After a few hours we gathered about 700 snails. We were careful to keep only the ones of good size and health. The small ones were returned to the grasses. We weren't all that worried that they would go too far before the next season began. A bag full of snails is not particularly appetizing.
Preparation is another art entirely.
You don't just pop a snail in the oven and expect a meal. They are placed in a huge pot of cold water, then slowly brought to the boil, thus causing the snails to exit their shells, which saves having to prise them out with a fork. They are boiled again to remove any slime and dirt and then they are bagged in dozen lots. During this process I was on 'snail watch', keeping an eye on the live snails which continually tried to escape from their bucket as they awaited their turn in the pot. Needless to say we ate snails that night.