# Good day everyone. I have a question about hoop snakes. This is important. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 16, 2012, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858 "2012-09-16T07:35:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/41 "2012-09-17T05:47:41Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > No I won’t. Sorry to tell you that. And there are hoop snakes here…only that people have no interest in them because what the hell are they gonna do once they catch it. [This?](http://www.hooping.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/silvanaandthesnake.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/42 "2012-09-17T05:53:05Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > A citation for the alleged $10,000 reward is here: > [terrorhaute.com](http://www.terrorhaute.com/leg-hoopsnake.html) > > ----and also in the wikipedia > > It references this 1985 book: > [Haunts to Hookers - Joe Ford - Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=h9v2HAAACAAJ&dq=Haunts+to+Hookers&source=bl&ots=omHKmTd983&sig=cKUEQ2EXD94fmD6h2lf6cS6jUIU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VkpWUM3DF4_oiwLp8YCoCA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA) > > [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/HAUNTS-HOOKERS-Joe-Ford/dp/B0025WHI4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347832424&sr=1-1&keywords=Haunts+Hookers) > > The book isn’t available online, but if there was ever a reward for $10,000 (I doubt it, though there is a documented $50 reward from [1912](http://www.prx.org/pieces/83393-reward-for-hoopsnake-august-16-1912#description)) it’s unlikely whether the benefactor would have established a trust or charitable foundation for it managed by an unnamed New York bank. C’mon. > > —If this is true then there is no point in capturing that creature. But since it was not yet removed from the wikipedia, I think the reward still exists. And I haven’t confirmed it yet. You see, for some people here who have witnessed a hoop snake, it’s not that surprising for them. I just have to find a contact and that will be it. > > Also, the OP’s friend might be [pulling his leg](http://www.goenglish.com/PullingYourLeg.asp). ----Considering how many times he came back to our house, and calling his father and sister and and a few men (they live far away from our hometown) who will do the hunting, and in fact I’ve read their replies would make me think otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/43 "2012-09-17T05:54:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > [This?](http://www.hooping.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/silvanaandthesnake.jpg) A+ for that. Are we Happy? ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/44 "2012-09-17T05:59:54Z")
Well guys I really appreciate your replies, but please once again do not troll in this page. If you don’t have any information, then please just don’t post. Simple as that. Seriously I’m looking for some useful information, and I’m hoping I can get it from you. Thank you…_\__ ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/45 "2012-09-17T06:00:45Z")
Shame on all of you. This poor man is just trying to catch a hoop snake. Why must you torture him so? Ok,hotdog, the best way to catch a hoopsnake is with its favorite bait: snipe. So, take this bat and this sack and go out into those woods and catch yourself a snipe… ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/46 "2012-09-17T06:02:51Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > \ > I also tried Discovery channel but i don’t know how to contact them. [Try here.](http://www.discovery.com/utilities/about/contact.html) ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/47 "2012-09-17T06:22:35Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Shame on all of you. This poor man is just trying to catch a hoop snake. Why must you torture him so? > > —I’m looking for a contact, and I’m not the one who will hunt that hoop snake. Also I want to confirm if the reward still exists today and how can I claim it assuming they captured the snake. > > Ok,hotdog, the best way to catch a hoopsnake is with its favorite bait: snipe. So, take this bat and this sack and go out into those woods and catch yourself a snipe… —No thanks, you better keep that! Bye… ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/48 "2012-09-17T06:26:02Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > [Try here.](http://www.discovery.com/utilities/about/contact.html) yeah I tried this before but doesn’t seem to work. I mean something more personal like a direct contact. I know it’s not easy by the way. =)..thanks… ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/49 "2012-09-17T06:30:17Z")
Have you considered the very real possibility that your friend is pulling your leg? Or, to put it another way, leading you up the garden path? Or, forsaking idioms as English is not your first language, fooling with you? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/50 "2012-09-17T06:32:05Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > Well guys I really appreciate your replies, but please once again do not troll in this page. > If you don’t have any information, then please just don’t post. Simple as that. Seriously I’m looking for some useful information, and I’m hoping I can get it from you. Thank you…_\__ People **are** giving you useful information in this thread: > [@Czarcasm](#): > > No matter how hard you look for nonexistent things, you will fail. There is no one on this earth that can tell you how to find a hoop snake. There are no secrets to finding a hoop snake. > > _ **There are no hoop snakes to find, period.** _ > > Give up. > [@PlainJain](#): > > Considering that hoop snakes don’t exist I’d say that’s a distinct possibility. I’ll toss in some of my own. The hoop snake is a mythical beast. As for the rest of us, some of us are have a hard time believing you’re serious. It’s a time-honored Dope tradition to lampoon ridiculous claims in the name of fighting ignorance. So welcome to the Dope. You might as well be looking for Sasquatch or trying to prove the moon landings were a hoax. Dopers don’t take those claims very seriously, either. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/51 "2012-09-17T07:38:52Z")
Here, [these guys](http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/contact-the-jref.html) may be interested too. They’ll listen to your pitch before you find any evidence, but I’d get the evidence first regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/52 "2012-09-17T10:27:54Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > As I understand it, hoop snakes don’t perform the hoop maneuver in captivity. This is what I was thinking, or in other words this would be a likely excuse given by someone who captured a supposed hoop snake. To OP, if the hoop snakes can be seen tooling across the landscape like a bicycle tire, why can’t a photograph be taken of them while they’re doing this? (This question alone should be enough to cloud your optimism that they actually exist.) ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/53 "2012-09-17T11:47:06Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Have you considered the very real possibility that your friend is pulling your leg? Or, to put it another way, leading you up the garden path? Or, forsaking idioms as English is not your first language, fooling with you? Considering how many times he came back to our house, and calling his father and sister and and a few men on the phone (they live far away from our hometown) who will do the hunting, and in fact I’ve read their replies would make me think otherwise… ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/54 "2012-09-17T11:49:47Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > People **are** giving you useful information in this thread: > > I’ll toss in some of my own. The hoop snake is a mythical beast. As for the rest of us, some of us are have a hard time believing you’re serious. It’s a time-honored Dope tradition to lampoon ridiculous claims in the name of fighting ignorance. So welcome to the Dope. You might as well be looking for Sasquatch or trying to prove the moon landings were a hoax. Dopers don’t take those claims very seriously, either. —This truly does bring a tear to my eye. And a dozen facepalms. Have a nice day pal… ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/55 "2012-09-17T11:55:14Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > Here, [these guys](http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/contact-the-jref.html) may be interested too. They’ll listen to your pitch before you find any evidence, but I’d get the evidence first regardless. –thanks but I’d prefer some person who has any connection with Raymond Ditmars (the one who posted a $10000 reward for a person who will be the first to provide the evidence for hoop snake). Unless I can confirm it, then there will be no hunting yet. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/56 "2012-09-17T12:02:07Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > This is what I was thinking, or in other words this would be a likely excuse given by someone who captured a supposed hoop snake. > > To OP, if the hoop snakes can be seen tooling across the landscape like a bicycle tire, why can’t a photograph be taken of them while they’re doing this? (This question alone should be enough to cloud your optimism that they actually exist.) —that may be true. I haven’t seen one either. And I would never believe until I see one. But my friend is more than persistent and always asking me if I already confirmed the reward. So I figured out I might as well give it a try. If I just can find someone whom I can contact with about the reward, and also on how to claim it assuming we captured one, then my job ends there. It’s them hunters who will do the next step. So basically, it seems like I’m just doing the easy part. But it’s not. To begin something like this is not really easy. Well life’s like that.😛 ---
**Author:** ![hotdog\_messenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@hotdog\_messenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotdog_messenger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/57 "2012-09-17T12:07:53Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Hoop snakes are a variety of [fearsome critter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fearsome_critters). The [entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoop_snake) at Wikipedia IDd the naturalist who allegedly offered a $10,000 reward. Raymond Lee Ditmars died in 1942. I suspect the reward, if it indeed existed, was distributed as part of his estate. if that were the case, then :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/58 "2012-09-17T12:25:25Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > Considering how many times he came back to our house, and calling his father and sister and and a few men on the phone (they live far away from our hometown) who will do the hunting, and in fact I’ve read their replies would make me think otherwise… Yeah, he’ll take you out to hunt for the “hoop snake” and as soon as you’re in an isolated location, it’s organ-harvesting time. Who do you think he’s talking to on the phone? The guy with the dry ice and motorcycle. If you’re lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/59 "2012-09-17T12:31:11Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > Well guys I really appreciate your replies, but please once again do not troll in this page. > If you don’t have any information, then please just don’t post. Simple as that. Seriously I’m looking for some useful information, and I’m hoping I can get it from you. Thank you…_\__ I’m sorry, but this isn’t one of those “Lie to me to reenforce my woo, and I’ll lie to you to reenforce yours” type of message boards. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858/60 "2012-09-17T12:41:56Z")
> [@hotdog\_messenger](#): > > Well guys I really appreciate your replies, but please once again do not troll in this page. … MOderator comments (and please read my tone as very friendly and helfpul): You’re new here, and very welcome, but I just want to remind everyone that personal insults directed against other posters are not allowed. And specificially, accusations of “trolling” is a violation of our rules. If you suspect trolling, appropriate response is to REPORT the post (click on the little ! in the red circle in upper right corner of post) and let the moderators decide. OK? I also need to tell you that these boards tend to include lots of humor. There are people who joke about practically everything (including significant tragedies, for instance.) Asking them not to do so is futile. Just accept such joking comments in stride. If English is not your first language and you’re confused about this, please check out the Rules/FAQs here: [FAQs - Please Read First - Rules, Guidelines, Etiquette, Technical Issues - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562482) … or email me and I’ll be happy to help out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-day-everyone-i-have-a-question-about-hoop-snakes-this-is-important/634858.md?page=4)