Keeptrying
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My favorite deer area is full of em. Full.
Full of deer too.
Full of deer too.
Rattlesnakes while hunting
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
MO Betta
Well-known member
Think I'd take the Marcus approach, at least once.
HandgunHunter
Well-known member
Nothing like crawling on your belly to get set up for the shot and all of a sudden ones right there inches from your face........
you know they run if you scream loud enough....
you know they run if you scream loud enough....
RaiderRich
Well-known member
No pictures but when I moved to California from NY, I would go up fishing and people would be constantly warning me, look out for rattlesnakes, look out for mountain lions. I never saw one and remarked one day, "You know where I lived in NY has some of the highest concentrations of timber rattlesnakes in the US." I dealt with them in NY about once a year and have yet to see one out west. I don't kill snakes as they eat rodents and rodents freak me out way more than snakes. Just give them their space.
Going elk scouting this weekend, maybe I'll see one
Going elk scouting this weekend, maybe I'll see one
Wildabeest
Well-known member
Y’all are killing my irrational belief that there are no venomous snakes above some set altitude (whatever altitude I happened to be at!). I agree with snake karma in the wild, but when they are “city snakes”, I don’t have as much tolerance. Killed this baby copperhead on my front sidewalk in the middle of Raleigh, NC when I lived there. At the time, that county led the nation in copperhead bites.
Had another encounter with a much larger copperhead at a different house in the same county, but more rural area. That one was laying next to a 3 gallon planter that I grabbed ahold of. Could have easily bit me if he wanted, but didn’t. I relocated that one deeper into the woods vs killing it. That was the end of my “the only good snake is a dead snake” mindset. Now I pretty much leave them alone unless I think they are a danger to themselves or some other passerby, in which case I try to relocate them. Moved a western garter snake off a road earlier this week so it wouldn’t get run over.
Had another encounter with a much larger copperhead at a different house in the same county, but more rural area. That one was laying next to a 3 gallon planter that I grabbed ahold of. Could have easily bit me if he wanted, but didn’t. I relocated that one deeper into the woods vs killing it. That was the end of my “the only good snake is a dead snake” mindset. Now I pretty much leave them alone unless I think they are a danger to themselves or some other passerby, in which case I try to relocate them. Moved a western garter snake off a road earlier this week so it wouldn’t get run over.
LuketheDog
Well-known member
Central Wyoming a couple Octobers ago, was watching my dad stalk an antelope and felt something brush over the toe of my boot, after thinking about how odd the feeling was I looked down and found this guy coiled beneath the yucca at my feet. I believe I'm lucky it was a chilly morning!
LuketheDog
Well-known member
This was the highest one I've seen yet, he was at about 7500'. Later this day my buddy and I were walking through some tall grass and he stepped over a snake, it spooked him good but it was only a bull snake, so we had a good laugh about it. Started walking again and two steps later a rattler buzzed in between his feet and he turned inside out in midair trying to get out of the way...I had an even greater laugh about that one, but he didn't so much
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psycho
Well-known member
Ok, so its not a rattlesnake. Just a blow snake but fun getting pics of it. It was north of Vegas about 2 hours. When its about 70 degrees around Ely about 30 minutes before dark and also a bit after dark we see snakes on the road about every half mile around Cherry Creek. Il find a few of my rattlesnake photos.
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Western Traveler1
Well-known member
I like rattle snakes. I don’t like being surprised by them though. If hunting I leave them alone. I draw the line at my front door and yard. When I was younger I used to move them. Now my agreement with them is your territory I leave you alone. My territory it will be determined on a case by case basis.
Those are some great photos posted.
Those are some great photos posted.
dirtclod Az.
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psycho
Well-known member
First one was 2014 north of Ely while I was elk scouting.
2nd one in the window was in Wells area 2015 just exploring an abandon house and it was sitting in the window seal waiting for me.
3rd one was 2016 scouting for elk in Ely area. Kind of looks like a Mohave green but im not snake expert.
When I was in my 20s I used to kill them all when my dog took a bite to the mouth to save my hand from getting bit. Now I just leave them as long as they are not around camp or kids, etc.
2nd one in the window was in Wells area 2015 just exploring an abandon house and it was sitting in the window seal waiting for me.
3rd one was 2016 scouting for elk in Ely area. Kind of looks like a Mohave green but im not snake expert.
When I was in my 20s I used to kill them all when my dog took a bite to the mouth to save my hand from getting bit. Now I just leave them as long as they are not around camp or kids, etc.
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Western Traveler1
Well-known member
I agree but have you trained your bird dogs to leave them alone yet?Rattlers are natural pest control,please leave them be.
I only take 4ft. or longer snakes for thier skin and meat.
Gopher snakes will bluff with a hiss and wiggle thier tail.
Scares the Cr/ap out of you,but not lethal..
Live and let live...View attachment 141163View attachment 141164
dcopas78
Well-known member
No pics but my nephew nearly stepped on a Mojave rattler in January during our Arizona hunt. I think he was too scared to remember his cell phone, as I would have been. My only encounter with a rattler happened while I was mushroom hunting many years ago in southern Ohio. Just got through picking a morel at the end of a big hollow log when I heard it rattle from inside. I got downhill from the log and looked up through it and saw him laying about a foot from the opening.....a foot from where my hand had just been. I'm lucky it was a chilly morning is all I can say. I called my dad up the hill and he came out the end and crawled down underneath the log into what I assume was his den. Nice big ole dark timber rattler. Nearly coal black and about as big around as a pop can. Made me a lot more aware of where I was putting my hands!
3855WIN
Well-known member
Killing rattlers is illegal in many states.
I was walking to a bow stand before daylight one hot Mississippi October morning. The stand covered a road crossing. This old road had been there for years and had worn down deep into the ground so that there were high banks on either side. A bit like a canyon. I decided to climb the bank before the crossing to avoid leaving my scent where the deer would come. I shined my light on the bank, and there was a rattler at shoulder height where I was about to climb up.
Our old deer biologist saw a giant cottonmouth crossing the road one day. He’s good friends with the snake man who does talks with snakes, etc and knew the snake man wanted a big cottonmouth. You guessed it. He got bit picking it up. Went right to the hospital. Said he’d never felt pain like that before. Took a few days to clear up.
I was walking to a bow stand before daylight one hot Mississippi October morning. The stand covered a road crossing. This old road had been there for years and had worn down deep into the ground so that there were high banks on either side. A bit like a canyon. I decided to climb the bank before the crossing to avoid leaving my scent where the deer would come. I shined my light on the bank, and there was a rattler at shoulder height where I was about to climb up.
Our old deer biologist saw a giant cottonmouth crossing the road one day. He’s good friends with the snake man who does talks with snakes, etc and knew the snake man wanted a big cottonmouth. You guessed it. He got bit picking it up. Went right to the hospital. Said he’d never felt pain like that before. Took a few days to clear up.
Howie
Well-known member
At home in North Central PA. We have a few extremely snakey timber rattler areas and working for Forestry I've met my share (this was the prettiest yellow phase I've seen). But as a avid archery hunter I've never seen one in October.
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Deleted member 28227
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My anxiety is totally fine after this thread
R
rwc101
Guest
Weirdly, I haven't run into one since moving west. My only encounters with them have been in Virginia and North Carolina. Had a real nice fly fishing spot where you could toss a rock at a cluster of boulders and get a real nice humming sound.
I don't stick around for pictures though my reaction to seeing even a harmless black snake has been recorded.
I don't stick around for pictures though my reaction to seeing even a harmless black snake has been recorded.
seeth07
Well-known member
Snakes have legs?
Chad Gus
Well-known member
South Dakota couple years ago, while bowhunting 
BAKPAKR
Well-known member
I have only seen one rattlesnake in West Virginia, but I have run into them on a few trips in or near the Frank Church Wilderness. I impressed one of my friends with my ability to pogo stick bounce on one leg while wearing a heavy pack when I saw that my other foot was about to come down on one. I used my trekking pole as a probe the rest of the way down the mountain and ran in to one more.
Last fall, while going through some pretty thick stuff, I about stepped on the slightly bigger than night crawler sized baby in the photo below. Although I was not too worried about this one, my senses were on high alert for the parents until I got back to the trail.
I leave them alone in the woods.
Last fall, while going through some pretty thick stuff, I about stepped on the slightly bigger than night crawler sized baby in the photo below. Although I was not too worried about this one, my senses were on high alert for the parents until I got back to the trail.
I leave them alone in the woods.
