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Spring 2025, Volume 4, Issue 1
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BUTCHER SHOP
OPEN YEAR ROUND!
PHOTO PROVIDED
Members of the Peteʼs Shanty Hunting Club stand in front of two harvested whitetails in the mid-1980s
Cover Photo by Justin Campbell/Special to the Sun-Gazette
PETE’S SHANTY
H u n t i n g C l u b t o c e l eb ra t e
100th anniversary
When a group from the Rauchtown area known as the “Lucky 10” came to hunt in Gamble Township’s Bar Bottom Hollow back in 1924, the men stumbled onto something in the Loyalsock State Forest they likely never intended to find the remnants of a dilapidated lean-to shelter, which had long been abandoned, and a handpainted sign that’s faded words simply read “Pete’s Shanty.”
The area clearly caught their attention. Just a short while later, in July of 1925, the members of the Lucky 10 signed a 99-year lease with Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the quarter-acre plot where the shack once stood In that spot, they would build something new to call their own
After initially hiring a man with a horse and wagon to help them haul lum-
The Peteʼs Shanty Hunting Club, located in Gamble Township, was
in 1925 by a group of men from the Rauchtown area. The clubʼs current 14 members will celebrate its 100th anniversary this summer.
ber they had secured from an old mule shed at a nearby closed sawmill, the Lucky 10 would ultimately scale the hill themselves to bring down much of the wood on their own shoulders. By the time deer season rolled around in 1926, the group had erected a 400-square-foot cabin they aptly referred to as “Pete’s Shanty.”
Nearly a full century later, Pete’s Shanty and the legacy created by the Lucky 10 continue to endure. Though the original members have long since passed away and no family relations of that first hunting crew remain at the cabin, the camp’s history is honored through its cur-
PHOTO PROVIDED
founded
rent 14 members, several of whom have belonged to it for many decades
“This place – Pete's Shanty Hunting Club – is a gem,” said member Jay Alexander “When you get back there, you are in the middle of nowhere and it is the greatest place in the world to reset your mind ”
Alexander has hunted at the club since he was 9 years old His father, Wayne, became a member in 1978; and in 1989, he was able to get his own membership He said the cabin’s simplicity is what helps make the place so special
Though the building has seen many renovations through the years – including expansions in 1930 and 1951 – it's anything but ultra-modern The sink is fed by a hose that connects to a nearby spring, with water being heated in a boiler that sits on the woodstove Any lights that aren’t gaspowered are hooked to a generator The bunk room can accommodate 15 hunters,
each getting their own locker There isn’t a TV to be found in the whole building, only a radio that sits on the table
“We still don’t have cell phone service, which is awesome,” Alexander said
One thing that sets Pete’s Shanty apart from many other hunting clubs today, is that it’s one of the few that still sees nearly all its members there for the entire first week of deer rifle season That used to be the case for most cabins in the area, but after the deer season switched to starting on Saturday, many camps have become quiet by Tuesday, with only a few hunters remaining at each
“We roll in the Friday after Thanksgiving and there’s 12 or 13 of us, and we are there for the whole week,” Alexander said “Everybody wants to be there, ya know? It’s fun ”
Along with Alexander, the club’s other members include Cody Alexander, Cole
Alexander, Steve Miller, Brady Ramin, John Rogomentick, Bill Coffin, Billy Coffin, Jon Thomas, Greg Coffin, Ivan “High Crop” Coffin, Doug Hurban, Daulton Hoff and Brett Trimble
With state land surrounding all sides of the property, the Pete’s Shanty crew has nearly 3,000 acres at its disposal And with the cabin being roughly a two-mile drive off Wallis Run Road, the camp is far enough in to avoid getting a lot of pressure from outside hunters
“Nothing is flat where we hunt,” said Alexander “It’s steep ground If you kill something, you have to work your ass off to get it out
“The hunting is pretty rough,” he added “We are hunting mountain deer and mountain bear, so it isn’t much farmland But we have a great time ”
Having a great time is of such paramount importance for the Pete’s Shanty
PHOTO PROVIDED
The current members of Peteʼs Shanty Hunting Club go by the nickname “Crack of Noon Outfitters.” The crew is shown here celebrating a successful buck harvest
crew that they’ve adopted the nickname “Crack of Noon Outfitters” in a nod to their tendency to hit the woods much later than most other hunting camps.
“Our card games and cocktail hour often go late, and we like to have a really great breakfast,” Alexander said of the group’s penchant for sleeping in. “So, we eat like kings and drink pretty well; and we have some pretty awesome card games – most of the time it’s poker – with some pretty big pots.
“Comradery is the first thing about being a member at Pete’s Shanty. We all enjoy each other’s company and we have a blast,” he added. “I would say we are closer than brothers ”
To coordinate their efforts in the woods, the crew elects two captains per hunting season who are responsible for organizing their deer drives
“Their job is to get together a plan and make sure everybody is safe, and to have us working together as one,” Alexander said
For the Crack of Noon Outfitters, teamwork is always a part of the plan –when it’s time to hunt and when it’s time to work That was never more evident than on Oct 21, 2016, when an isolated storm brought down 11 inches of rain in mere hours, leading to a severe flood that left three members – Steve Miller, Greg Coffin and Jon Thomas – stranded at the camp with the cabin bridge completely washed out
On the night before the flood, Alexander said he and the three members were enjoying drinks and dinner at Pier 87 But when he decided to head home, they went to Pete’s Shanty The next morning, he learned the Wallis Run and Butternut Grove bridges had washed out, and
shortly thereafter he was told the Pete’s Shanty bridge was gone.
“I was thinking, ‘Boy, those three guys are stuck back there,” Alexander said. “So, over that weekend, three or four of the members that don’t live close came up. I had gotten a backhoe around and we started trying to get a road open across the top of the mountain to get those guys out. By Sunday, we were able to get those three out of there.”
A few weeks after the flood, an emergency permit was obtained by the landowner where the Pete’s Shanty bridge is located, which allowed the men to work in the stream. After renting two D6 bulldozers, the crew spent a long weekend recovering what was left of their bridge – finding their two main beams in the process – and cleaning up the surrounding roads Though it would be another two years before all the roads in the area were passable again, the Crack of Noon Outfitters managed to clear up the decimated area enough to get to and from the cabin just in time for 2016 hunting season, which was quickly approaching From April to July of 2017, the men worked to rebuild the Pete’s Shanty bridge from the pieces they recovered
“We have a great group of folks that that all come together and get a lot of work done,” Alexander said “We play hard, but everybody there is not afraid of work We work our asses off and we get stuff done ”
The leadership structure at Pete’s Shanty includes a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer The role of president, which Alexander and his sons have all served as at one point or another, is focused on coordinating events,
PHOTO PROVIDED Peteʼs Shanty was built in 1925. The building was renovated in 1930 and 1951 to expand its size. Today, it can accommodate 15 hunters.
scheduling workdays, and making sure that finances are being addressed properly.
One event the Crack of Noon Outfitters are currently in the process of planning out is a celebration of the camp’s 100th anniversary this summer. The group is also having lever-action Henry rifles engraved with the Pete’s Shanty sign to celebrate the milestone.
With a lot of young blood involved with the camp right now, Alexander said he has “no doubt” that Pete’s Shanty will be enjoyed for another 100 years.
“We have young, hardworking guys around 30 years old and they all have families – they're active,” Alexander said “I think Pete’s Shanty is well on its way to shooting for the next 100 years
“The tough decisions that you make about life, you think about in the summer there on the back porch in peace and quiet It’s the greatest place to rest your mind and reevaluate life and what priorities are and what priorities aren’t,” he added “It’s the solitude of being in the forest, and it’s just an awesome place All 14 members take that in, and we couldn’t put a price tag on it It’s just a piece of heaven ”
Nick Seitzer is the editor of West Branch Life A graduate of Lycoming College, he has worked in local journalism for 13 years, serving in a variety of roles for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette and Lock Haven Express in that time
Flying high Falconry is Pennsylvaniaʼs most exclusive and regulated field sport
By NICK SEITZER Hunt Magazine
In Pennsylvania, there’s no form of hunting that’s quite as exclusive, expensive and time-consuming as the sport of falconry With only around 4,000 licensed falconers across the country, and approximately 200 in the commonwealth, you could easily go your entire life without meeting a member of this niche community
While they might be rare, those involved in falconry the practice of trapping raptors and training them to hunt wild game are unquestionably the most dedicated group of hunters in the state That’s because they have to be. Not only does the process of becoming a licensed falconer involve much more work than
any other form of hunting, it also requires a level of dedication that borders on the obsessive
To put it simply, you cannot be an occasional falconer Those involved with the sport see it permeate nearly all aspects of their lives and they wouldn’t have it any other way
“It’s kind of like having a dairy herd. Someone has to do the work every day, no matter what,” said Fran Gray, president of the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust. “It completely changes your lifestyle You can’t just pick up and go to a wedding; you can’t just go to the beach You have to plan, and you have to have another falconer that you trust that is willing to babysit your birds ”
Gray, a Renovo native currently living in Phillipsburg, first took an interest in
experience.
birds of prey when he saw Grizzly Adams flying a golden eagle on TV when he was around 6 years old
“I knew right then and there that was going to be my future,” he said
A
P P R E N T I C E S H I P
Though Gray, 54, dreamed of being a falconer as a child, he didn’t get his chance to become one until about 20 years ago To help achieve his dream, he had to go through the state’s apprenticeship program, which requires new falconers to train under a general or master class falconer for a two-year minimum
To find a sponsor, Gray said he messaged the apprentice coordinator at the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust, who set him up with a man named Karl Striedieck to go hunting with After beating
PHOTO PROVIDED Michael Kuriga is a local master class falconer with over 50 years of falconry
FA L C O N RY
the brush with him for about half a season, Striedieck wrote a letter to the game commission saying he would take Gray on as an apprentice
“It is really difficult to get a sponsor, because they are committing basically a minimum of three years of their life,” Gray said “You lose your bird, and you call them at 10 o’clock at night and they are out there with telemetry or whatever, helping you find your bird. If your bird gets sick, you have to rely on their experience, knowing which medications to give for different ailments
“As an apprentice, the sponsor’s word is law,” he added “The internet has made it more difficult, because everybody reads internet articles and thinks they’re experts It all comes back to the sponsor you need a good sponsor to be a good apprentice ”
Gray has experienced the sponsor/apprentice relationship from both sides, having taken on four apprentices himself through the
years. He currently has one apprentice under his wing, who he said would be getting promoted to a general class falconer once they possess their bird for the stateminimum requirement of 18 months
He said any potential apprentices of his must live within 30 miles of him because, “When something goes wrong it goes really wrong, and you don’t have four hours to go meet them ” Gray also stressed that when an apprentice lives close, they can stop by his house to ask questions; and he can pop in on them to see how things are going
Just as important as their proximity to each other is the chemistry between the two Seeing one another up to six days per week, especially in the beginning of the process, the apprentice and sponsor need to be a good personality match for things to go well, according to Gray.
“Anything they do, you are responsible for in the game commission’s eyes,” he said “You have to
PHOTO PROVIDED Fran Grayʼs sons, Nate and Jace, pose with a peregrine falcon.
know he or she is qualified, and you can do your part to be there when they need you.”
The duties of a sponsor extend well beyond simply teaching an apprentice how to trap, train and hunt with their birds. They also show them how to maintain the health of the animals, help them get a grasp on the terminology, and show them how to create various forms of equipment
Because of the sheer amount of work involved, Gray only likes to work with one apprentice at a time.
“Legally you can have three apprentices at a time, but I’ve known guys that have two and that is too much,” said Gray. “I know guys who kept apprentices for 10 years and never promoted them because they just didn’t think they were ready.
“It really takes a special kind of person to be a falconer because it is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” he added. “It’s a rollercoaster "
R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Before an aspiring falconer can hold the “apprentice” title, they need to take a 150-question test from the game commission on raptors and their care, which requires a score of 80 or higher to pass
“It’s not an easy test,” said local falconer Michael Kuriga “I wrote half of it, so I know ”
Kuriga, who lives in DuBoistown and has over 50 years of falconry experience, was Gray’s predecessor as president of the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust He’s also a member of the Lycoming Audobon Society, North American Falconer’s Association, and International Eagle Austringers Association
Having served on many falconry-related committees in the state, including the committee that drafted the falconry laws and regulations that Pennsylvania currently operates under, he knows as well as anyone how rigorous the process to obtaining a permit can be
“It’s quite the legalistic sport,” Kuriga said “Everything we do is to not injure
any bird Fortunately, the U S Fish and Wildlife Service did a study of all the falconers across the country and came to the conclusion that we have zero impact on the wild bird of prey population.”
After passing their test, the aspiring falconer’s facility is then inspected by the game commission a process that continues to happen every year that the falconer reapplies for their permit. The birds are required to be caged in mews that are no smaller than 64 square feet, with a 100-square-foot covered weathering area Most weathering areas are made of chain-link fence with a net over the top, so the birds can sit out in the rain, which they’ve been known to enjoy. The mews must also include an area for the birds to bathe
“It probably runs you about $3,500 to build the mew,” Gray said “Mine are connected but there is a door that opens up and lets me go into a room and lock that door behind me so nothing can get out, and I have birds on the right and
birds on the left.”
If the game commission determines that the facility is suitable, then written permission to have a bird of prey on the premises must be granted from the municipality in which the aspiring falconer lives.
Only when all these hurdles have been cleared can the apprenticeship begin
T R A P P I N G
Once an apprenticeship has started, the apprentice must catch a wild hawk or falcon with their sponsor’s guidance. The law stipulates that only juvenile birds, which have an 80 percent mortality rate in their first year, may be taken by falconers. This ensures that breeding populations are left unaffected and greatly increases the young bird’s chances of surviving its first winter.
“If a falconer takes a bird, its survival rate goes to like 90 percent,” Gray said. “When you take it hunting, if it hasn’t really learned to hunt yet, we are going to take it home and feed it Over the course of the season, its skills will really develop.”
Kuriga shared that sentiment, saying, “I have a red-tailed hawk right now that is surviving the winter, and come spring it will be a viable breeder for the species because it survived winter and it knows how to hunt That is a bird that would have maybe not survived ”
“The main thing is that all the (trapping) methods we use are to not harm even one feather on the hawk We have to be right there,” Kuriga added. “The last thing we want to do is break a feather, because that would hinder the flight of the bird We want the birds to be perfectly healthy ”
While there are various trapping methods for catching a bird of prey, one of the most common is the use of a Balchatri These traps involve sticking some form of live bait inside a cage that’s covered in around 50 tiny nooses made from clear plastic similar to fishing line When the birds dive for the caged prey, they inevitably get one of their talons
Hotpoint
Gas Stoves made by GE propane w/Battery ignition no electric needed!
FA L C O N RY
snared by a noose
Those using these types of traps will often drive along until they see a bird in a tree. Then, they’ll pull over and set their trap on the ground, before continuing on down the road 100 yards or so. From that location, they watch their trap with binoculars until it eventually catches the bird
Another popular method for trapping juvenile hawks is to employ the use of a large net. These nets lay on the ground beside some form of live bait When the hawks fly down to take the bait, the nets flip over top of them
This latter form of trapping is the way Gray prefers to do it
“I’m kind of the exception, because I trap every worthwhile day during the trapping season,” Gray said “Last year, I caught 181 (birds) between Sept 1 and the end of November. Two years ago, I caught 186. I’m still trying to break the 200 mark ”
As a master class falconer, Gray is permitted to own up to five wild birds at a time and may purchase an unlimited amount of captive-bred raptors; but he may only keep two birds that he traps per year. Usually, he only keeps one bird per year to train for hunting Out of the hundreds that he catches, he’s really looking for the perfect hawk to take home
"When we catch a bird, we inspect the bird to see its feather conditions. We like a bird that is feather-perfect,” said Gray “We inspect the keel, which is the breastbone, to see how well it’s doing on its own. If it has a sharp keel, then it’s not carrying much fat and sometimes not a ton of muscle
“We treat almost every bird we catch for some kind of parasite,” he added.
On his best day, Gray said he and his 12-year-old son were able to trap 27 hawks from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
“There’s not a lot of good trapping locations I just happen to have a sponsor that owns 300 acres on a ridge that is perfect,” said Gray. “He’s a glider pilot, so you have that big runway, and you can see the birds coming a mile away
“The number of days that I have been skunked you could
PHOTO PROVIDED
This 91-year-old falconer still flies his birds and gets out to trap with Fran Gray several times a year.
count on probably two hands,” he added “I hardly ever have a day where I don’t catch at least one.”
T R A I N I N G
After a falconer traps the right bird, they put a small hood over its head to keep it relaxed and then they tether it to a short leash about 12 inches long. Once on the leash, the bird is brought inside the falconer’s home and has its hood removed.
“We watch TV with it and l dogs,” Gray said “You just wan point where it’s not scared any realizing this is life ”
For a raptor, everything r volves around eating The m important step in taming th birds is getting them to trus the falconer as a good source of food, and to have them associate the falconer’s leather glove known as a gauntlet with mealtime
Gray said he will usually start by taking a piece of venison or rabbit and tapping the bird lightly on its beak, until it eventually gets angry and snaps at the meat.
“Once it realizes that it’s meat, it will pretty readily take meat out of your hands,” Gray said “Then, we put them on a perch an we hold that meat on the g just outside of where it can reach It will lean and lean, usually around day four or will hop to the glove.”
Once the raptor is hoppi coner will back up about fi to fly to the glove; and they ing their distance until they re calling the bird from about 50 feet.
hawkers," because their birds are hunting animals found on the ground, like rabbits, squirrels, hares, mink, muskrat, fox, opossum, raccoons, skunks and weasel
When it’s time to hunt, these dirt hawkers will bring their bird to a suitable location, take its hood off and remove its leash At this point, the bird will fly to a tree overhead and position itself in whatever way gives it the best vantage for seeing prey Then, the falconer and usually a dog or two ush piles in an effort to mals hiding underneath where all the rabbits irrels are, and once they easier to catch food u, they are pretty reve,” Gray said “You blow a whistle and they me in flying and land on ur glove It’s pretty glorius.”
“If you can call it at 50 feet, then you can call it at 100 feet,” Gray said “When you whistle and hold your glove out, once it realizes that’s a treat, it’s like training a dog it will come back for the meat
“At that point, you pretty much just hunt them,” he added. “You have to put game in front of them, so you have to take them to good places But once they have success a couple of times, they are pretty much the bird you will hunt.”
Training a raptor usually takes anywhere from nine days to several weeks, depending on the falconer, terrain and bird.
“Some guys want to take a little longer (to train), which is fine,” Kuriga said “I’ve trapped golden eagles that have taken months to train.”
H U N T I N G
There are some falconers in Pennsylvania that use their raptors to hunt other birds, like bobwhite quail and ruffed grouse However, the vast majority in our state are known as “dirt
In order to maximize a raptor’s responsiveness to its handler, falconers carefully monitor the bird’s weight Every bird has a number usually between 1,210 to 1,215 grams where it is exceptionally responsive However, if its weight skews out of that zone, it’s less ikely to be an effective unter
“Unfortunately, hawks, cons and eagles will er like you,” Gray said don’t really bond to ey just learn to trust that better food source than n their own.
t like a dog When (the t you, he just wants to ot he can eat you,” he added We bond with the birds and the birds will bond with us but only up to a certain weight. If they are above that weight and they aren’t hungry, they couldn’t care less and they will sit in a tree all night; or they will just fly away It’s really all about your ability to make catching game easier for them ”
Gray also said that having a dog to aid in the process of hunting makes a huge difference in the overall results
“I was told at a young age that a falconer without a dog is only half a falconer,” he said. “So, once you get the bird and the dog working together, it’s just a matter of becoming a glorified bird watcher. Because the bird and the dog are doing everything ”
After a bird makes a kill, retrieving the animal carcass is a simple matter of distracting the hawk by placing a lure with its favorite treat beside it When the bird’s attention is diverted to the lure, the falconer grabs the kill and quickly stuffs it in his game bag
Some falconers choose to keep the game their hawks kill for themselves especially if it's a rabbit, pheasant or grouse
but many others use them to feed their birds throughout the year
“It’s kind of whatever you want to do with it,” Gray said. “We are such a small part of the hunting community that we really don’t affect populations at all ”
Gray and Kuriga said they will typically hunt with their birds for one to three hours per day, usually no fewer than four days per week
T E L E M E T RY
One of the more difficult aspects of falconry is tracking down a bird that has gone missing, which can often mean traversing marshy areas, scaling mountains, walking through creeks and asking property owners for permission to search for a bird on their land
Because of this, most falconers choose to equip their raptors with telemetry transmitters to help find their birds should they fly away These transmitters work off a radio frequency and are typically clipped to the anklets used to tether the bird, which allows them to come on and off more easily However, some choose to mount the device to the bird’s center tail feather with a crimp
“They are about $1,000, but goshawks and peregrines get really expensive,” Gray said. “Putting telemetry on a bird like that makes sense because they can see way better than us If they see a squirrel way off, and there is cover on the ground and you can’t hear their bells that’s when telemetry saves the day because it will take you right to the bird.
“It only weighs a gram or two, so it doesn't affect anything,” he added. “It’s a pretty good system and most guys use them on every bird they fly at this point ”
B E Y O N D H U N T I N G
When you talk with falconers, the most notable thing that jumps out is their deep respect for the birds they’re working with. For the vast majority of them, their dedication to helping birds extends well beyond those they train to hunt.
“Out of the 207 licensed falconers in the state, most of them are involved with other programs,” Kuriga said. “Like Fran (Gray), he traps and bands up on Bald Eagle Mountain; they are doing a census of the birds so we can monitor them
“A lot of us help rehabbers. The game commission will call me when there’s a downed eagle because I know how to handle them,” he added. “Even someone that is experienced with picking up a hawk or something, they are a little intimidated when they have a bald or golden eagle with a six-foot
PHOTO PROVIDED Above, Fran Gray and his son pose with a few rabbits that were successfully killed by a small red-tailed hawk named Yoda. At left, Gray holds a different red-tailed hawk with exceptionally rare feather markings. Gray estimates that only one percent of the population will ever see a bird like this in the wild
wingspan, especially when the talons can grab at 4,300 pounds per square inch.”
Gray is currently in the process of rehabbing a screech owl with a broken wing He said he’s working to get its flight strength back and will prey-test it by putting it in a dark barn and turning a couple mice loose If the owl catches the mice with no problem, he will let him go.
Gray said his passion for caring for birds was fostered through the examples set by men like wildlife biologist Mark Shields, who founded the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust, and Dr Ken Felix, a veterinarian who also served as president of the North American Falconers Association Both men have sadly passed away over recent years, but their impact on the sport they loved and the animals they cared for will be remembered for decades to come, he said
“We stood on their shoulders to get where we are today,” Gray said "Without them, we wouldn’t be here ”
R RAATTT T L LEESSNNAAKKE E HUNTI NG
in Pennsylvani a has evolved throug h
t he yea rs
R
By NICK SEITZER Hunt Magazine
Few animals in Pennsylvania have the power to strike fear in the average person as much as the timber rattlesnake Thought of as mean, aggressive and highly dangerous, these serpents can conjure terror in people of all ages with a simple flick of their tails.
But that bad reputation has been unfairly assigned to these generally docile creatures Sure, they can pack a strong venomous bite if they need to, but sinking their fangs into a human is far from a top priority for any rattler.
“People have a misconception that these snakes behave like angry hornets in a nest that has been disturbed,” said herpetologist Stan Boder. “That is definitely not the case They’re not aggressive at all in that way, and they don’t chase and attack people
“They only bite in self-defense, if they are being handled or stepped on,” Boder added “Even when they are being handled, you sort of have to handle them rough, in many cases, to get them to bite in defense ”
Boder works for the firm EnviroScience, and spends his days providing environmental consulting for rare, threatened or endangered species for developers applying to obtain permits from state and federal agencies. For the last 14 years, he’s also leant his expertise to the Morris Rattlesnake Round-up, which is hosted every June by the Morris Township Fire Company. This year, the round-up will see its 70th anniversary
Boder said he first started working at the event in 2011 as a volunteer for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the agency responsible for managing the state’s reptiles and amphibians. At the time, the commission was inserting Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags on rattlers at the Morris round-up to track their whereabouts following the hunt, and Boder was asked to assist with that program and provide an educational talk. When the Fish and Boat Commission dropped that project in 2014, he was hired as a paid snake handler at the event
Though Boder said his presence at the Morris Rattlesnake Round-up can sometimes be seen as controversial by other biologists, he feels there is great value in it
“I like it because I like to give the educational talk and be around the people,”
he said. “I enjoy seeing if I can change the minds of some of the people about the misconceptions of the snakes, and I like to see how people are so fascinated by them I like to see how much the young children enjoy being there
“There are many biologists that I know that are completely against the round-ups, even though they are catch and release,” he added “But they want to see all hunting in Pennsylvania made completely illegal ”
In Pennsylvania, there are five rattlesnake roundups for snake hunters to compete in, four of which Sinnemahoning, Noxen, Cross Fork and Monroeton are hosted by the Keystone Reptile Club.
In the past, these round-ups were largely responsible for decimating rattlesnake populations across the state, but they now serve as conservation events aimed at helping bring positive attention to the animals
This shift was due to several rule changes that have taken place over the last few decades For instance, back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, hunters were permitted to bring in both male and female snakes in unlimited quantities, which resulted in round-ups where hundreds or thousands of snakes were brought in and subsequently killed. Nowadays, however, only one large male rattler 42 inches or longer may be brough in per hunter; and the
PHOTO PROVIDED
This rattler was caught by Wellsboro native Steve Henneman in 2023.
PHOTO PROVIDED Wellsboro native Steve Henneman won the Pennsylvania state championship for timber rattlesnake hunting in 2023.
snakes must be released back to where they were caught after the event.
One man that’s witnessed these changes first-hand through the years is Steve Henneman of Wellsboro. A lifelong snake hunter with many decades of experience, Henneman can remember attending the Morris round-up as a child with his father and uncle when the pits were packed with snakes. He said his uncle once won the Morris event with a rattler that was 51 inches long; and the following year, he caught a 61-inch rattler that was 12 inches around which would have won the event again if he hadn’t sold it for $15 to a snake handler that was there
“They took the $15 and they went over to the bar and drank it,” Henneman said “If they would have turned that in, it would have been the record snake for any snake hunt so far ”
Though he’s never won at Morris, Henneman knows a thing or two about winning snake hunting tournaments himself, having taken home the state championship for timber rattlesnake hunting in 2023 To earn this title, he had to submit a snake in three of the four Keystone Reptile Club round-ups, where they’re scored based on weight and length The state championship is awarded to the hunter whose collective score among these three snakes is the highest
The biggest snake Henneman brought in during his championship year was a 56-and-a-half-inch rattler at
PHOTO PROVIDED
Luke Szentesy won the 2024 state championships for timber rattlesnake hunting and non-venomous snake hunting.
R A T T L E S N A K E H U N T I N G
Monroeton, which was a mere half-inch short of tying the state record of 57 inches The same year, he took home the plaque for largest dark phase rattlesnake at Sinnemahoning, and brought in the second-largest rattlesnake at the Cross Fork round-up
After winning the 2023 title, Henneman decided to retire from competing in round-ups, but the state title has stayed in his family In an extremely impressive feat, Henneman’s 14-year-old grandson, Luke Szentesy, won the 2024 state title in his first season as a competitive snake hunter He also won the 2024 championship for non-venomous snakes
“We were so surprised because there were so many big snakes turned in He had never won a snake hunt but he had big snakes over 50 inches for each hunt,” Henneman said. “So, he ended up with three big rattlesnakes and those added up in enough points to win the championship, even though none of them won a snake hunt
“When they announced his name, I don’t think you ever saw two people that were more shocked or more excited,” he added
HUNTING RATTLERS
In Pennsylvania, timber rattlesnakes are known as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need ” This means that the population numbers aren’t low enough to prohibit hunting, but they are heavily regulated.
These regulations include a short season that only lasts from June 10 to July 31; and a limit of keeping just one snake per year, which has to be a male at least 42 inches in length with 21 or more subcaudal scales.
For rattlesnake round-ups, provisional permits are issued to the hunters, stipulating that they release the snakes they catch for the event back to their home environment A failure to do this results in sure death for the snakes, who will continue to wander extensively to find their home until they’re eventually killed
“We always take the snakes back, and it doesn’t matter how far we have to walk We always take them straight back to where we found them because that’s generally the area where you are going to find them next year,” Henneman said “A lot of these guys that just
drop their snake on the side of the road because they’re tired and they want to go home; they aren’t going to find that snake again because it’s going to die They will keep searching for home and they’ll never find it, and they will freeze to death in the fall ”
Having hunted rattlesnakes for 40 years, Henneman has found quite a few spots across the state that he can rely on to find large snakes. A lot of times, he
will use Google Earth to find areas that appear to be very remote, especially those on slopes or rocky areas, where the habitat is perfect for them
“Over the years, I have found so many spots that I don’t even have to research anymore We hit the spots that we know,” Henneman said “Most of them are so remote that nobody would ever bother walking there
“It’s sort of like an Easter egg hunt,”
PHOTO PROVIDED
A large timber rattlesnake that was caught by Steve Henneman slithers between two plaques he won in 2023.
he added “You are out there and you’re searching, and you just can’t wait to find something You kind of get hooked.”
Because rattlesnakes tend to spread out when they’re foraging, the chances are low of finding one in an ambush posture when they’re looking for a meal Generally, snake hunters will find them in communal basking areas, where they go when they’re in the shedding condition or looking to digest meals These areas, which are generally open and sunny clearings that have rocks or log piles that can be used as shelter, are prime locations for finding large numbers of snakes in one spot Sometimes as many 60 snakes can be found at a time in an area such as this
Once he finds a good location, Henneman said he usually doesn’t divulge that information to other hunters
“I generally only take out people that I really know well because as soon as you show them a spot, they keep coming back to it,” said Henneman. “A lot of snake hunters are very secretive about their spots. I have spots where I find some big ones that I will never take a person to probably not even my best friend ”
EQUIPMENT
age and sex that the state’s regulations require,” Boder said
After a large enough rattler is found, hunters catch the snake by using a clear plexiglass tube They simply put the tube up to the rattlesnake’s head and give it a tap on the back with a hook, and the snake will usually crawl right in to escape the perceived danger
“Once inside the tube, you can hold them in there At that point, you can safely measure the snake and determine the sex of the snake to be sure that the snake you are collecting for your hunt, or bringing to a roundup, is the appropriate
Though the use of these tubes has been common in rattlesnake hunting for the last few decades, Henneman can remember when that wasn’t always the case
“When I was younger, we used to just pin their head down and slide your hand up behind their head and grab ahold of their head and pick them up,” he said, mentioning that this technique led to several close calls where he was nearly bitten. “They determined that if the snakes started to struggle, this could break their neck, so now everybody uses tubes I don’t think anybody picks them
PHOTO PROVIDED Snake hooks, like the one shown here, are a tool used by most of those that hunt rattlesnakes
up with their hand anymore.”
Along with the tubes, other gear that helps keep snake hunters safe are steel-toe boots, snake chaps/gaiters and bite-proof gloves
Hunters will also employ the use of a snake hook or tongs to help handle rattlers that don’t go into the tubes easily.
STAYING AWARE
Most snake hunters will go their entire lives without ever being struck by the rattlers they’re hunting Avoiding a bite is usually as simple as taking the proper precautions By being aware of their surroundings, and watching where they put their hands and feet, the hunter greatly reduces their odds of being bitten in self-defense by the snake. And when they’re trying to get a snake into a tube, hunters can stay out of the snake’s striking distance which is about half its body length by staying at least three feet away from the snake; those that are extended aren’t capable of striking as far as snakes that are coiled
“If you are sitting around logs or walking around logs, always check to see if there are any rattlesnakes,” Boder said “Don’t just put your hands down or sit down on log piles that are in the forest ”
For snake hunters that do get bitten, the important thing to is remain calm and seek immediate medical attention. It might help to remember that nearly onethird of timber rattlesnake bites occur without venom ever being injected
“People kind of freak out when they get bit, when really you will be just fine if you just walk out from wherever you are at,” Henneman said “It takes a long time for the venom to spread. And if they bite you, it’s just like a doctor injecting
you with a shot there is nothing you can do about it So, you have to just get to the doctor to get the antivenom.”
RESPECTING RATTLERS
Though hunters in the past may have done damage to Pennsylvania’s rattlesnake population, most of those who partake in the sport today have a much greater appreciation and respect for the animals they’re hunting and truly care about their conservation
For many of these hunters, reducing the stigma around rattlesnakes is as important to them as finding one in the wild That’s why Henneman and Boder support organized rattlesnake hunts across the state, like the one in Morris.
“If people were to come to these events, they are actually great fundraisers for the fire companies and sportsmen’s clubs that put them on,” Henneman said “The biggest thing is the education People find out that they don’t have to have so much fear of them ”
V E N I S O N N U G G E T S
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups of seasoned dry bread crumbs
¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 medium eggs
S T E P 1
Preheat frying pan or deep fryer
S T E P 2
Place eggs in bowl and beat the eggs for a minute or two.
S T E P 3
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl.
S T E P 4
Slice venison back strap in ¼ inch strips
S T E P 5
Place venison in egg bath. Pull out and allow the excess egg to drip off. Place the venison in the bread crumb mixture and make sure the entire piece of meat is covered. Place the nugget in the frying pan and cook for a minute or two on each side. You can use a deep fryer for the cooking process, but make sure to only put a single layer of nuggets in the basket.
O P T I O N A L S T E P
I will sometimes make a horseradish and mustard dipping sauce. The ingredients are mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and horseradish to taste.
