Miss Snake Charmer: A beauty Pagent with Rattlers

[3113]

From here:

Each spring for more than half a century, this small West Texas town has hosted what's billed as the world's largest gathering of rattlesnakes. The roundup began as pest control, but has grown to become a cultural phenomenon that draws 30,000 people. And every roundup is ruled by a queen: Miss Snake Charmer.

Miss Snake Charmer is perhaps the most daring, braving not just the spotlight and the judges, but also the snake pit. She is expected to handle scores of serpents, often "milking" or gathering their venom, and beheading and skinning them. Queens usually eat some of what's left after skinning, which gets fried at the roundup cook shack and tastes like a cross between rabbit and frog.

Winning Miss Snake Charmer instantly cements a girl's reputation in this town of about 11,000, where many claim ties to former queens.

TX have you been keeping this plot bunny a secret from us?

 

[TxRad]

The towns Mascot:

 

[slyc_willie]

I caught one in my backyard the other day they can have . . . .

 

[TxRad]

I caught one in my backyard the other day they can have . . . .

Don't worry, they have plenty.

 

[slyc_willie]

Don't worry, they have plenty.

No kidding. Isn't the rattlesnake the state reptile of Texas or something? If not, it should be.

 

[TxRad]

No kidding. Isn't the rattlesnake the state reptile of Texas or something? If not, it should be.

Probably.

One year I was working in that area ad I heard they caught somewhere around 18,000 snakes just during the roundup.

How do you think they feed those 30,000 people.

Freer, is also the home of the only 24 hour Dairy Queen that I now of.

Also, Red's Saloon. A man without a shirt gets tossed out. A woman without a shirt drinks free.

 

[TxRad]

For those that might wonder what this area looks like.

Scrub brush, mesquite, and sage on top of rocks, rocks, and more rocks.