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McALLEN – Doug Dugger has handled snakes for much of his life.
“Rattlesnakes are just like humans. Some of them just ain’t as good as the others,” he said. “Some of them you can mess with all the time and go back two days later and can’t get anywhere around them.”
Dugger entertained onlookers of all ages who stopped to gaze, gawk and check out his live rattlesnake pit exhibit over the weekend at the 32nd annual Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo at the McAllen Convention Center.
The exhibit, which is among the fan favorites, held about 15-20 snakes within a fenced-in area. Most of the snakes just curled into a ball and relaxed, unbothered by the outside noise and people; others were a bit more curious and equally looked on as crowds ebbed and flowed along the barrier.
Dugger said he’s been working with snakes for more than 45 years and his snake handling has led him to be a guest on shows with Jay Leno and on “Those Amazing Animals.” He even spent 37 days on a project with Snoop Dogg.
“That was a little foggy,” he joked.
Texas is home to eight different species and one subspecies of rattlesnakes: the Western diamondback, banded rock, Mojave, Timber, mottled rock, Prairie, black-tailed rattlesnake, the desert Massasauga and Western Massasauga, according to AZ Animals.
The website wideopencountry.com states that the chances of actually dying from a rattlesnake’s venomous snake bite are very slim. Texas Parks and Wildlife reports that about 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes (not just rattlesnakes) annually.
Dugger has been struck five times, but he’s just including “the serious hits, the ones that sent me to the hospital,” he said.
While the exhibit is highly entertaining and the rattling and hissing sounds pique the curiosity of those in hearing distance, Dugger has a message — don’t believe everything you hear when it comes to how to deal with a snake if you come across one.
“It’s not like you see and hear that their entire body is going to come flying at you and they’re not going to charge you, or come after you,” Dugger said. “We want people to be educated on what to do if you happen to come upon one. Rattlesnakes strike for only two reasons — food and fear. And we’re too big for them to eat so the only time is because of fear.”
Dugger began handling snakes when he was 17 years old, while growing up in Waco. During some of his shows a year ago he is recorded for sitting in a bathtub with 197 rattlesnakes and zipping up a sleeping bag, sharing it with 150 of them concealed inside with him.
“When you learn how to handle them, it’s really under trial and error and you learn real quick what you can and can’t do,” he said. “I’m 65 now and I’ve been saying every year that it’s my last but I keep coming back. I’ve had a real good life and I put my two daughters through Baylor so that’s all that matters.”
The expo concludes Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Photo Gallery: 2023 Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo in McAllen
