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Slithering Snakes in Noxen

Thousands of people will be in Noxen over the weekend to hunt for snakes. The annual rattlesnake roundup started Thursday night. Officials said the annual rattl...

Thousands of people will be in Noxen over the weekend to hunt for snakes.

The annual rattlesnake roundup started Thursday night. Officials said the annual rattlesnake roundup is the biggest event in Noxen, and folks look forward to it every year.

"They`ll have rattle snakes, ring snakes, gardener snakes , black snakes," said Assistant Chief Matthew McCormack of Noxen Volunteer Fire Department.

James Strohl hunted down rattlers in the 70s and 80s, and said they're not too difficult to spot.

"It`s just basically a walk in the woods. In the areas you know what habitat to look for, the rockslides, sunny areas, plus there`s shade so they can get cover and everything, and around berry bushes for food and stuff for small rodents," said Strohl.

Thousands of people from Pennsylvania and nearby states trek through the woods for hours to snag any snake they can find with their bare hands!

Then they bring the reptiles to a pen and could win a prize for their best finds and visitors are free to get up close to the snakes if they dare.

The rattlesnake roundup brings in tens of thousands of dollars each year for the Noxen Fire Department, and they`re able to buy new equipment and keep their tanks full.

"The snakes have well, built the fire company, the grounds," said Strohl.

"Every year it gets better and better, we`ve been really building a lot more stuff around here. The amount of caring and effort that everybody puts into it, it`s astounding to me," said Jim White of Noxen.

People who live around the area said the best part of the roundup isn't the snakes, but the people who put it all together.

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