Rattlesnake Season Caution

[MrTShirt]

https://mynews4.com/news/local/rattlesn ... ern-nevada

[Nblaw95]

Fortunately not really a concern for me here in Indiana lol

[Prospector Bob]

At the rifle range I go to, one of the first things you do is check for rattlers under shooting benches. That's were most folks get bit. The snakes crawl onto the cool concrete pads when the weather is scorching hot. I see 'em all the time. Most are prairie rattlers but there are some big diamondbacks also. In high desert country ya gotta be aware of your surroundings...

[Drew_Ryan]

I have never seen a rattle snake! Where I live there are a lot of Cotten Mouth, King, Black Rat, and Garter snakes. I do see king snakes which are pretty chill. Sometimes one will get in my garage and my cats play with it, while I’m freaking out.


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[Chicagobob]

When I go to the back country, I always carry a couple of large stainless steel bolts in my pocket.  If I encounter a rattler,  I toss one over his head.  They strike at the shiny bolt and I run like hell!  8)

[AlexaWu]

Good to know. Are there recommended things to do if you hear a rattlesnake other than don't go towards it?  This city girl has no idea..

[Cobia]

Good to know. Are there recommended things to do if you hear a rattlesnake other than don't go towards it?  This city girl has no idea..

Locate it and move away slowly.

[Chicagobob]

This is a good point for always carrying a hike stick.  It serves many purposes, including taking the snake bite instead of your leg.  If I'm unsure about the trail, I literally do bushwacking to check my path ahead.  This is helpful for scrambling loose rock and tall grass.  Another tip is to stay on the designated trail - cross cutting damages the environment and can lead to snake bites.   

[Chicagobob]

The most common rattlesnake I've found around the Sierras is The Great Basin Rattler.  I've seen them around June Lake, Mt Rose, and even as far east as Lamoille Canyon near Elko.

[Prospector Bob]

Went fishing with my cousin once. He was about 50 yards upstream from me when I saw him jumping up & down & I could hear him screaming bloody murder. I could see something was hanging from his boot & even from 50 yards away I knew it was a snake. So I ran up there expecting I'd have to haul my cousin out of that canyon.

When I got up to him he was still jumping up & down but now he was cussing like crazy. It was a rattler alright & he was stomping it mercilessly. What happened was the snake struck at him but only hit the back of his boot heel. A fang got caught in a boot seam & was stuck there. My cousin initially panicked & his Adrenalin kicked in. But once he figured out he hadn't actually been bit, he got mad & used that Adrenalin to stomp that snake into oblivion.

The fang broke off & was still stuck in his boot. I pried it out with my knife & carefully placed it in a plastic tube that used to have split-shot in it. I says, "That was close bro! Want this fang?"

Still shaking a bit, my cousin says, "Fuck no!" I had that fang for a long time but sometime along the way, it disappeared."

[AlexaWu]

Went fishing with my cousin once. He was about 50 yards upstream from me when I saw him jumping up & down & I could hear him screaming bloody murder. I could see something was hanging from his boot & even from 50 yards away I knew it was a snake. So I ran up there expecting I'd have to haul my cousin out of that canyon.

When I got up to him he was still jumping up & down but now he was cussing like crazy. It was a rattler alright & he was stomping it mercilessly. What happened was the snake struck at him but only hit the back of his boot heel. A fang got caught in a boot seam & was stuck there. My cousin initially panicked & his Adrenalin kicked in. But once he figured out he hadn't actually been bit, he got mad & used that Adrenalin to stomp that snake into oblivion.

The fang broke off & was still stuck in his boot. I pried it out with my knife & carefully placed it in a plastic tube that used to have split-shot in it. I says, "That was close bro! Want this fang?"

Still shaking a bit, my cousin says, "Fuck no!" I had that fang for a long time but sometime along the way, it disappeared."

The fang disappeared and was reconnected with the ghost of the rattlesnake..

[AlexaWu]

The most common rattlesnake I've found around the Sierras is The Great Basin Rattler.  I've seen them around June Lake, Mt Rose, and even as far east as Lamoille Canyon near Elko.

So beautiful and so deadly

[Chicagobob]

So beautiful and so deadly

They really want nothing to do with people.  They usually only attack if you surprise them - much like grizzly bears.

[G]

My favorite rattlesnakes are the ones that give you a 50' warning.

[Nelspot]

Decades ago, I was exploring around an old mining area in northern Nevada and stepped on a rock when I heard that sound, it's a moment you can't forget. I froze solid, afraid to move.  The buzzing stopped, but when my weight shifted, I heard that sound again.  I must have stood there 1/2 hour, scared to death.  I looked around for a place to jump to safely, jumped, and when I got my courage up, I circled back to find a snake curled up under the rock I was standing on (it was on a rocky slope).  I had a camera, and there was some distance between him and I, so I thought I'd take a picture of it, but I heard a second snake nearby and gave up on the idea.  It was probably a Diamond Back, but a small one.

Hiking nearby, I heard "the Buzz" and looked to see a huge snake, the body about 3" thick, but it was at least 50' away, so they do spook easily and they will sound a warning, which is nice.  Thank heavens for old TV shows like "The High Chaparral" which taught us all what a rattlesnake sounds like!  BTW, they don't really jump, but they coil and then straighten out when they strike, so they can't jump at you for any great distance, and they are afraid of you -- a mutual feeling, I assure you!

On the other hand, I was camping with some friends outside of Moab, UT (think Arches Nat'l Park) on a BLM campground late one night when one of them said they heard a snake.  Sure enough, a snake had slithered through our campsite, probably between us and the campfire, and we chased it under a tree where it sat all night long.  It didn't have very distinct markings like a Diamond Back, but it did have faint diamonds on it, and the triangular head.  The next day, in a bookstore, I found a book on snakes and looked it up -- it was a Midget (or Pygmy) Faded Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus concolor), and the book said it's venom is 10 - 30 times more potent than the Diamond Back's, making it about as deadly as a Cobra !  Good news, however, is that it's a very docile snake, so it's not likely to attack unless provoked. Still, I talked to a herpetologist who told me that a fellow a few years previous was bitten on the hand and it took 14 vials of anti-venom to save him.  (Just FYI)[Here's an article in the Moab News about those snakes, found only in that area --- https://www.moabsunnews.com/get_out_and ... 0f31a.html  --- but you aren't likely to see one.]

There are also Timber Rattlers back east.  I had a friend of mine stumble upon one and that was just south of the Mohawk River in NY, so they can get quite a ways north, too.  I've also heard of rattlesnake round-ups in Pennsylvania -- not exactly where you might expect.

[Florida Couple]

We love hiking and miss the dry western mountains. We’re always concerned about snakes and other wildlife... bears, coyotes, mountain lions.  Never want to hike alone.

[Chicagobob]

We love hiking and miss the dry western mountains. We’re always concerned about snakes and other wildlife... bears, coyotes, mountain lions.  Never want to hike alone.

I always hike alone.  I carry bear bells, bear spray, and shout out loud if I'm in bear country and in the bush.  I've encountered 2 Black Bears, 1 Grizzly, and a freakin' Moose!   

The Black Bears were just curious and they were more scared of me.  The Griz that I encountered was in Yellowstone and he cut right across my path - I thought I was dead!  The Moose was in the Grand Tetons and he followed me down the trail until I threw him my peanut butter sandwich.  :

[Dr. Who]

My first encounter with a rattler was when I was visiting one of my friends in Arizona.  He took me out 4X4'ing in his Jeep and when we stopped for a rest, I was checking out the area when I heard that infamous rattling sound ...LOL.  He warned me before we headed out into the wild about the snakes and whatnot that we might encounter, so to be aware of where you're stepping at all times.

Needless to say, it scared the bejeezus out of me at first, since I knew it was a rattlesnake, but I didn't know which direction it was coming from.  Then my friend point out where the beast was located.  It was a huge diamond back about 20 feet from us, sitting under some brush. :o  Needless to say, we didn't hang around there for too long.  My friend said that he encounters rattlers all the time when he goes out 4X4'ing and hiking.  I guess when you've lived in rattlesnake country for years, you get use to having them around after awhile ...LOL

[Florida Couple]

I always hike alone.  I carry bear bells, bear spray, and shout out loud if I'm in bear country and in the bush.  I've encountered 2 Black Bears, 1 Grizzly, and a freakin' Moose!   

The Black Bears were just curious and they were more scared of me.  The Griz that I encountered was in Yellowstone and he cut right across my path - I thought I was dead!  The Moose was in the Grand Tetons and he followed me down the trail until I threw him my peanut butter sandwich.  :

Your lucky, now go watch the tv series I was prey  :o

[Chicagobob]

Your lucky, now go watch the tv series I was prey  :o

You guys have those deadly Coral snakes!  Every time I venture out when I'm down your way, I recite that little poem about their color rings: "Red Touches Yellow, Could Kill A Fellow" - "Red Touches Black, Is A Friend Of Jack".

Just another tidbit of knowledge is that "triangle-headed" snakes are usually deadly, regardless of color.  Another clue (if you get close) is the pupils in the eyes.  Venomous snakes have oblong pupils (cat eyes) whereas nonvenomous snakes have round pupils. 

To me, it's an adrenalin rush to be hiking all alone in the deep forest wondering what danger lies ahead.  I guess I enjoy the edge?