Any snake problems hunting elk?
Elk
Was wondering if anyone has run into a few snakes while hunting elk?, if so what kind and how close?
Just little tiny grass snakes in the Flat Tops. Seen a Bull Snake once in elk country but it was spring and I was turkey hunting.
I saw 3 snakes in 13 days(first two weeks of Sept) in CO at 9000 ft. The first two were smaller non poisonous ones and the last one much bigger but I only saw it's tail so I'm not sure what it was. I saw them all around 3 or 4 feet from me.
I've run into a few in Wyoming and New Mexico. Most seemed pretty harmless although one sure enjoyed biting my boot when teased a bit. I have no idea what kind they were. Two guys I talked to this past year did step on rattlers when they were hunting. Neither of them got bit.
I sat on a log this past September and was surrounded by a mess of them that looked similar to the garter snakes we have here in MN, though they were a bit larger and more brown in color.
The only times I've seen rattlesnakes while hunting elk was in the Missouri Breaks and in the Highwood Mountains, both in Montana.
Once here in NM. Hunting lower elevation and walked right by a rattlesnake. It was really sandy brown in color and all coiled up in the sand. I teased it a little bit with the tip of my bow. Thats back when I shot a recurve and could reach out with it. I hate snakes! They scare the heck out of me! LOL
The Breaks here in MT have plenty of no shoulders. HUNT
The area I hunt in ID has a lot of rattle snakes. Hardly go a year without seeing at least one and have seen as many as five. Makes that last little stalk where you take your boots off just a little more exciting.
Run into rattlesnakes in Wyo area 7 near Laramie Peak, archery and rifle. Killed two in one day. Also pretty common in Arizona. Pretty interesting when you hear them buzzing in the dark. You just have to walk around them.
I too have seen many rattlers in the Missouri breaks. They dont bother me too much but that distictive sound definatly gets your attention. The worst is when you are at a fast paced walk back to camp after dark and you hear the sound at your feet. You would be amazed how one can do a 10 ft long jump in one step.
Once in sw NM probably around 7000ft. It was a large diamond back and my friend wouldn't let me kill it. He said that snake isn't hurting anything.
A couple of years ago while hunting elk in Eastern Montana I sat down to glass and heard a rattle. I looked down and no more than a foot away, the last six inches of the snake was going into a hole. I moved locations at warp speed. Hate those damn things. Moral of the story for me..... look before you sit down.
I see them all the time in New Mexico. Just walk around them and keep on hunting. No need to kill them in the forest. At camp, different story.
I run into rattlesnakes occasionally in AZ. I've never had what I would consider a close call.
There's an elk spot in N CO where I won't go because of them. Every time I went in there I almost stepped on one in tall grass or had them rattling on the other side of a log.
I'm not afraid of snakes. Like them actually, but don't want to risk a bite two miles back in, alone, with no cell service. Its a good elk spot, too..
I has crossing a clearing in CO that had a huge bull beefer. I was watching him and not watching where I was putting my feet. I came over a mound and there was a bare spot right where I was putting my foot at the moment. Everything was moving with snakes. By the time my foot hit the ground they were all in holes. They must have felt me coming long before I got there. The bull did not charge and the snakes did not bit so it was all good.
We see water snakes, garter snakes, bull snakes quite regularly and the occasional rattler during deer season but by the time elk opens where we hunt, it's too cold and they've all gone to den. Usually see them at about two or three paces but sometimes almost step on them.
At least where I hunt,in late August when the nights start to cool,snakes head to their dens and dens are few and far between.They may come out on a warm,sunny day but you'd have to usually stumble on to a den to see one.Occasionally a single rattler will use a ground squirrel hole as a den so it does pay to keep your eyes open when crossing meadows with squirrel holes and the temperature is 65 or above.I did run on to two rattlers in early Sept once but those are the only ones during elk season.I do occasionally run in to them in late May or early June,when hunting bears.
Not elk hunting, but I've run into a few rattlesnakes while antelope hunting.
Yes, I ran into prairie rattlers in ND on three separate occasions. I was within 3-5 yards of each one. I shot one with my bow.
Mike
Not while elk hunting. Encountered 3 rattlers while hunting antelope in NW Co.
Not while elk hunting. Encountered 3 rattlers while hunting antelope in NW Co.
Seen 2 rattlers in the last 2 years in unit 52 in NM. I saw none in the previous 6 years. The first one (about 14")I stepped right over wearing only socks, and my wife saw it and called it to my attention. Elevation was about 8000 ft. The second she almost stepped on as we walked out in the dark and it was a 3 footer.
Saw a rattler once in 30+ years at about 8,500' and thought what the heck is he doing that high? I see them all the time deer hunting lower in the 6,000' range but didn't think they got up that high.
I'm no snake fan...the only thing they are good for is in my pic above....
I hunt mostly lower elevation (8500ft), and the only snakes I've ever came across are water snakes sunning themselves on the road. If I were hunting an area that possibly had rattlers, I'd wear my snake chaps, like I do when I'm turkey hunting, and just watch where I sat down.
Never bumped into one (yet) in elk season. Seen lots in deer season, lower down and earlier in the year. Every single one couldn't away from me fast enough. Stepped over a couple - when that 'stick' moves you really do the funky chicken! Good eating but they have to be big to be worth the bone hassle.
We saw elk about 50 yds from this guy in N CO, he was the second one we saw that day. Maybe not far from Jaquomo's secret spot?!
Between my partner and I we have seen a dozen or more snakes in Co walking on the trail in to camp. The trail skirts a creek so I am guessing they are bull snakes or a water snake. As soon as they see us they take off.
I pulled this guy off the road late sept WY about 8,000ft I like Herps
snakes can sense fear and have been know to crawl miles to get at hunters . If u see one best defense is a cartwheel it will confuse the snake and it will retreat !!
Only when hunting in Washington DC!
I could use another set of skins if anyone wants to make a few bucks
We were chatting with some hunters new to the breaks area one time. They started talking about the rattlers and where pretty concerned. My partner looked at em and said, Ya them damn things. I hate that niose they make....it should be pretty quiet here around camp though because we just nip the rattles off 'em and turn 'em loose...got quite a coolection. Them boys were walking on pins and needles after that. We got quite a laugh out of it. We did let them know later on we were kiddn with em.
I call BS on you Louis ! If snakes could sense fear they would be ganged up around my house right now !
I spent a year in ND and Montana and never saw a rattler over 2 1/2 ft long, and pronghorn hunted in Wy and Montana, same story, but the ones we have in South Texas are huge. I'm talking 6/7 ft. I don't share space with them ! Glad we don't have many of them in East Texas.
That just isn't right! Good one though!
seen rattler's in wy. around Sheridan.
The only problem I have is getting it out of my pants when its cold out. Might be a stretch calling it a snake though....lol
North NM, about 3' away. But he had a bird well into in his mouth so he couldn't bite. He was very thin and really need to eat. I let him go.
I watched my Dad step on a Banded Rock Rattler in the Gila this past September. From what I could tell it looked like it tried to get him, but didn't succeed. That was a lucky miss since we were almost 8 miles into the wilderness. It was the first Banded Rock Rattler either of us had ever seen. My Dad didn't even know he had stepped on it until I called him back (he was hiking 10-20 yards ahead of me) to show him. I saw the commotion at his foot-fall, but didn't know exactly what it was until I got up to it. The snake's skin was torn a bit and the snake had a little kink in his side, but I think he probably healed up fairly well. We took a few pictures and then let the snake retreat into the rocks. Had I not seen it my Dad wouldn't have known it happened. It makes me wonder how many close calls I might have had over the years that I don't even know about?
Here's a picture of the Banded Rock Rattler my Dad stepped on. I believe it's considered to be an endangered (or at least threatened) species in New Mexico.
My problem is that I like to poke them with sticks to hear them rattle :)
Link,
I read your first post. It would have read better if it had said, "My ex friend was upset when I killed it!"
I have been working to improve my relationship with timber rattlers but not all the way there yet. Copperheads remain on the list of very bad critters.
RTH
'Snakes...why'd it have to be snakes?'
Stepped over a rock in Saguache County, Colorado and almost in the middle of this guy..
We kill one every year in Oregon where I hunt. They are usually on the road.
I don't know where this culvert picture is from but I don't want to go there.
That culvert is in Morgan county Colorado just west of wiggins along the railroad tracks. same picture is hanging in our local gun shop in fort Morgan as well as a few other businesses around Morgan county.
My two cents is I'm really glad they have rattles and use them. Can you imagine Australia where they have what, 7 out of 10 of the most toxic vipers/etc and none of them give a warning rattle? Bottom line is they don't want to waste venom on you, they can't eat you and it drains their supply for the things they want to eat. God made snakes to eat mice and rats and other vermin. A rattler in the wild is no enemy of mine.
That culvert is in Morgan county Colorado just west of wiggins along the railroad tracks. same picture is hanging in our local gun shop in fort Morgan as well as a few other businesses around Morgan county.
I'm just not a big fan of buzz worms.
It's fun to see the different color variations amongst rattlesnakes. The pacific diamondbacks around here have a greenish hue to them. The prairie rattlers in Montana that I've encountered are more brownish.
That Colorado rattler is beautiful.
Maybe a half dozen encounters over the years. Once stepped on the head of a rattler in colder weather. Never knew it till the guy behind me told me.
Twice I have been behind someone walking thru the sage when they put their foot down within a foot of a rattler over 3 feet long. In both cases the snake simply buzzed and moved under the brush without breaking it's coil. Neither guy thought it was nearly as amusing as I did.
Was struck in the pantleg by a rattler about 18" long. So small it never reached my leg.
I think snakes are fascinating, but I don't need one for a pet. williamtell brought up a great point, the rattlers usually let you know when they're getting antsy, that's not a luxury most of the world can enjoy!
There are lots of rattlers in elk country in Wyo and certain areas in Colo. Here in Colo I run into rattlers on a regular basis on the Front Range but have yet to run into a rattler in Western Colo. I'm sure the NW corner of Colo is similar to Wyo but I have yet to run into a rattler there. Most of the rattlers I've seen in Colo and Wyo are under the 8,000 elevation mark. Obviously they can go higher but I wouldn't worry about them much over 8,500'.
For those of you who like to "tease them with a stick or boot", DO NOT do that in southern AZ or NM as you may run into the Mojave rattler. Most dangerous venom, very aggressive snake, smaller than it's brothers (i.e harder to see any time of day), and most hospitals don't have the correct anti-venom as it requires a different type and significantly more if you make it to the hospital. I always thought the coral was the most deadly of the NA snakes until we were educated about this dude. Saw 3 of them in NM at base of Gila this last fall. Not cool and retreated to an alternative route each time. Stay alive and wear the chaps 100% of the time in NM!! Good luck
I was bowhunting elk in Colorado in 2013 and was trying to walk across some loose rockslide when I slipped and almost landed on top of a snake. It lunged at me a few times, don't know what kind it was, not very big though. I had a small game head on one of my arrows and got him with it. That was the only thing I killed on that hunt
I almost got hit twice on a Mid Oct deer hunt in Wyoming. My friend and I talked that morning about not ever seeing snakes in the area. Well right at day drake we see a harmless little garter snake. We both laughed. About an hour later as I was stepping down and a yellowish stick on the trail coiled up and struck the bottom on my boot. I never knew I could stop all my forward motion and jump backwards with one leg. We were shocked! About a three foot rattler on a steep north face. My friend took the rattles as a trophy. About 15 min later...I was stalking a deer and walking through the sage, again on a north slope, a rattler struck as I was walking. It ended up going between my legs as I was moving. That about ended our trip for the day. My friend got another rattler trophy. We had hunted this area for years and had never seen a snake. Crazy day. I have also almost stepped in a rattler while elk hunting in NM. Just a small little one. It buzzed and I walked around him.
I had one of my spookiest buzzless snake incidense this summer at work on the Front Range of Colo. I was working and noticed something moving close to my leg. It was a coiled up rattler WITHOUT any rattles! I leaped about 3' in the air and luckily got away without getting bitten. He had a knub on his tail but somehow lost the rattles! Has anyone else ever ran into a rattler without a rattle? Someone locally told me some of the rattlers in that area were starting to appear without rattles. There are a lot of houses around and I"m sure the rattlers that get heard by humans usually get killed.
Iv known people that would take the rattles and not kill the snake
We have black rattlers here in the high country. They are usually quite small, but have a nasty habit of waiting until you almost step on them before they rattle. They love to see me jump and scream like a girl!
Many of the Prairie Rattlers I've encountered in NM (usually at face-level while crawling through the dry grass stalking a pronghorn) do not rattle. Ranchers I've spoken with confirm that they often encounter prairie rattlers who have rattles, but choose not to vibrate them.
Luckily, at least one of the two Prairie Rattlers in the picture rattled. I killed both of those snakes with the shot I thought I was taking at the snake that rattled. My arrow hit him just behind the head and pinned him to the ground. When I went to pull it out, the other snake lunged at me and was pinned much farther down his body. I freaked! My Dad thought it was comical. My Dad used an arrow from his quiver to kill the second "unintentionally" shot snake. My Dad snapped this photo when I pulled my arrow.
As indicated by my previous post, I don't always kill rattlers when I encounter them. In this case though, we were hunting private land by gracious [free] permission and the LO had asked us to kill any rattlers we saw. Apparently, the growing population had been creating concerns on the ranch.
welka,
I once ran into a Mojave Rattler in the Florida's while ibex hunting. My Dad and I were crossing a very steep rock face. There was a wind-blown little "cave" about the size of a basketball. As my face neared it a Mojave Rattler buzzed. I nearly fell off that cliff to my death. We had to backtrack and select an entirely different route to avoid that thing. I have no idea how that snake got into the hole on the side of that super-steep, giant rock slope??? Anyway, most of my snake encounters seem to occur almost face to face so for me snake gaitors aren't worth wearing. LOL
No rattlesnakes spotted while elk hunting in NW Colorado but...
A number of years ago while hunting on the King Ranch in Texas the outfitter warned us that it had been warm and the rattlesnakes were out and around. One of the hunters said 'I should have wore my snake boots.' The outfitter responded 'they probably wouldn't have helped anyway because the snakes are so big around here they can bite you above the waist.' There were a few nervous laughs!
He said we could shoot rattlesnakes so when we stumbled upon a 6 1/2 footer I shot it with my bow. After I stopped shaking and the snake stopped wiggling I reached down to pick it up behind the head. Upon touching it the jaws flew open, fangs looked about 6-inches long and I set a new world record for the squatting back jump!
Grilled it the next day...tasted like rubbery chicken. :)
I've seen garter snakes in the 9000 to 10000 range in Colorado, no other species. Rattlers usually don't get to high up in elevation, it gets too cold for them.
I've seen lots of rattlers, but never above 7000' which is where I elk hunt. However, it's documented that they can live as high as 9,000 feet, but they must be pretty rare at that elevation. You probably have to be on a steep rocky south facing slope to find them above 7,000 I would guess.
I've seen baby ones that didn't have enough buttons on their rattles to make noise, and I also sprayed water on a large one once and his rattles quit making noise once wet even though he was shaking his tail. So if it is really wet out, beware since you might not hear anything until it's too late....
Eastern Washington state has the mountain rattles,and one less then they did ,he`s on my wall about 4'long and had 8 rattles
and really be aware of the baby one`s the cant control there venom output like an adult snake,so ive been told
MikeC
Two in less than 20 mins last year (2014) in NM, both rattlesnakes.
