So with all of this talk of AV

sorry i spelled purpuse wrong....in my last post

I live in southern GA where it is legal to keep indigenous venomous snakes (except coral). As of now I am not comfortable handling any hot over 4 feet so this is not something I am going to jump into but I could milk these?
Down here you can find rattlers and cottonmouths every day during the summer. We also have an island that is said to have a rattler for every 3 cubic feet. I know during the summer there is usually a shortage during the summer for the AV. Just thinking in the next couple of years maybe I can contribute. How do you do the process of milking, I have heard that the venom is freeze dried but how do you obtain the equipment. Like I said nothing I am going to try any time soon, but would like to know for a future decision.

you need to be a scientist or biologist to milk venom for reasersh or antivenom. and if you dont feel comfortable handling a venomous snake over 4' i would half to say that you are not experienced enough to milk a venomous snake. since larger snakes will give you a larger venom yeild.

Exactly, not worth the risk for me or my family (although my mom deal with them). Just thinking later on down the road. I have seen Bill Haas' hands not something I would want mine to look like.

and i saw that you are a beginner. so the last thing on your mind should be milking a venomous snake. i know all about GA i was boarn and raised in florida. and i did alout of feild reaserch in southern GA. their is alout of awsome snakes in that state. and i do beleve you need a permit to keep and to catch venomous snake in the state. i might be wrong. from what you know, tell me how you would catch and than milk a venomous snake for no reason. the only thing that is going to do is pi$$ the snake off, and than you will most likley make a mistake and get bit or you will be taking that snakes presious venom that it uses for feeding...

well bill haast has many many years of experience and he has been envenomated over 150+ times. i was tagged by my west african bush viper (atheris chloroechis) and i only have about 60% of my left index finger left. like i said before, their is "NO REASON TO MILK A VENOMOUS SNAKE UNLESS IT IS FOR SCIENTIFICAL REASERCH OR ANTIVENIN"...

It would not be for no reason, just to help with the AV banks. I don't keep hots now, at this time I have no legitimate reason to keep a venomous snake. Not into the "look what I got" thing. Just thinking about helping thats all. My mom is a licensed rehabber in GA so that is what peaked my curiosity and one of my friends is one of the few licensed alligator trappers in GA.

thats really cool what your mom and friend do. but if you would like to help out with the antivenin bank, i would call them and find out if in your state if you half to have a degree in biology or something like that. because i highly doubt that they will buy or take antivenin from just anyone. because than all kinds of people will be out looking for hots and milking them. the antivenin banks have herpetologists that collect the snakes for milking or sometimes even use captive snakes for it..

Also cancer is real bad in my family, you either die from an accident or cancer gets you. Since 2000 we have buried 8 relatives that has died from cancer. I have read that some insurance companies for alot of research facilities do not cover the venomous side and they can no longer milk on site so they end up buying from private individuals. But this is not something I am planning to do any time soon. I was hoping to get on with a place that does it near here and learn from them. Just looking at something down the road like 16 years, when my little girl grows up.

Back to post 18. That the info I am looking for, I can find every other states requirements except for GA. Too many things contradict themselves here especially between DNR and State Code.