Every few years, the hills behind our community would catch fire. Fire engines lined up at the ends of the streets where the hills began, ready to protect the houses. Most people probably saw the fires as a threat—but to me, they meant one thing: prime snake hunting.
After a fire, snakes would slither down into our neighborhood, seeking refuge. I knew exactly where to find them—curled up in the gutters along the road.
My backyard was already home to my growing collection of creatures: lizards, tarantulas, a tortoise, and, of course, snakes. But when there were no fires to bring them to me, Ronnie and I had to get creative.
We built traps.
Catching snakes was a two-step process. First, we had to catch live mice to use as bait. Our homemade mouse traps were simple but effective—made from tin cans and regular mousetraps. We removed the triggering mechanism from the wooden base, attached the can, and rigged the lid so it would snap shut when a mouse wandered in.
With the mice secured, we built a larger trap using chicken wire. We tied the mouse inside, leaving just enough room for a snake to squeeze through. Once the snake swallowed the mouse, it was too fat to escape.
But honestly, snake hunting was easiest after a fire. Days—even weeks—after the flames were gone, I could still find them in the gutters, just waiting to be collected.
Would you love to hear more of these childhood misadventures?
No comments:
Post a Comment