Long before the land runs opened up Oklahoma to settlement, the mesas of northwestern Oklahoma were home to the western diamondback rattlesnake. As the area became populated, a clash between people and diamondbacks was inevitable. The rattlesnake population was so dense that it endangered people and livestock. Locals began hunting the snakes just to survive. In 1939, things changed and what had once been a local necessity became a public spectacle when the Okeene Rattlesnake Roundup was born. “Okeene' goes to the hills around the town to discover what snake hunting is all about.

Over the years, not much has changed about this spring ritual. Anthony Felder was just a boy when his father took part in the first organized festival hunts. Now, Anthony has passed his snake hunting skills and wisdom along to his children. Tony Felder, Anthony’s son, and his friend Dean Wilson allow us a glimpse into their lives and show us not only how to hunt snakes but what hunting means to them.

“Okeene” takes you inside the Den of Death to watch snake handlers calmly walk amongst hundreds of rattlesnakes and into the hills to search for rattlesnakes and experience the adrenaline rush of coming face to face with a deadly snake. It also takes you inside the emergency room where one of the snake hunters recovers from a copperhead bite.

The story of “Okeene” is more than just a tale about snake hunting. It is a story about family and community and how sometimes the strangest things bring us together.