Dealing with rattlesnakes

[pat-tekker-cat]

Tuberall, let us now how it goes, after ya get on-site.
Stomping, vibrations, Definantly the fire extinguishers, little lime, mothballs, for future dettermant. Gear up too!
Anti-venom, too.
Remember though, they are breakfast, lunch, and supper! They taste more like snake, imo!
Them little ones ain't appitizers either! hehehehe
http://www.rattlesnakerecipes.com/rattlesnake-cleaning-safety/

 

[Terry Soloman]

Think you might get a kick out of this. We watched this from 20-feet away. These are two males, fighting for the right to mate with the female hiding in the rocks nearby!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Think you might get a kick out of this. We watched this from 20-feet away

Thanks for the images, my head don't need more of!
Woulda thought Marvin Gayes' Let's get it on, was vibrating them! LOL!

 

[rginn]

Rattlers shouldn't be denned up this time of year, and should be gone and dispersed from the area. I ain't familiar with your climate though. I have seen them out in February on sunny days in Oklahoma. The bad thing is, they've had all winter to save up venom. Hope you get bit by a more mature snake, who controls the venom release. The good thing is, the first thing they want to do is get away from you. Here's another thing to scare you though. My son has been published in 'Herpetologica' for some snake research, and he says there seems to be some evidence that rattlers are evolving to NOT RATTLE and give away their position. And they don't taste like chicken, they taste like snake. Enjoy your hunt!

 

[Tuberale]

Still getting near freezing in their immediate area. Fairly high altitude. But this year Oregon has never warmed up. We've had only 3 days in Portland above 70 degrees this year. Lots of rain. Area where cache is at was under a flood watch last week or three.

 

[21stTNCav]

Still getting near freezing in their immediate area. Fairly high altitude. But this year Oregon has never warmed up. We've had only 3 days in Portland above 70 degrees this year. Lots of rain. Area where cache is at was under a flood watch last week or three.

Arrrrghhh, see Global Warming is causing you to be to cold!! It causes the heart break of psoriasis too, and blotchy skin, most divorces, space shuttle explosions, etc..... Now as for those dancing snakes, did anyone ever ask the lady snake how she felt about the mating deal? I mean really y'all, she may have gotten fed up and left and the two fellers did not even know.
My advice again is dump a couple of boxes of mothballs, take some bungee cord and pieces of cardboard and make your self some snake guards to the knee, them go get em!! Again, good luck.

PS: I don't like to kill animals for no reason. The deer lives if he or she ain't' goin on the table. This being said don't forget to carry, just in case.

 

[Tuberale]

Regarding 21stTNCav: Global Warming (your term, not mine), you may be right. Weather forecaster 3 days ago compared Portland, Oregon to Fairbanks, Alaska. This year Fairbanks has had 10 days of 80 degree weather. Portland has had 3 days of 70 degrees weather. Arctic Circle currently warmer than Portland. We've also had the third highest rainfall on record for March, April, and May.

We're trying to look on the good side: no hurricanes (yet), no tornadoes (yet), no flooding (yet), unlike the rest of the country. Fire danger pretty low too.

Yesterday had a drenching thunderstorm with about 1/2 inch in 10 minutes. Both Willamette and Columbia Rivers near flood stage already, partially because of a heavy rainfall in British Columbia last week. Lots of snow melt too.

 

[riomike]

well, before moving to the rio grande valley i lived many years on the texas panhandle. rattlesnake country deluxe!! a lot of good advise in the postings here. got to get rid of the vegetation first. gasoline and a lighter works wonders. if you don't want to kill 'em ( they really are very tasty ) then you got to relocate 'em. just remember this aint no game your playing! i got bit once and nearly died and for god's sakes don't buy one of those 5 dollar snake bite kits!! better if you just get to a doctor ASAP! you aint gonna scare away either. rattlesnakes are territorial. here's a little trivial knowledge for you. if your in the field in the fall and you see a rattler, beware!! he or she has a mate close by. autumn is their breeding time and they get real testy! well, good luck and safe hunting!

 

[Frankn]

Here's the plan I used on a late spring hunt in PA. Made wide sweeps with my detector, maybe 6' . Held the detector well out in front. The average big snake can strike out about 3'. They can usually strike between 1/3 & 2/3 of their body length. Only saw one. It was very big looked to be between 3" & 4" in dia. He was coiled and rattling. He was about 4" to my right. I was just out of his striking range. When I spotted him I froze, then slowly backed off. I had a Texas Defender with snake shot in both barrels. But he didn't strike so I let him live. Frank

 

[raider rich]

Dress up like a king snake

 

[21stTNCav]

well, before moving to the rio grande valley i lived many years on the texas panhandle. rattlesnake country deluxe!! a lot of good advise in the postings here. got to get rid of the vegetation first. gasoline and a lighter works wonders. if you don't want to kill 'em ( they really are very tasty ) then you got to relocate 'em. just remember this aint no game your playing! i got bit once and nearly died and for god's sakes don't buy one of those 5 dollar snake bite kits!! better if you just get to a doctor ASAP! you aint gonna scare away either. rattlesnakes are territorial. here's a little trivial knowledge for you. if your in the field in the fall and you see a rattler, beware!! he or she has a mate close by. autumn is their breeding time and they get real testy! well, good luck and safe hunting!

Well Mike, I am in Harlingen. Give me a holler. I am with the Rio Grande Metal Detecting. We meet at Weslaco every last Thursday of the month. We would happy to have you!!

 

[Bum Luck]

And they don't taste like chicken, they taste like snake

That is true. And I like the taste, it's delicate.

I also would not screw around with rattlers. I used to hunt them, and they can be darned aggressive. If you get bit, it is a serious deal for days, and can be life-threatening. You can be crippled up.

Myself, I think that's what 22 pistols are for, but gasoline sounds good too. If you opt to let them live, be very very careful.

I still think it's dangerous to be around a den without any experience with snakes.

Concerned.

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Ditto on the snakebite kit. Forget about it. No responsible medic would advise you to use one nowadays. The instructions for using one are even insane. I quote, "As many as 80 incisions may be required over the bite". Think you'll be conscious long enough to do all that ? Know anyone who would do that much for you ? The only circumstance inwhich a snake bite kit SHOULD be used is if you are UNABLE to be rescued.. PERIOD. A small chance of survival, is better than no chance of survival at all.

Ditto as well on February. I was hitch hiking between Sweet Water and Big Spring Texas one February night. Ended up having to sleep on the side of the road with no tent. Thought it would be cold enough at night i wouldn't see any snakes. Woke up just after daybreak with a rattler coiled up between my legs. Little fella was just tryin to stay warm, that's all. But it was a venomous snake, so just to be on the safe side I leaped about 10 feet in the air and landed five feet away from him. (O.K. I screamed like a little girl while I jumped).

 

[Frankn]

good thing the snake didn't go nuts! Frank

 

[BARGuy]

Spent several months volunteering for a state-owned "public" attraction in southern AZ. Rattlers there are caught, put in a plastic trash barrel & transported by golf cart about a half mile down the way to be released unharmed. Some are spray painted so the "trappers" can tell how soon they're back in their own domain...usually within 12 hours or so!

I've seen some whoppers there.

Then, a coupla years ago, while working as a security gate guard at a high-end AZ resort, I had a 42" Western D/B try to get in the guardshack with me. That was EXCITING! He came right in thru the open door. And the only "weapon" I had was a $2 broom from Dollar General. Talk about your Chinese fire drill! He was the third one I dispatched from populated places that year.

I no longer stroll after dark in R/S country without a BIG flashlight.

 

[LM]

I'm a pretty good shot and have shot at my fair share of snakes. Shooting and hitting a charging snake isn't easy, particularly if you have people, stock or buildings around that might be inconveniently positioned when the bullets start flying.

My place in Florida has snakes galore, and big ones... Big, big, big ones. Seeing a 4/5' rattler isn't much of a shocker. Last time I was down there, we were driving out to Ozello and one was crossing the road and into a swamp- that damn thing was 6' if it was an inch.

Then, there are the cottonmouths, which are the meanest snake in North America.

I use a 54"" Cold Steel polymer Sjambok whenever I'm going to be near snakes. I've used with success on a few, including some bigger ones. It generates enough force to break their back and keeps you out of striking range, without the potential headaches involved with 'panic shooting at a fast moving snake'.

Here's a link to the cheapest place to buy one:
Cold Steel Sjambok

I wrote the "what a sjambok is" review.

I haven't had to thwack a 5 footer that's as big around as a coke can, but I'm sure it would react much like all the others reacted... Ball up into a mess of thrashing and wriggling snake and eventually, go off and die, or, if you get it clean in the head, just go to sleep right then and there.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Spent several months volunteering for a state-owned "public" attraction in southern AZ. Rattlers there are caught, put in a plastic trash barrel & transported by golf cart about a half mile down the way to be released unharmed. Some are spray painted so the "trappers" can tell how soon they're back in their own domain...usually within 12 hours or so!

I've seen some whoppers there.

Then, a coupla years ago, while working as a security gate guard at a high-end AZ resort, I had a 42" Western D/B try to get in the guardshack with me. That was EXCITING! He came right in thru the open door. And the only "weapon" I had was a $2 broom from Dollar General. Talk about your Chinese fire drill! He was the third one I dispatched from populated places that year.

I no longer stroll after dark in R/S country without a BIG flashlight.

Great Story! Thanks for sharing. Still laughing. I've seen 6-footers in the Bradshaws, 30-lbs monsters!

 

[cammobunker]

1 Go buy a boom box with BIG speakers.
2 Set it out in snake area
3 play loud rap music-anything with lots of bass
4 watch snakes flee area in minutes.
Snakes really hate anything that makes a lot of vibration. Really messes with them.

I've shot at my share of snakes, too. Course, I used a 16 gauge with an 18" barrel and BB shot.

 

[21stTNCav]

I went to a patients home today. Their female Pit Bull was bitten three times by a big Rattler. Once in the front leg and twice in the rear hip. The dog seemed to be doing fine. Tough mutt.

 

[Daedalus]

Like Terry said while working out West we kept a squirt bottle full of gas with us and when we ran into them under tanks and machines we would spray that in with them.
But you have to get out of the way because they will come out fast and mad !
It will clean them out and it only takes a little gas to do this with.