I almost stepped on one that size while I was rabbit hunting. It was the first rattler I'd ever encountered in the wild. I was walking through some rocks and sagebrush and all of a sudden I heard the buzzing by my feet. Funny thing is, I still hadn't seen the snake but I knew exactly what it was. He was too close and I'm sure ready to strike so I had to waste him. Really can't tell age by number of rattles like I used to think as they grow one every time they shed their skin. That could be 2 or 3 times a year and rattles will often get broken off the end. I was also surprised they got that big!!
I ate some of that before, and no it tastes like snake. Correct, rattles are no indication of age, just how many times they've shed, but might be an indication of how well they're eatin. The worst time to be around one is when they're getting ready to shed, as they can't see that well and may strike more readily. There is nothin else that sounds like that buzz. In the Wichitas down by Camp Radziminski I stuck my detector back in some rocks and accidently poked a big sleeping prairie rattler. I didn't know they could jump straight up and move that fast and I bet he didn't think I could do that either. I got nothin against killing them, but I try to leave them be.
they say you have to let them hang for a while after you skin them and let them cure out a little because even after cooking you can get a numb tingly feeling in your mouth after eating one if not i dont know i have always eatin rattle snake when we would go to the white tank mountains in arizona we would spend the weekend out there driving dunebuggies and eating rattle snake and rabbits when i was a kid with my neighbors and thier family it was a blast
we know you wuz kiddin' Monty.
I've never gotten numb from eating rattler. All the poison is in the glands in their heads as far as I know. I had a buddy that thought he could get sick by just touching their rattles.