When a rattlesnake slithered down Big Basin Way the afternoon of Sept. 8 and then decided to hang around in front of the Butter Paddle, Woehl was called in to do some snake snaring.

In front of a crowd, Woehl caught the rattler with an animal snare, stuffed it into a bucket and later released it in the mountains outside of town.

David Bowman, a retired minister from Michigan in Saratoga visiting his son, came out of the Butter Paddle and saw a woman yelling, "Snake, snake!"

The serpent was slinking down the sidewalk toward the Butter Paddle so Bowman popped his head inside the store and warned that a snake was on its way. His wife stayed inside the store while Bowman stayed outside to warn pedestrians about the rattler.

"It sounds light and humorous but there was a certain hazard," Bowman said. "We're talking about a venomous snake. We knew we had a rattler on our hands."

Susan Boyce, a volunteer at the Butter Paddle, shut the door, and Geanne Case, another volunteer, tried calling the Humane Society but got the answering machine. Case tried another number for animal control but had no luck, so she called 911.

Several police officers and firefighters then arrived at the scene.

"It was exciting," Case said. "We haven't had that many people standing outside since after-Christmas sales." She estimated that between 12 to 15 people had gathered to watch as the police cordoned off the area with yellow tape.

At no time did anyone feel threatened by the rattler, Case said. "The snake was quite calm, even with all the people gathering around it. It never coiled."

Sgt. Bill Tate of the Sheriff's Department estimated the rattlesnake to be about 18 to 20 inches long. "We get rattlesnakes in downtown Saratoga once or twice every summer," he said. "Snakes are pretty much fearful of people. They usually just curl up and hide. Stay away from it and call us. Just call 911 and we'll call the appropriate person to respond."

For Bowman, who has since returned to Michigan, the incident was the highlight of his day. "As an outsider I find the shopping district in Saratoga very inviting," he said. "But pedestrians in Saratoga in late August and early September should keep an eye out. If they hear a rattle it might not be from a shopping bag."

Tate said that Woehl is Saratoga's own "crocodile hunter." Unlike some of his coworkers, Woehl isn't fazed by reptiles, Tate said. When a venomous snake is hanging around where it shouldn't be, Woehl can capture it and release it with no harm done. "He handles reptiles all the time," Tate said. "It was pretty entertaining for a lot of people. Now me, I would have made a belt out of him."