Rattlesnakes in a cave

[Terry Soloman]

Terry, had a #2 also, but she was Salvadorian and Italian...talk about temper!

Yep...been there..

Actually, my #1 or #3 wives would be best for the job...just tell them there's diamonds in the
back of that cave and then those snakes won't stand a chance! Just one look at what #3 has
become and those critters will be terrified.....

Finally got me a #4 about 11 years ago, and I'm keepin' this one!

OMG! Maybe you know a couple of my ex's! Here they are on vacation, #4 at the lake last year, and #2 visiting relatives in Central America.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

#1 was definitely a beach snake variety, but she never had 10 men at once (as shown in the pic).
10 men in a month I can believe (she cut me off altogether!).

Your #4 was most definitely related to my #2, but your #4 must have come from the redneck side
of the family. My #2 would never have been caught dead on anything but a designer broom!

My #4 is my QUEEN. We've been married for almost 11 years now, and although life has been challenging
for both of us with medical problems, we are 100x more in love with each other then the day we were
married.

Key to a good marriage? IMO, when the most important thing in your life is her, and
the most important thing in her life, is you. It requires love, patience and a whole
lot of understanding, but it's the recipe for a successful marriage!

 

[cw0909]

RBrown,after reading the pdfs,and you saying the cave is very remote,im not sure your
snakes will have much of an incentive,or need to go far from the den be careful and good luck
Western North American Naturalist 69(3), © 2009, pp. 319–328
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INSOLATION AND
RATTLESNAKE HIBERNACULA
ABSTRACT.—We examined the relationship between insolation, climate, and hibernacula of black-tailed (Crotalus
molossus), Great Basin (Crotalus lutosus), and western diamondback (Crotalus atrox) rattlesnakes at 4 sites in Arizona,
Nevada, and Utah
Bryan T. Hamilton1 and Erika M. Nowak2
https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/ojs/index.php/wnan/article/viewFile/131/3958
various studies on more wildlife
https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/ojs/index.php/wnan/issue/archive

Linking Landscape Disturbance to the
Population Ecology of Great Basin Rattlesnakes
(Crotalus oreganus lutosus) in the Upper Snake River Plain
Christopher L. Jenkins and Charles R. Peterson
Herpetology Laboratory
Department of Biological Sciences
Idaho State University
http://www.gsseser.com/Newsletter/Jenkins_Tech_Bull.pdf

 

[63bkpkr]

I like Frankn's idea of the 4 Sulphur Smoke Bombs, do not know if it will work but it is interesting.

His Dynamite comment, well you indicated you do not want to alert others to your presence and a1/4 stick is going to make significant noise. Also, unless you wrap the 1/4 stick with some good plastic tape all over but especially at the blasting cap/fuse end as soon as it hits the ground it will break open and the blasting cap is likely to not be in the stick when the cap goes off. Good bang but no boom.

Also ammonia filled balloons sound interesting, do not know if the odor will cause them to leave but the ammonia mixing with the urine could cause some really nasty gasses to form that even a human should not breathe. But if there is not enough urine there then tossing in some balloons with bleach in them will set off the reaction releasing chlorine gas and that is deadly. Not my proposal just some reactions. From the comments of a Mojave Greens bite just killing you as opposed to a rattle snakes venom eating your tissue and nerve endings away and making you sick as a dog or killing you, I would suspect you understand that this IS about risking your life! It had better be worth it and have a good meal before you go in there........................63bkpkr

 

[Silver Searcher]

If this cave is full of snakes, how do you know there is anything in it seems like there would have always been snakes in it, how would anybody hide stuff in it

SS

 

[Silver Searcher]

#1 was definitely a beach snake variety, but she never had 10 men at once (as shown in the pic).
10 men in a month I can believe (she cut me off altogether!).

Your #4 was most definitely related to my #2, but your #4 must have come from the redneck side
of the family. My #2 would never have been caught dead on anything but a designer broom!

My #4 is my QUEEN. We've been married for almost 11 years now, and although life has been challenging
for both of us with medical problems, we are 100x more in love with each other then the day we were
married.

Key to a good marriage? IMO, when the most important thing in your life is her, and
the most important thing in her life, is you. It requires love, patience and a whole
lot of understanding, but it's the recipe for a successful marriage!

You and Terry must just love wedding cake

SS

 

[Lady Pirate]

If this cave is full of snakes, how do you know there is anything in it

seems like there would have always been snakes in it, how would anybody hide stuff in it

Seems logical..........

 

[RGINN]

Kuger's right and I understand exactly what he's sayin. Pour in gasoline and they'll come out. This technique is used in rattlesnake hunts when the snakes haven't come out of the den yet by hunt time. Of course those guys are intending to catch and remove them. You're not goin to do that so you'll have to negotiate your way in through a bunch of p'od rattlers who have been storing up venom all winter. Whatever is in that cave has been there for awhile, so I would just wait until the snakes came out of hibernation and dispersed. They won't come back to the den site every day, but rattlesnakes will use the same den over and over during the winter months. Check your wildlife laws, cause some states do have rattlesnake seasons, possession limits, methods of capture, etc.,etc. And rattlesnake don't taste like chicken, it tastes like snake.

 

[stefen]

Interesting topic, as usual...

You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't...

Probably the better solution is to abandon the project altogether.

Besides, if you eat what you kill, it sure a hell don't taste like chicken...

And to me, it is gristly, chewy and tastes like snake....

 

[metal mania]

Man there better be piles of gold or silver coins in that hole your digging! It is almost impossible too kill all those rattlesnakes unless you are a professional and know what you are doing. Gasoline will work but i hear you gotta burn the whole cave. Be-careful that is for sure.

omg reading the replies I can almost hear the rambo type music and the smell of burning snake flesh. Is this just a chuck norris usa kick ur ass (SNAKE ASS) thing.
I would like to ask what u expect to find is it worth the risk. Can it be done without loss of life / yours or the snakes.

 

[wainzoid]

we roll it in flour and fry it in butter. It tastes like flour fried in butter. I think it is tasteless. Its flakey like fish.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Can you tell us what in the world is in the ground out front of a rattlesnake cave It must be something only Indiana Jones would shake up.

 

[1graeman]

1. Contact Rawhide out near Firebird Raceway. They serve rattlesnake meat nuggets and they are very good tasting. Maybe they have a rustler who will take the snakes out for you.
2. You can buy snake chaps and a snake tong to rid the cave of them.
3. Snake move pretty slow when cold, take a co2 fire extinguisher with you and spray them with it.
4. Snake shot in a 22 cal. gun will not ricochet inside the cave nor be too loud as to cause a collapse of the cave.

Today I was working up in Flagstaff and I had 5 garden snakes sunning themselves where I was trying to work on an a/c condenser unit. They were moving pretty slow and I just picked them up to move them away. They aren't poisonous so I wasn't worried about handling them the Steve Irwin way - pick up the tail while fully extending your arm out and keep the first 3" of snake on the ground.

 

[Rawhide]

Hey Doc, we are all having fun. But in case you are serious, here is a tip. Either a small can of mace or starting fluid. Keep it with you in case some come back. After you leave the hole, you realize there is gonna be snakes everywhere back down the trail? Oh, please video snakes coming out of the hole for me. Better yet, dare your hiking buddy to stand in front of the hole so we can see him dance when the snakes come out of there. You are about to see just how fast snakes can really be. They wont bite ya on the way out, but on the way down just don't step on one or put you hand any where you haven't checked with a stick first. I climb those 1000 foot cliffs, and my problem is I can hear em, but not see em till they are very close. Some snakes will chase you, usually the large ones. You see a big snake, he aint leaving, you got a problem. I don't kill snakes, I would have to be awful hungry to eat one. My pack stays well stocked as I don't like the desert trots eating or drinking stuff I am not used to. The snakes will most likely ignore you unless you step on one. The green Mojave will not back down and you would not make it back to the truck from what you have described. I believe the starting fluid is your best bet really, now go dig some holes. Wait a minute, I mean take a picture, your not allowed to dig for treasure anymore in the supers I thought.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Well one thing seems to have come from this thread..... Snake tastes like cr@p

SS

 

[LinkHylian]

This forum is hilarious and one of the best I've read on here. I love the gasoline comments, you all are so bad hahaha. Get um out anyway you can, but REMEMBER, when you do get them out, you better be damn sure the smell is gone or they'll come right back in to claim their rediculously pee'd on territory.

 

[RBrown]

Metal Mania, you take the cake.

I am still laughing at your comment. But its does sound fitting; gasoline bombs, dynamite, guns...

"I can almost hear the rambo type music and the smell of burning snake flesh. Is this just a chuck norris kick ur ass thing."

This is the best thread I have read on this forum as well...

Really entertaining.

 

[echodog]

Down load a couple of the digger TV shows on your I phone and toss it in there. That will scare away the smart fast ones, and bore to death the dumb slow ones! It's like Darwinism!

 

[Number9]

What you do is.. make a deal with them to split the loot 50/50!

Many animals always seem to have a favorite area, even after several years. Just something they like about certain places?

Near where I live is an area in the Tellico Mountains called Rattlesnake Rock. Anytime you're near this large outcrop during the warmer months, you will see a very large number of Timber Rattlers.

I would bet the cave you're talking about maybe the same way? And i believe you would find a few in that cave any time of the year and the rest of the group within 50 yards of the cave.
Spring maybe your best time. Trying to force them out into below freezing temps would put them near the front door.
I would use about a gallon of gas thrown to the back of the cave(don't light it!), if you see very many inside. If the cave is only 4'x5'x20', a gallon should be enough, 400 cu' isn't a very big space for a cave. The fumes should be low enough in an hour or so to be safe to enter.
Just remember to put your Rattler Brand chaps on anywhere within 100 yards of that location!

If you need a few more caves to look in, you could visit Tennessee? We have more than any other state.

 

[63bkpkr]

I will add my Rattle Snake Epicurean comments at this point. I am talking about northern california mountain snakes which are 'mostly' about 3' long, not much meat on them, pure white meat and when fried it tastes like whatever it was fried in. These snakes were close to a nice river so their diets would have included fish, mice, insects, gophers but no politicians as the snakes were not tainted and still tasted ok. Really large rattle snakes may have a gamey taste to them but I've never eaten any big ones expect for the meat that was pickled and no taste would last through pickling, IMO. I've consumed some of roughly 3 or 4 of these snakes, all tasted the same.............63bkpkr