Westfield
Contributors to this thread:Massachusetts
From: Paul
06-Jul-17
Friend saw this crossing a rd in Westfield today
From: Jebediah
06-Jul-17
He's headed for that island in Quabin
From: spike78
06-Jul-17
Very cool. Lucky guy I have never seen one in MA.
From: Paul
06-Jul-17
My new son in law told me they have a few at my tom in Holyoke ?
From: spike78
07-Jul-17
Paul, yes we have a few dens around the state with one being on MT Tom. I guess you need a rocky habitat for those snakes and maybe its few and far between in MA causing the low numbers.
From: bigwoodsbucks22
07-Jul-17
There are a ton of rattlesnakes around Westfield. Those things terrified me when I was out there. Where the Mass Pike bridge goes over rt.20 there is a lot of them. Tekoa Mountain, Shatterack Mountain, etc. I was talking to someone that said several people got hospitalized when they were building that bridge because of rattlesnake bites.
From: Southpaw
14-Jul-17
That's crazy! I shot my first deer on tekoa mntn , never seen a rattler even scouting early before bow but also I have been to wyoming a few times and never saw a live rattlesnake only dead on hwy
From: spike78
14-Jul-17
Also saw a picture of a rattler at the reservoir in Holyoke. I want to see one.
From: Will
14-Jul-17
Spike - a flyfishing blog I follow from CT (CT Flyfisher, I think) had a great post about rattlers several weeks ago. He had pics he took at a spot in CT - with 4 different ones, all different color phases - very cool. There are several documented areas around the state, as others have noted. I've gotten the impression that there are other, non publicly acknowledged spots too though - rationale being to protect the snakes. Would have been awesome to see that one!
Given we have been the extreme northern edge of their range, one would think over the next 50 years or so, if global warming continues at it's current rate, that we may have many more, and VT/NH would be the northern range...
Really cool to see that pic!
Hopefully Tekoa will see this pic/thread... bet he's got lots of experience and maybe some cool encounters with these animals out there...
From: spike78
15-Jul-17
Will Now with my new dog it may be scary to walk these areas in search of rattlers. Today I took her to put a cam out and she ended up stepping right over a garter snake and never even saw it lol. I happened to accidentally step on it before I saw it.
From: Will
17-Jul-17
Wow Spike - surprised she didnt smell it. Good point though, if you are exploring, looking for a rattler or copperhead, better to leave the pup behind...
From: Ungie01201
27-Jul-17
quite a few in Mt. Washington and South Egremont too now I guess. I have never seen one, but have heard stories and have seen pics. They do have some set up w tracking devices in Mt. Washington.
From: xi
28-Jul-17
Ungie, please check your PM, Thank you !