Dad makes meal out of Mountain Shadows rattlesnake problem

It’s been one tough summer for the Mountain Shadows neighborhood — the Waldo Canyon fire, then the threat of flooding, and now another problem is slithering through.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it was inundated with calls about rattlesnakes after the fire.

One little girl and her mom ended up with a rattler caught in some netting in their backyard.

“I was getting ready upstairs and then I came down and I hear my mom screaming,” said Emily Sharp. “I could hear him (rattling) from inside.”

It’s not the only rattlesnake they or their neighbors have encountered recently.

“I’ve been hearing that more people are seeing more snakes,” said Jim Sharp, Emily’s dad. “A neighbor has seen six snakes so far and that’s way over the norm.”

Sharp killed the snake, but he made good use if its parts. He saved the skin, the rattle and even got a meal out of it.

“I’ve always wanted to try rattlesnake,” said Sharp. “I was excited. I found a really good marinade recipe and I cooked him up, and he was delicious actually. Not just like chicken, but tasty.”

CPW says there’s no reason to kill a rattlesnake if it’s not posing a threat, as rattlers are beneficial to the ecosystem in many ways. Sharp said he was concerned about the snake being in the yard because of the danger to his young daughter and her pets.