Using headphones, what about rattle snakes?

T

Twisted One

Sr. Member
Apr 18, 2011
480
9
Redding, CA
Detector(s) used
MXT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Went on my first real hunt with my metal detector a couple weeks ago. We ended up in an abandoned mine area which is on BLM land. While running my detector through the bushes and around the large piles of rocks, I started thinking about rattle snakes.

I know it isn't a big rattle snake time of year here, but the weather had been rather unseasonably warm that week. Needless to say once that idea popped into my mind I took my headphones off for the rest of the day.

I never really thought about it, but I assume wearing headphones in this type of environment is probably just a bad idea? Anyone have any thoughts?
 

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Just sharpen the edges of your coil, and give him a whack! Thats a good reason to keep the coil in front of you.

Has anyone actually been bitten by a rattler or any other snake while detecting? Maybe more interesting story, than about the find. I usually only think about snakes when I'm home, but in the field, only thinking about treasure.
 

At different times I've come across three rattle snakes while detecting in Nevada. In those days I didn't have any headphones, so I heard two of them first, before I saw them. They take on the color of the background, one snake was quite black in among some very dark basalt rock, the other was very tan, on a tan covered sagebrush flat. They moved away from the coil, sounding off as they moved. I'm now deaf enough I probably wouldn't hear the snake anyhow, and I use good quality phones so I can hear the target. My experience was two times was the coil moved the snake and it ran from me. The third one was a cool morning, and it was coiled up tight in a depression it had wormed around and hollowed out, the same color as the tan soil. Because I was watching the ground where I was swinging, I saw the snake. I had a video camera with me at the time, and I wanted to get a recording of it rattling, and the darn thing didn't want to leave it's hole, or even rattle. So I had the camera going, and the bloody thing wouldn't rattle even when stirred up with a piece of wire I had. Finally poked it enough that it ran to a sage bush, and wound around in it, still not rattling. So I poked it some more, and finally got it to rattle, but the video didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I'm not above killing a snake, but all three of those got away, and I left the area. My experience is if you run into a rattle snake, there are more. I set out to kill the one in the bush, so I put the camera in the back in the truck and got a gun, but the snake was gone when I got back. Then I started seeing those depressions everywhere I looked, no snakes in them, but lots of depressions, got worried about stepping on a coiled up snake and beat feet out of that place also. These snakes were all in different locations at different times, miles apart. A fourth snake was a big fella. There was a pioneer grave of a little girl buried on the desert just across the fence of a ranch I worked for. Her parents loved her enough that they built a rock wall and had a nice headstone. No remains of a house or anything else in the area, just this lonely grave on the desert. I quit that job, and it was years later that I went back by that location. Someone had dug up the grave, and stolen the head stone. In amongst the stone wreckage was a huge rattlesnake, and I left that one live on purpose. My hope is the child died of some disease that was still in the grave, and who ever dug it up got sick, and maybe the next person that wanted to desacrate it would get snake bit.
 

Twisted One said:
Went on my first real hunt with my metal detector a couple weeks ago. We ended up in an abandoned mine area which is on BLM land. While running my detector through the bushes and around the large piles of rocks, I started thinking about rattle snakes.

I know it isn't a big rattle snake time of year here, but the weather had been rather unseasonably warm that week. Needless to say once that idea popped into my mind I took my headphones off for the rest of the day.

I never really thought about it, but I assume wearing headphones in this type of environment is probably just a bad idea? Anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I've been struck twice while nuggetshooting out past Stanton, in Arizona. The snake never rattled both times. I wear snake guards on my legs and baggy jeans, and niether snake actually bit through, which is good, because they were both Green Mojave rattlers. Nasty little suckers! So, stop worrying about the headphones, and keep your EYES open! :headbang:
 

Hit the ground and/or vegetation often with the coil while swinging. Most snakes will want to depart. LOOK very good while in and near east-facing rocks and bluffs during the spring ... March and April. Otherwise, encounters are rare. You probaby missed sighting 10/15 for every one you see. Tall boots are good... also, as Terry S said.... snake proof chaps are good insurance. TTC
 

I was hunting a cache in the Elk forrest area of PA. Walking on the side of a trail. Something caught my eye to the right. There was a coiled large rattler about 4' from me rattling away. I froze and thought a minute, a rattler has the average striking distance of 3'. I slowly moved away and he didn't strike so I didn't shoot him. I carry a Texas Defender when detecting alone in deserted areas. One barrel has a snake load, the other a slug, It is a .45colt long/ .410 gun. I bought a pair of Rocky snake proof boots the next week from Bass Pro Shop. Frank

Terry, I worked the GPAA claim from Stanton up to that ranch back there and only saw horny toads and fire ants, maybe I was lucky! Frank
 

I am more worried about ticks and chiggers than I am snakes. We have copper heads and water moccasins here to worry about though, not to mention mountain lions, boar, feral pigs, wild dogs, coyotes and the occasional bear. Yep... always go out armed when I fish, plan on doing the same when I detect some key areas that interest me outside of town.
 

Frankn said:
I was hunting a cache in the Elk forrest area of PA. Walking on the side of a trail. Something caught my eye to the right. There was a coiled large rattler about 4' from me rattling away. I froze and thought a minute, a rattler has the average striking distance of 3'. I slowly moved away and he didn't strike so I didn't shoot him. I carry a Texas Defender when detecting alone in deserted areas. One barrel has a snake load, the other a slug, It is a .45colt long/ .410 gun. I bought a pair of Rocky snake proof boots the next week from Bass Pro Shop. Frank

Terry, I worked the GPAA claim from Stanton up to that ranch back there and only saw horny toads and fire ants, maybe I was lucky! Frank
Click to expand...

Here is one on Old Stage Coach Road, just last year.
 

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A good pair of chaps or snake proof boots,or if your in the middle of nowhere take the headphones off. :thumbsup:
 

When I lived in Arkansas, I got that musty snake smell permanently ingrained in my head, if I smell it, I know I am in real close proximity to a snake or den. Works good for Rattlers, but damn copperheads are the ones I hate, you can't see a little one and I got hit by tiny one and did not know it until I got real sick
 

Terry, that road looks a lot better than the road into Stanton a few years ago when I was there. It looked like someone had laid down logs across the road and tried to cover them with dirt, but that is probably fixed by now. Maybe they were up on Rich hill. Frank
 

Frankn said:
I was hunting a cache in the Elk forrest area of PA. Walking on the side of a trail. Something caught my eye to the right. There was a coiled large rattler about 4' from me rattling away. I froze and thought a minute, a rattler has the average striking distance of 3'. I slowly moved away and he didn't strike so I didn't shoot him. I carry a Texas Defender when detecting alone in deserted areas. One barrel has a snake load, the other a slug, It is a .45colt long/ .410 gun. I bought a pair of Rocky snake proof boots the next week from Bass Pro Shop. Frank

Terry, I worked the GPAA claim from Stanton up to that ranch back there and only saw horny toads and fire ants, maybe I was lucky! Frank
Click to expand...
May I respond, though you may be aiming at Soloman? You got that right! My brother, TimC, collected 5 last year alone, and had several others from the Stanton area given to him. He just sent off the skins to WI. Most strikes will only be lower on the leg than 10 inches. Good tall boots a MUST in these parts! Of course, look carfully before bending low enough to dig. TTC
 

Thanks for all of the input everyone. I thought I might be being paranoid. I grew up deer hunting in this area, and bears, mountain lions, etc... are all a threat here to some level, but for some reason Rattle snakes are the only ones to set me on edge.

Ran into bear, ran into mountain lions, coyote, even a feral pig while hunting, but with my hunting rifle or bow in hand it didn't feel like being in danger, and all of those cases the animal wandered, or run off. Rattle snakes, I've only ran into on my aunts land when we were paid to take care of them because one of her dogs got bit.
When you are intentionally looking for them, and shooting them it's one thing, but when you are out hunting gold or relics, and not thinking about rattle snakes it could end up bad.

Now I will keep my eye out, and my headphones off for now. I have some good boots, but they are not tall enough, so I guess I will invest in some guards. Might help me when dealing with burs too :)
 

When I lived out in the country south of Prescott, I would encounter rattlesnakes fairly often. Your run of the mill diamondback will usually rattle and try to leave the area.

A Mojave Green will actually go after you... :icon_pale: I really, really hate snakes... :angry5:

This is what I made for hiking in snake country, and I have actually killed a snake with it down by New River, AZ...

dscn1667.jpg
 

Frankn said:
I was hunting a cache in the Elk forrest area of PA. Walking on the side of a trail. Something caught my eye to the right. There was a coiled large rattler about 4' from me rattling away. I froze and thought a minute, a rattler has the average striking distance of 3'. I slowly moved away and he didn't strike so I didn't shoot him. I carry a Texas Defender when detecting alone in deserted areas. One barrel has a snake load, the other a slug, It is a .45colt long/ .410 gun. I bought a pair of Rocky snake proof boots the next week from Bass Pro Shop. Frank

Terry, I worked the GPAA claim from Stanton up to that ranch back there and only saw horny toads and fire ants, maybe I was lucky! Frank
Click to expand...
I've run into snakes while i md and when i fly fish, Water snakes i let live, poisinus snakes die. I use an old 38. cal revolver
with snake loads.
 

Twisted, If you are planning on gaurds, just buy the full length chaps. Snake-proof, including cacti proof on entire leg. Good for those "pushing through brush" areas. Bass Pro has regular and husky for about $60. I have a pair but admittedly, don't wear them regularly. TTC
 

idowa said:
When I lived out in the country south of Prescott, I would encounter rattlesnakes fairly often. Your run of the mill diamondback will usually rattle and try to leave the area.

A Mojave Green will actually go after you... :icon_pale: I really, really hate snakes... :angry5:

This is what I made for hiking in snake country, and I have actually killed a snake with it down by New River, AZ...

dscn1667.jpg
Click to expand...

That's a nice thunderstick! Here's my snake hammer. You can see the C&C Snakeshot and the plus p..
 

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Had to chuckle when Terry brought up snakes around Stanton. On my second trip to the GPAA claim there our group of three
decided to cross a dry creek and waded through dense brush on the way down the slope. I swear I was moving quickly after
hearing a buzz. I was more worried about big cats after guys from the Angel Ranch told us the number of horses lost to them.
 

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