Prairie Rattlers

[RGINN]

Camped a couple of days in the San Luis Valley. Look closely at that first pic. There's a prairie rattler underneath those weeds. I spotted him just before I stepped on him, which would have been the most exciting part of the day for me and him both. I was wishing I could have got a better pic. Later on, back at camp, I was setting up my bedroll and this rascal comes easing on in, just making himself at home, not concerned with me at all. I figured that wouldn't work out, so I kicked dirt at him and he eased on back out. They aren't real aggressive, and they don't bother me as long as I know where they're at, but I do not sleep directly on the ground in this area anymore since that one buzzed me awake that one morning.

 

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[newnan man]

It's good you're not one of those who kill every snake they see. I know some sane reasonable people who turn into lunatics at the mere sight of a snake.

 

[hollARDog]

Big boy🤘

 

[PickTime]

The why I keep snakeproof gaiters on my rubber boots, I walk through brush and many places where I can’t always see the ground. Glad you shared and spared him. Thanks

 

[hollARDog]

The why I keep snakeproof gaiters on my rubber boots, I walk through brush and many places where I can’t always see the ground. Glad you shared and spared him. Thanks

We have rattlers and nasty little copperheads all around the place. Local high school, rattlers🤘 around the house they die,get skinned and fed to the catfish. In the woods they live👍 oh ALL non-vem live. Just sometimes get moved away from the dinner birds😁

 

[Oregon Viking]

Glad you are OK !
That's why I wear these.

 

[hollARDog]

As you can see, these live next to the bed this time of year.

 

[cyzak]

That's why I stay on the other side of the valley.

 

[tamrock]

Snakes are neet.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

I shot a 48" diamond back in West Virginia in my 20's. We skinned it and stretched the hide on a board and I still have the rattles 11 and a button. The original plan was to eat it, but by the time I got done skinning the stinking thing, the last thing I wanted to do was take a bite of it!
L.C.

 

[RGINN]

They're really pretty laid back as long as you don't harass them. My son stopped hikers on a trail through Penitente Canyon last year and picked one up and moved it off the trail, after a couple of old folks had almost stepped on it. That second one amazed me, cause he was like 'Hey, looks like a nice spot to stretch out in the shade here, buddy. Don't mind me.' I never kill snakes, but there might be a time and a place where you would need to.

 

[hollARDog]

I shot a 48" diamond back in West Virginia in my 20's. We skinned it and stretched the hide on a board and I still have the rattles 11 and a button. The original plan was to eat it, but by the time I got done skinning the stinking thing, the last thing I wanted to do was take a bite of it!
L.C.

Not horrible! Hopefully ya got some seasoning on hand, they are super bland.
Survival situation all day, go and hunt to eat. Never again🤘
5 sec skin job, now if I could get my squirrel skinning down to sub 5 minutes🤪
Love dumplins and the hunt, hate skinning the lil fers

 

[dig deeper now]

Camped a couple of days in the San Luis Valley. Look closely at that first pic. There's a prairie rattler underneath those weeds. I spotted him just before I stepped on him, which would have been the most exciting part of the day for me and him both. I was wishing I could have got a better pic. Later on, back at camp, I was setting up my bedroll and this rascal comes easing on in, just making himself at home, not concerned with me at all. I figured that wouldn't work out, so I kicked dirt at him and he eased on back out. They aren't real aggressive, and they don't bother me as long as I know where they're at, but I do not sleep directly on the ground in this area anymore since that one buzzed me awake that one morning.
View attachment 2045714View attachment 2045715View attachment 2045717

You should wear waist high snake bite chaps. HH

 

[hollARDog]

Those big boys can get up there!

You should wear waist high snake bite chaps. HH

 

[RGINN]

I'm not that concerned about that, dig deeper now. I do have a concern about above the waist strikes. Climbing around in rocks, I always make sure where my hand is going before I put it there in snake country. If I stepped on the first one, he probably could have hit me on my instep, which is pretty well covered and possibly would have been a dry bite if he did penetrate due to surprise. The second one, due to length, could hit about knee level, but I would have had to agitate him. He never even buzzed. Had I reached my hand down into those weeds for some reason, that would have been a different story. And for the record, I HATE copperheads.

 

[detectorcowboy]

In the movies they put a rope around their sleeping area to keeps snakes from crossing and snuggling them while they sleep is this true or BS?

 

[Peyton Manning]

I wouldn’t count on a rope

 

[hollARDog]

Dang cotton mouths fall from the sky round here. No rope stopping that😁

 

[pepperj]

Cool pictures and your letting them live.
Kind of glad that the snakes around me are all pretty calm.
The water snakes have an attitude when messed with.
Live and let live on the property

 

[RGINN]

That rope thing won't work. Snakes crawl all over everything. Water snakes of all kinds tend to be aggressive and territorial. They'll stand their ground. I had a diamond back water snake (often confused for a moccassin) latch on to my hand out of nowhere one time. He started trying to rake back which if he would have been bigger he would have left some pretty serious gashes. Had to actually pry him off. Not a serious deal, just disinfect it real good and watch for signs of infection. That was about 40 years ago and I will admit that in very short time that snake was DRT, dead right there.