Ven CareSheets

[Hibidyjibidy]

Water under the bridge will.
I am a strong believer in ways of right and wrong so to tie this topic up, i will do what i need and get training for personal gain/safety.
Cheers
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[cobra_fangs]

Cool!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Be patient with training, learn as much as you can. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Hopefully you can find someone near you. What state do you live in? You can email me privately if you like at: cobra_fangs@reptile-lair.zzn.com
Catcha Later
Will W.
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[BWSmith]

IF there is a will to learn, you can find someone to teach. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] But there are plenty here who can point you in a good direction and probably hook you up with someone good. Too long has it been a "Holy Priesthood". That is how captive bites happen. A good hot keeper can tell if someone is serious and is doing it for the right reasons.
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[Ravnos]

I must say though, finding someone to actively train you is not going to be an easy task. Its a lot like becoming a martial arts master or something. You can learn for years at a normal school (with non-vens), but to become a true master (the venomous keeper), you need to track down a grand master (someone who has been keeping hots for 20+ years and is still alive) and prostrate yourself before him for years, and -maybe- he'll accept you and teach you. =)

My 'mentor' I guess I would call him, we're more friends than teacher/student, but he has been keeping hots in the range of 30 years. We have never actively done any "training" sessions, but I watch what he does, how he does it, we've gone through the routines together of cleaning, probing, etc... and he's not afraid to tell me when I should be doing something differently, and he is most certainly not afraid to tell me when there is a certain animal I'm not ready to deal with yet. You should have seen the look on his face when I mentioned aquiring a spitting cobra. (which I didn't get btw) =)

In the end, you and only you know if you're ready... and if you're not blatantly honest with yourself, you're probably going to end up regretting it.

Rav
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[BWSmith]

Amen, brother Rav! I too had/have a similar mentor. And have played the role of one as well to one, very dedicated "student" with much potential and a true passion. I will never pretend to be one that knows everything about hots, or even most things about hots. Simply put, I know as much about hots as I have learned. But there is always MUCH more to learn. Everytime that I meet a hot keeper, there is something that I can learn from them. Most experienced keepers have some tidbit of information that may never come in handy, but if it does, there is no substitute for knowledge. Whether it be venomous or nonvenomous, I believe that one of the most important things to remember is this: The minute that you think you know everything there is to know, sell your snakes and find a different pastime. Because you are, in a word, Wrong. And when it comes to venomous, it may be a fatal mistake. Just remember that even the most inbred, two-toothed, banjo playing redneck with a Timber in his shed may be able to offer something useful. I guess that goes for humanity as a whole as well. Every person has unique knowledge, the more we can accumilate, the better humans we are.

I guess I got a little off topic. Just my 2 cents.
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