Five Holes Yield 28 Rattlers for Jersey Snake Trapper

[Jerseyman]

Evening Courier (Camden), 7 May 1927, p. 3 [spelling original throughout]

Mount Holly, May 7.—Asay Pittman, who resides at Mt. Misery, deep in the pines, and known as a famous snake catcher, had the unusual experience the past few days of catching 28 rattle snakes in five holes. This task, although difficult, was accomplished only by the fact that the weather has been rather cool and the snakes were somewhat numbed.
Of the 28 snakes he captured there were only five that were bad actors which he was forced to kill. Pittman gathers the reptiles and sells them to snake dealers.



Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[dragoncjo]

Yes and that explains why timbers are nearly extinct in the pines. Hard to believe people back then had an interest in keeping timbers.

 

[Jerseyman]

dragoncjo:

Don't interpret my role as a historian to provide a window on the past as any type of personal endorsement of the subject matter at hand. In plainer idiom, Please don't shoot the messenger (or the piano player, for that matter!). I'm just providing the information to initiate discussion of a historical nature. While I wholeheartedly agree with your viewpoint in this case, try to remember that Asa Pittman and most other Pinelands residents of his time period had no understanding or appreciation of the role that the many species inhabiting the Pines play in the overall local ecology. Knowledge and understanding comes with time and experience.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[dragoncjo]

Interesting article, when I first read it I failed to look at the date or the pittman name and became really frustrated. Then I realized in was from 1927. Don't worry I didn't think you are a snake hunter, just reacting to pittman's skill of wiping out a snake population.