Rattlesnake!

[Jim in Idaho]

I was doing some experimentation with the jig, yesterday. I went out to the Big Lost, which was bone-dry. I hauled 200 gallons of water with me, so that wasn't a problem. I backed the truck up as close to the river?, as I could get. After doing the jig work (videos later), I was sitting in the truck waiting for dark, so I could do some UV light prospecting in the river. I looked up, about 5:00PM, and right in the two-track a rattlesnake is crawling across the road. I got some decent video, but after he went under a sagebrush and coiled-up, I took this pic. The snake was about 3' long...just a typical rattler for our area. It's probably either a Great Basin, or Prairie rattler. After about 20 minutes he uncoiled and went on up the hill. Never did rattle much.

 

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[carnet56]

uv

I was doing some experimentation with the jig, yesterday. I went out to the Big Lost, which was bone-dry. I hauled 200 gallons of water with me, so that wasn't a problem. I backed the truck up as close to the river?, as I could get. After doing the jig work (videos later), I was sitting in the truck waiting for dark, so I could do some UV light prospecting in the river. I looked up, about 5:00PM, and right in the two-track a rattlesnake is crawling across the road. I got some decent video, but after he went under a sagebrush and coiled-up, I took this pic. The snake was about 3' long...just a typical rattler for our area. It's probably either a Great Basin, or Prairie rattler. After about 20 minutes he uncoiled and went on up the hill. Never did rattle much.
View attachment 1051614

you said you were going do some uv lighting what was you looking for gems

 

[Sick4gold]

Looks like a nice pair of boots

 

[Jim in Idaho]

you said you were going do some uv lighting what was you looking for gems

Yeah...I've just recently taken up the UV light as a prospecting tool. Found lots of fluorescent stuff, but no gems, so far. Last night, I found several pieces of chalcedony quartz that fluoresces jade green under LW, and very bright apple green under SW. Lots of that in both Wyoming and Idaho. The green is activated by uranium in the quartz. There's also lots of yellows in both states.
The jig work I was doing was for gold, which is present in that part of the Big Lost, but in small quantities, and very fine flour in character.
Jim

 

[russau]

I was doing some experimentation with the jig, yesterday. I went out to the Big Lost, which was bone-dry. I hauled 200 gallons of water with me, so that wasn't a problem. I backed the truck up as close to the river?, as I could get. After doing the jig work (videos later), I was sitting in the truck waiting for dark, so I could do some UV light prospecting in the river. I looked up, about 5:00PM, and right in the two-track a rattlesnake is crawling across the road. I got some decent video, but after he went under a sagebrush and coiled-up, I took this pic. The snake was about 3' long...just a typical rattler for our area. It's probably either a Great Basin, or Prairie rattler. After about 20 minutes he uncoiled and went on up the hill. Never did rattle much.
View attachment 1051614

pan fried or put over a campfire with some garlic butter sounds nice!

 

[DizzyDigger]

pan fried or put over a campfire with some garlic butter sounds nice!

Last time I fried up a rattler it was so nasty that my buddy's dog even spit it out..

Jim, unfortunately your camera focused on the bright shrubs in front of the snake,
but I was able to pull it out a bit..

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Yeah...it's almost impossible to get that focus inside a hole like that. Especially from 8' away using the zoom....LOL. Hard to watch the viewfinder and the snake at the same time. Thanks. I've got some video on it, too. Haven't had time to put it up on my YouTube channel.
Jim

 

[stefen]

Have had rattler twice and it tastes like snake...

Both times prepared by a trail chef...

 

[Aufisher]

 

[BurntBear]

"Off with their heads!!!"

 

[Jim in Idaho]

"Off with their heads!!!"

Naaah....you can't kill them all, and if that's the case, no sense killing any. I DO kill them if I have kids or pets with me, but I know enough not to take pets when the temps are nearly perfect for snakes to be out and about.....like the month of September around here. Most of the summer the snakes are not out during the hot part of the day. Not so in Sept., and early Oct. You can run into one any time.
Jim

 

[Aufisher]

Bingo! If they are in the garage getting cozy with your slippers is one thing. Observing their beauty in nature is another!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Folks need to remember that rattlers are a serious predator when
it comes to holding down rodent populations. Mice, rats, etc. carry
fleas and ticks with some rather nasty diseases to spread, and a
couple hungry rattlers can put the hurt on 'em.

Very few reasons to ever kill a rattler..maybe if it's in your camp and
can't be relocated safely, or you have small children or pets about.
Otherwise just get a long stick to pick 'em up and move them away
from your area.

If out in the field you can easily walk around them, or if he's dead
square in the middle of a trail get a long stick and encourage it
to go elsewhere while you pass. In my experience the only reason
a rattler would strike a human is if you step on it, or get too close
and it feels it has no way to escape. It's a lot more afraid of you than
you are of it.

Be smart: Wear snake gators in snake country, keep your eyes and
ears open and everyone gets along just fine.

 

[jrf30]

"you're going to need a bigger gun."

View attachment 1052923

To change the phrase a little from Jaws, "you're going to need a bigger gun".

 

[BurntBear]

Ew...

 

[fowledup]

To change the phrase a little from Jaws, "you're going to need a bigger gun".

View attachment 1060378

I pretty much leave things be, but if that were anywhere within......oh let's say 10 miles of my house, I'd be setting a charge on that culvert! Burnt bears right-Ew!