OK please don't jump too hard on me. Today was really great weather. I was talking with someone who told me that a large rattlesnake was killed in our area yesterday. This is the second one. This person claimed these rattlers were released in the Boggy Slough area to help reintroduce a engandered type. This person also claimed that there were 5000 snakes released?? Seems like a stretch but y'all hear and know much more about thses things.
This person also said black bear have been released in that area recently.
Have you heard anything like this???

Never heard that, I know things have change out there recently, but there is one guy who would know... Dr. James Kroll

Whoever is releasing rattle snakes to save the species should be bit IMO

22 times

Have not heard or read about this

crazy if it's true!

Bout the only way I could think this would be true is if they're releasing Timber rattlers. They're endangered and protected by the state. Who'da thunk? I don't know for sure, tho...this is my guess.

I know they did a while back (not @ Boggy, but further south). They released 1500 and implanted tracking chips in some of them so they could see how far they ranged. Some of them were found 25' up in trees (food for thought when climbing before daylight). IF anything in the area is happening bear related, it would probably have to been done on the down low and I don;t see them talking the folks at Boggy into letting them do such there. (Surrounding NFs may be a different story)

Hey Cheif I haven't heard anything on th snakes. You would think they have enough without adding to th population. The young man in your sig pic could easily answere your question though. As far as bears go I doubt if they would turn any loose in Boggy they would defeat their game management program. Now back ta snakes if they did release any they are in my opinion completly nuts and need ta be committed.

very true...anyone who thinks the timber rattler population is hurting doesn't spend much time down in the river bottoms.

There is no telling what kind of programs that go on that we never hear of.

I brought some of my youth to a JAKES event out near Nacogdoches last fall. One of the Illegal Game trailers was out there, I guess they're specific to the area, because they had all kinds of game illegally taken and illegal contraptions, etc. But they had a big ole rattler coiled up. I read the excerpt, and it said that it had been confiscated from a deer camp, that a guy had killed it and was planning on eating it. I asked the warden who'd come with the trailer, he said it was a timber rattler and that they're protected. I thought to myself that surely the "castle" law would apply, because every time I see a snake, it feels like it's "him or me"!

Must be the Timber Rattler. This person said it was HUGE. Tracking chips were mentioned as was protected species. The "in my space" rule was applied which I agree with. Said the markings were like a diamond back??
I misplaced the guy'semail on the Boggy hog. He seemed like a nice guy.

I don't know if they released any or not, haven't heard anything about it. I grew up in that area though and there have always been a lot of rattlesnakes in that river bottom. Lots of people over the years have claimed to see black bears in there as well, but I've never seen any sign of them.

I'd think someone would get a pic of a bear on all the trail cameras. But then again it might be better just to keep that to yourself???

Timber rattlers are caught and a tracking device is implanted in them (SFASU) was doing the research, but no, Timber rattlers/canebrake rattlesnakes are not being released to introduce an endangered species. No black bears are released into Texas as well.

not quite, the majority of the ones I've seen have been colored about like this. (with some not being as dark) They can get pretty dang big.

Before the flooding below richland chambers lake in the bottoms there were quite afew along with copper heads in 800 acres area we leased for 6 years. After rc lake was completed it became wma. We hunted it and with all the prolnged flooding it seemed to thin them out. over 10 years went from common to see one around oak ridges to none last few years in same area, Along with falling of loss acorn bearing trees, The whole area changed from pristine bottom with large trees amd canopy full of deer small game, to brushy ash bottom full of rag weed an dead trees. Probaly starved to death with loss of squirles an rabbits, They were nothing like diamond backs or cotton mouths, as far as aggressive but hellasious heads and fangs, Son actualy touched one 6 footer while parting saw grass looking for pass thru arrow. Never rattled once after being caught an just crawled away. Next day stepped on big turtle in same area an about crapped when I looked down.

it's extremely easy to find them in our areas. All you have to do is find the ridges in the river bottoms and go rake back trash around the bases of the oak & cypress trees. I have found them in my 4wheeler after parking it, on my rack after returning to it, in my deer stand, in the seat of my climber, along sloughs mingling with the stubtails. Drift further down the neches where they actually did release some along Big Thicket and they can be found on any day that starts off cold and warms up quickly.

Lets get Killer and gofind a few

I've offered to FedEx him some. One of my friends that made the trip in with me from San Antonio was baffled that we were seeing them in January sunning in the roads.

There is no use for snakes.

Yes, there is a very important one - rodent control. Some areas of the western states have problems with Hantavirus because of the rodent problems where the predators are not sufficient to adequately suppress the rodent population.

I still can't believe someone that says the perfect mousetrap has yet to be invented. it certainly has...