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A while back, we had a long thread about snakes, and whether or not to wear snake boots or gaiters. My opinion was/is, at times that might be appropriate, but if you live in snake country, unless you ALWAYS wear them, even when just stepping out your door, it's better just to be cautious and aware. I just got a strong reminder to do just that. This prairie rattler sounded off about two feet from my foot as I walked down my from steps. Typically, he never tried to strike, even after I relocated him by shovel to my driveway for a better portrait. It's the second one within a week on our property, and both were about the same size - this one scored 34".

It's that time of year. Ya'll be careful out there!

Since he was pretty precise on how long the snake was...I'm guessing it didn't end well for the snake.

Tell your mom they keep the mice away...

(For those that didn’t see it, they found a copperhead at work in the office next door this morning- coiled up in the corner of the room)

Ike- I’ve seen 2 timber Rattlers in my life and one of them bit me. Neither one rattled. Now they tell me Timber Rattlers are notorious for NOT rattling! Your odds of being bitten may be VERY low, but trust me....................you DON’T wanna be “that guy!” : (

I'll take a wild guess that that was directed at me. 6 deaths in the US per year - less than 1/3 the risk of dying from an attacking dog and 1/9th the risk of being struck by lightning. Stats don't lie. Fear of snakes is common. Risk of dying from one is minuscule.

Snakes aren't pests; they eat pests. But hey, if you want to kill everyone you find, I won't lose any sleep over it. But don't make what I pointed out (facts) to be something it isn't (patronizing) just because you are afraid of snakes.

Still have constant pain, swelling, numbness and intermittent shooting nerve pain- nothing like it was, but not near back to normal yet either! The docs said I should be “back to normal” in a year..................well, at this rate I am thinking closer to 2 now.

I am STILL paying off the nearly $7500 in OUT OF POCKET charges that my insurance did NOT cover. Of course, I am grateful that they DID pay the $219,000 for anti-venom, $286,000 for 9 day hospital stay and 55,000 for 2 medivac flights!

Now I’m trying to build up my sick leave after having to use all 6 weeks I had accumulated over the years. Also trying to max out my vacation days now(we can carry over 6 weeks from year to year) as a “backup” to my sick leave in case it’s needed again.

Then there is the consideration of what my family went thru. Driving me around to doctor visits, lab work and basically waiting on me hand and foot for 4+ weeks( Had to keep leg elevated in recliner or bed for over a month and did not drive for over 5 weeks).

So you see Ike, there are a LOT of consequences to deal with even if you DON’T die! And take my word for it, NONE of them are pleasant! : (

We also don't have bird feeders in the yard (except hummingbird feeders), because the spilled seed attracts rodents and they attract snakes.

"What happened after the portrait pic, that's what I want to know?!"

Snake - it's what's for dinner! Or, at least an appetizer. Actually, we have eaten them, but they're not that good, and even a big prairie snake doesn't have much meat anyway. I also have more skins over the years than I know what to do with. I still sometimes keep tails, though I don't know why. I'd rather they stay out of my yard so I don't have to kill them.

Right next to a hiking trail

Rick you better talk with your mom! Just cut off the head, drop in a trash bag and freeze till you can pick it up. Skin it, scrape out any meat and air dry. Perfect for backing a bow!

Copperheads are my favorite. Dark diamondbacks are second and timber rattlers third.

Timber Rattlers are protected in PA too. I won't go out looking for them, but rest assured if I ever cross paths with another one I will "do what I gotta do!"

stick n string, I'm not really sure how your come-back makes any sense since you're not going to back away OR kill it if you never know it's there? If you don't agree with me, you can state that and the reasons for it - I'm totally fine with having my views challenged.

This though... "Man, if i had 1/100 of the wisdom of some ppl that know everything, id be doin ok. To have it all figured out would be an absolute gift. "

...is just you being a jerk and it's not the first or second time you've said something similar so perhaps in the future you can be a bigger man and disagree respectfully or just ignore my posts, eh?

As far as rattlers go, we don't have them where I live and I'm fine with that. I did step right in between 2 of them while elk hunting in NM. I'd have never known but my hunting buddy alerted me. I poked at the one with a stick a bit out of curiosity and then went on my way. I figure maybe if I don't bother them they won't give me trouble in the future. That said, if I came across a big one where it was legal to kill them, I'd probably do so for the skin and rattle, and maybe a snack.

There are many options for removing them besides killing them. There are wardens and animal control that can come get them. There are sticks that are specifically made for grasping snakes safely and placed in a trash can and relocated easily. Hell, you can poke at them with a 10 foot stick and follow them right off your property. I don't leave rattlers on my property. My brother is an experienced reptile handler/breeder and he comes and gets them and relocates them. Killing them is not the only option.

There was a thread a few years ago where it was pointed out in Kansas that a local farmer had been shooting and dumping deer - deer he viewed as pests. It angered many people here on these boards for obvious reasons. Deer kill far far far more people every year through auto collisions than snakes in this country. Yet there's two things about it: Hunters appreciate deer and no one is afraid of a deer. That's the difference.

IDYLLWILDARCHER'S LINK Some people are just afraid of snakes. The risk is way overblown. See stats at link.

From: IdyllwildArcher 26-Jun-19 I've come in contact with rattlesnakes dozens of times. They have the rattle for a reason. You just back away slowly.

Sounds to me like you (think you) have all the answers, Ike. ;-)

Making me out to be some sort of elitist is a ridiculous straw man attack.

I have an opinion. And it’s contrary to yours. I think venomous snakes are worth conserving and I believe their wanton slaughter is based off of phobia and fear of snakes is widely documented. What is not widely documented, is people in the US dying from snake bites.

Sorry for your experience. 23 years in the medical field including education years and growing up in rattle snake country, I’ve never seen anyone have such a bad experience as you did. Doesn’t give me all the answers, but it gives me legitimate perspective.

ANd statistics are great, but when you are looking into the eyes of a pit viper that just sank it's fangs into your flesh, they don't mean much! ;-)

You say 20-25% of bites are dry. You wanna put 4 rounds in a 5 shot revolver, spin the chamber and then pull the trigger?! Basically that's what you are saying.

You act like getting bit is no big deal unless you die. I'm guessing you've never experienced the effects of snake venom. Feeling the excruciating pain of venom destroying your living tissue(even for a short time) might change your mind.

This thread and others like it are meant to be a warning. They are not meant to be alarmist or "overblown" as you say. You can post all the statistics you want, but I think folks that post here on Bowsite are much more likely to have a more serious outcome as opposed to the average person(someone that seldom ventures into the wilderness.) And we are probably more likely to be in an isolated area where help is further away, making rescue/treatment more prolonged.

I don;t think I have an un-natural fear of snakes- even after my ordeal. If I did, I would have never gone back into the woods 2 months after I got bit. I just take more precautions now. I won;t even think about going into the woods without my snake boots or gaiters now. And I have my Taurus Judge with 2 round of .410 shotshells. I'm not gonna go around "wontonly" shooting rattlesnakes, but if I come across one on a well used hiking trail or around my house, it's going to be eliminated. And I'm not gonna apoligize for that!

Guess I just take exception now to anyone that tries to minimize the danger/consequences of snakebites.

Obviously you can do as you please. I hope you never find out what snake venom can do to you. It just might change your perspective! ;-)

I'm just glad I was able to back away and not have to shoot it! One more step and I would have had to................................

We live in the Colorado northern front range foothills (north of Lyons). It's fairly remote with larger acreages (35 minimum), and privately maintained dirt roads. We have lots of snakes. Several dogs have been bitten over the years plus 3 people (2 were dry bites), that I know of.

About 25 years ago I also wandered into close proximity to a hybernaculum while bowhunting coyotes in late November on a neighbors property. It was a sunny morning and they were enjoying a late warming after denning up. As I came around a rock outcrop, rattling erupted all around me. When I related this to my neighbor, he wanted to know the location of the den to try to destroy it. Since it wasn't a threat to anyone, except maybe an occasional hunter, I wouldn't tell him. Back then his was the only house, with mine just starting to be built on what was previously an 1800 acre cattle ranch, surrounded by much more undeveloped land. We now have about a dozen full time residents , some with small children, several part time and a handful more under construction. Just like the wolf issue and many others, it's easy to be magnanimous and decide they should be left alone, if there's little chance they will be in YOUR back yard. Ike, especially is entertaining. According to his bio he's lives in Alaska. One of the reasons we so enjoy going up there for the summer is because there are no poisonous snakes to constantly watch out for. Our dogs can run without us worrying constantly about something we have very little control over.

I hate killing them, but calling CPW, or trying to relocate them ourselves, as often as we encounter them is ridiculous. They are safe as long as they stay out of the yard and frequently used trails.

I’m looking into getting one as a “service” animal! ;-)

King snakes do eat rattlers, although around here, the occasional king snakes I've encountered, are not very big.

NO,NO,NO! Just joking! : ) Thanks for the well wishes, and glad to hear some folks are re-thinking their SOP in snake country!

Both leanining on the edge of our foxhole right after sunset.

We were chatting in a low voice and heard a rattlin' sound.

Me wanting to mess with the city boy I say "man that sounds like a rattlesnake."

When it rattled again I realized it actually was. I told my buddy to come toward me and we crawled out, grabbed the NVG's and the damn thing was within a foot of where my buddy was.

Pulled the blank adapter off and looking through NVG's I moved closer, once he struck the flash supressor I jumped and it was lights out.

My buddy heard every sound the rest of that night.

Next morning my squad leader, a "snake eater" made breakfast.

Had the rattles for many years....