What does rattlesnake taste like? Ask a scout
(Courtesy photo) Boy Scout Troop 111 made a 50-mile hike down the Selway River in the heart of the wilderness area of Idaho. They began their hike from Paradise Landing, after driving to Darby, Mont.
(Courtesy photo) Daniel Magleby of Troop 111 tries frying a rattlesnake during a recent hike down the Selway River.
Just what does rattlesnake taste like? Just ask the scouts of Boy Scout Troop 111. Eleven members of the troop dined on rattlesnakes during a recent 50-mile hike.
The snakes, which were not part of the original menu, were discovered during the hike down the Selway River. Troop 111 members had traveled to Missoula then to Darby, Mont., To access Paradise Landing where they began their 50-mile hike down the Selway.
The scouts soon discovered that there was quite a population of the serpents using the same trails.
“You could live off the land, and not starve,” said Kiwanian Dick Vail in relating the scouts’ tale. “Running across eight of the coiled noisy critters, the scouts decided to try out their culinary competence.”
“Without a Betty Crocker cookbook in their packs, decisions had to be made,” Vail said. “There were questions, such as do you boil or fry? How long do you cook them? Will it be tender, tough, grainy, tasty? Worth the effort? Does anyone have any seasoning? Might the fresh water mussels, found in the river, add flavor?”
Vail said the scout told Kiwanians that their adventures in cooking the snakes involved some trial and error and “experience was gained.”
How did the scouts like the taste of rattlesnake?
“The scouts’ final consensus was these long steaks would not replace a Big Mac,” Vail said.
Other wildlife experienced, by some members in the party, included a bear, a deer being chased by a wolf, and variety of water fowl.
Carl Brenner, scout master, said the hike took eight days in some of the most pristine wilderness area in Idaho.
“The waters are so clear you can see all the way to the bottom,” he said. “Temperatures were triple digits, so hiking began around 5 a.m. and then it was time to jump in the river around noon. We only experienced about 10 other wanderers during our journey”.
Karen and Catherine Brenner volunteered to drive the vehicles back around to Selway Falls to pick the adventurers up. However, once they arrived at the end of the road they proceeded to hike up to Moose Creek Ranger Station and meet the team.
Every scout was responsible for equipping his own pack for food, tent, sleeping bag and other items, which averaged 40-plus pounds.
“A great time and memorable experience was had by all members that made the hike,” Brenner said. “At the end of our journey, the Lowell Restaurant did a land office business.”