Da Bear
Ask me about my cat...
BAck when I was a youngster growing up in the East Bay area; there was a creek that ran along the salt marshes of SF Bay. It was legal back then to catch and sell native species of reptiles and amphibians, so I started a wholesale business when I was 11. Two things of note.
Hayward was at the time, home to the Annabelle Chocolate company (Home of the Rocky Road candy bar) and Shasta Soda's. Both backed up onto that creek, stealing lunch as fun.
My best friend was on one side of that creek, I was on the other, and we were out for snakes that day. I'd already caught a few rare California Garter Snakes, and couple of Bull and Gopher snakes, when my friend Dave yelled "WOW! Look at the size of this Gopher snake!"
I set my buckets down and leapt across the creek; telling him to stay calm but "Look at that tail..."
He had grabbed a 4 foot rattlesnake, right behind the head. Now he was to afraid to let go...
I poured all of his other snakes into one bucket, and then slid my hand in behind his and took the snake. Once it was in the bucket, we were done for the day.
Seven Seas Tropical fish and pets gave me $75.00 for the rattler. Overall, that was my best week ever at just over $4000.00. Two weeks later, a bill was passed that made selling natives illegal and I was out of business.
The next rattler I caught went into chili.
But, that business put my feet on a 30+ year career in the pet industry after I ****** up a full ride sports scholarship to Stanford.
I still love snakes, but I prefer they be a bit less spicy.
Hayward was at the time, home to the Annabelle Chocolate company (Home of the Rocky Road candy bar) and Shasta Soda's. Both backed up onto that creek, stealing lunch as fun.
My best friend was on one side of that creek, I was on the other, and we were out for snakes that day. I'd already caught a few rare California Garter Snakes, and couple of Bull and Gopher snakes, when my friend Dave yelled "WOW! Look at the size of this Gopher snake!"
I set my buckets down and leapt across the creek; telling him to stay calm but "Look at that tail..."
He had grabbed a 4 foot rattlesnake, right behind the head. Now he was to afraid to let go...
I poured all of his other snakes into one bucket, and then slid my hand in behind his and took the snake. Once it was in the bucket, we were done for the day.
Seven Seas Tropical fish and pets gave me $75.00 for the rattler. Overall, that was my best week ever at just over $4000.00. Two weeks later, a bill was passed that made selling natives illegal and I was out of business.
The next rattler I caught went into chili.
But, that business put my feet on a 30+ year career in the pet industry after I ****** up a full ride sports scholarship to Stanford.
I still love snakes, but I prefer they be a bit less spicy.