Rattlesnakes are as much a part of West Texas as cattle, oil, and beautiful sunsets.

Author Tom Wideman, a former chairman of the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup held every March in the West Texas town of Sweetwater, shares his collection of stories, encounters, and tips about hunting and handling rattlesnakes. He participated in the first Roundup in 1958 as a ticket-taker, then became an avid hunter, contributing his share of the 125 tons of rattlesnakes turned in at the Sweetwater Jaycees event over the years.

Wideman developed a great interest in and healthy respect for the...