our encounter.  The neighbor dog did die from a snake bite this summer.  All in all, they don't bother me unless they are in my yard, I told the Purdue biologist that I liked timer rattlers, and I also like the way they taste.  I also told him that I didn't know how big the chips are, but if I found another one in my yard, they may find the chip in my septic tank.  :o  ;D  ;D  True Story!!  He didn't know what to say.

 
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Offline Gus

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2011, 01:52:15 pm »
Yes Sir...


Don't like the Grey Areas, nor do I care for being denied the use of an otherwise wasted resource.
Road killed Birds of Prey come to mind, we should be able to make use of these birds, if Found Dead.
With that said, I do understand the implications of possession of Birds of Prey, or any part there of.

In my travels of the past month I passed at least twenty Birds dead on the roadside, a Lifeless wing flagging in the breeze.
What a waste, but I did not stop.

I'll just have to be happy with the bag of Turkey Primaries that just came in the mail... :)

Bowtarist, that's some funny stuff you told the Purdue Biologist...
Kinda makes me think of that "Sinatra" bit that Phil Hartman did on SNL.

That particular Timber Rattler is probably resting in the Biologist's Septic Tank right about now.
No Worries... There will be other Snakes!!!

The Snake Is Dead!
Long Live The Snake!

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline cracker

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2011, 05:52:50 pm »
They do it that was so they don't have to prove whether you killed it or found it they just charge you . Easy for them but then it's always easy for the powers that be.Ron
If we can't help each other what is the point of being here?

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2011, 06:18:28 pm »
They do it that was so they don't have to prove whether you killed it or found it they just charge you . Easy for them but then it's always easy for the powers that be.Ron

Look at it from this perspective:  It's easier for them to procecute people like Stanley Little Boy and Tilden Reddest, part of a very large ring of people that were shotgunning YOUR eagles and selling the parts on the black market for huge profit.  Those were your eagles, your national symbol, your protected species.  They were destroying your heritage and the heritage of your children for money.  Did they offer to share that money with you or your children?  Of course not, until I mentioned their names you had never heard of them.  32 counts of illegal trafficking in eagle bodies, and that is only what the Feds could prove. 

There is a reason for those protections on certain species.  I chose to be on the legal side, the conservationist side, the side that takes the longer view. 

I'm sorry Cracker for making it look like I am personally taking you to task on this issue.  Really, I am not.  I just see things slipping back into the mentality of the generations before us that thought everything was just there for the taking.  Our generation saw the pollution, the loss of habitat, game animals virtually gone from the scene and acted to fix the problems.  I just hate to lose the ground we worked so hard to regain. 
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Offline cracker

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Re: Is the Timber Rattlesnake Protected???
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2011, 09:37:51 am »
JW No sweat like I said it makes it easy for them. I see you're point and agree. In this case it was a good thing however it aint always a good thing. Case in point several years ago a local man that I know decided to have a public pay dove shoot he wanted to do everything legally so he had the dnr come over and certify the field so with signed certification in hand he proceded with his dove shoot. While the dove shoot was getting started the dnr officers showed up checking licenses guns etc. finding nothing wrong they started walking around the field looking for bait finding nothing they proceded to the next field where they found nothing finally on the third field over they found a hand full of the grain the farmer had spilled while planting his winter crop. Well they came back grinning like a couple of jackasses and wrote a case against every person on that field. Keep in mind that one of them was the same guy that who had certified the field the field just the day before. MMMMMM. Ronnie
« Last Edit: October 19, 2011, 09:46:38 am by cracker »
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