Disgusted with Animal Planet

[ConcinusMan]

I'd be happy to get a license or permit to keep/breed my natives, if only it was clearly laid out what the requirements were.
Call the DNR in Michigan and nobody seems to know anything. I tried to look into getting a permit to rehabilitate and release protected species like Fox snakes, and couldn't get a straight answer from anybody. Staffing has been cut to and beyond the bone.

I decided to content myself with my small group of Butlers, who don't seem to violate any rules so long as I keep no more than 6 wild caught individuals at any time. Kinda grey area there- 6 gathered at a time or six total, ever? I have kept birth records on the captive born individuals I have kept, but I hope I never have to find out how the DNR interprets the rules the hard way.

It's the same just about everywhere. If the budget deficit in your state is huge, there will be no enforcement when it comes to a few snakes. You can pretty much do what you want in reality. Just as an example, WA state never gave a damn about garter snakes in the first place, even though collecting/keeping them is illegal. The officers they had protected game, but with budget cuts there's even fewer officers... there just isn't any recourse to the law.

If you couldn't get a straight answer, chances are they don't give a damn.

[wolfpacksved]

AP sucks. let's look for bigfoot, kill some rattlesnakes, and if your house is invaded by bugs--kill em and accuse them of being the invaders....i am not done: swamp loggers on discovery, and ax men on history channel, those shows suck too

[EasternGirl]

Don't forget our favorite hillbilly and his half-breed brother....Billy the Exterminator! "AAAHHH...It's a huge venomous snake and it's going to eat me alive Ricky! Help!!!" (Billy carries a baby ratsnake out of a shed with a snake hook)...."Note the eyes Ricky..you see the eyes on this snake tell us that it is definitely venomous.".

[guidofatherof5]

Let's not forget the ever educational:
Hillbilly Hand Fishing, Mud Cats, Mud lovin' Rednecks and Millionaire Rednecks(not sure of the title on this one)
and who said the South will never rise again

[MasSalvaje]

and who said the South will never rise again

Steve you made my day with that quote! I also just saw a very applicable bumper sticker, it read: "Save the planet, Stop the breeding of stupid people." If only there were a way.

-Thomas

[wolfpacksved]

Don't forget our favorite hillbilly and his half-breed brother....Billy the Exterminator! "AAAHHH...It's a huge venomous snake and it's going to eat me alive Ricky! Help!!!" (Billy carries a baby ratsnake out of a shed with a snake hook)...."Note the eyes Ricky..you see the eyes on this snake tell us that it is definitely venomous.".

Billy the Exterminator doesn't annoy me as much as the other shows...granted, he has mis-identified quite a few animals and his natural history knowledge is flat out wrong at times. However, he releases many of the animals which makes up for his otherwise goofy show. it's sad when the A&E channel has better wildlife programs than AP.

[wolfpacksved]

Don't forget our favorite hillbilly and his half-breed brother....Billy the Exterminator! "AAAHHH...It's a huge venomous snake and it's going to eat me alive Ricky! Help!!!" (Billy carries a baby ratsnake out of a shed with a snake hook)...."Note the eyes Ricky..you see the eyes on this snake tell us that it is definitely venomous.".

i have yet to make it through an entire episode. i would rather watch the river monsters guy

[EasternGirl]

I used to like the show...because of the fact that he released animals back into the wild, I had some respect for the guy. But then I kept seeing episodes in which he would freak out and corner a snake...poking it with a stick repeatedly until the snake would, naturally, get defensive and start striking at him...or bite him...and then he would tell viewers how vicious the snake was. It would make me so angry and I would find myself screaming at the t.v...."Well, of course the snake is biting you, you moron...you have it backed in a corner and you keep poking it!". I wanted to go on the show and teach the guy how to handle a snake! But of course...then the show wouldn't get the ratings it gets. Your average Amercian idiot sitting at home watching t.v. doesn't want to see me go in and gently remove a snake from someone's living room. People want to see excitement, death, blood, carnage, sex, violence...don't get me started!

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah really. You know they wouldn't make shows like that if there weren't millions of people watching them. Who's to blame? the producers or the millions of idiots that get off on watching that crap?

[kibakiba]

Both sides are equally at blame.