Rattlesnakes

[Clay M]

Went to the barn to feed my kids thirty year old pony and noticed the pony didn't want to go in the stall to get sweet feed.
I walk into the stall and there was a Rattlesnake curled up ready to strike.
I was standing about three or four feet away.
I backed out and went in the house and got my dads old Fox .410 shotgun and came back and dispatched it.
It had eight rattles.
It was a cane break rattler. Almost ruined a good day.
I thank God for looking out for me.

I normally don't killed snakes in the woods ,because the eat a lot of rats.

Around the house or barn is different.

Watch your step this time of year. Especially around old barns.

[buckwheatpaul]

Snakes are such a common issue with us ... we dispatch water moccasins, copperheads, and rattlesnakes....the green people like to say that they eat mice and rats.....They eat about one a month......our cat does that a day......Glad it didnt get ya!

[Petrol & Powder]

We're not running out snakes. I leave the non-poisonous ones alone but the poisonous ones anywhere near people get killed.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Whew! That was a close one. Interesting, isn't it, how animals like your pony have the instinct to stay away from them. There aren't any poisonous snakes around where I live now, or at least they are extremely uncommon; but when I was a teenager I was in the unexpectedly close proximity of them more than I care to remember, and killed a number of large specimens. It made such an impression on me that to this day, some 50 years later, I still look about very carefully when I walk about. Just second nature. Glad you "dodged the bullet."

[Clay M]

I always wear snake boots when walking in the woods this time of year.
I am more worried about ticks than I am snakes.
Most snakes will leave you alone ,if you don't accidentally step on them.

[tygar]

If they're of the poison persuasion, kill em all, kill em now!

[Blackwater]

Clay, here in SE Ga., we're used to them if we grew up in the country. I've nearly been bit at least 2 times. Mom stepped down our back porch steps to hang out a wash many years ago, and stepped right over a big canebreak of nearly 6' long that was laid out along the bottom step. It didn't bite her, but of course could have. I've had several close calls. My wife was miffed with me one hot summer day and said she was going out to feed the birds and check they had water in our little "nature trail" (as she calls it) back yard. She'd taken up the little shallow container she'd been putting water in for the birds and rabbits and squirrels to drink from, and was squatted down right by it, and suddenly, some of the scenery that had been laying right by that pan raised its ugly head and began singing its rattles! For about 5 minutes, she'd been playing right there where a 5' canebrake rattler had been laying. I guess it finally got perturbed? I'd told her to watch out for snakes because of the way she had things arranged, and she haughtily said, "I know all about snakes!" and with a twitch of her hips, she was out the door with her noise in the air. In 5 minutes, she came back in with tears in her eyes, flowing freely, and said, "Dennis, will you come out here. A rattlesnake almost bit me!" Naturally, I was out in a flash and checked her to make sure she hadn't been bit. It scared her so badly I couldn't be sure she hadn't been bitten until I checked her out thoroughly. She didn't have another uppidy word to say to me for quite a while after that one!

I killed 4 rattlers last year with my little pocket .380. All head shots. Nothing works like a .45 though. I like to make sure I empty the poison sacs in their heads when I kill one.

I no longer kill them when I'm out in the wild - in THEIR "house" - but if there are old people or indications of children, like swing sets, etc., I'll kill them. We've got a good crop of canebrakes here. They were getting rare but seem to be coming back again. Most animal populations ebb and flow. In my little area, the "big woods" have been chopped up and people have built just about everywhere now, and there ARE no "big woods" left any more, except for some really deep marshy swamplands. The 'skeeters keep folks away from that kind of land, I think?

The first rattler I ever saw, I was 7 and had just moved back home to Ga. Dad and Uncle Lehman went to the river, and at the last turn on the dirt road to the landing, there was a huge stop sign (probably to get the drunks' attention that tended to go to the river to do their drinking) and a huge diamondback on it. Someone had tied a loop of wire near its tail and hung it over the top of the stop sign. Dad was 5'9.5" tall, and the sign was a good foot over his head, with 8-9" of the snake's tail hangin down in excess, and a good 9-10" of its head and neck laying on the ground. Every time I hear that there's never been a 7 foot rattler, I just kind'a smile. No need to argue with closed minds. Any snake big enough to make Dad and Uncle Lehman stop, get out, and sit and linger looking at a dead snake, was one HUGE one!

And then there was the time that my brother and I found a big rattler (near 6') behind the old hay barn. We called to Mom, Dad, uncle Lehman and Aunt Myrtle, and Uncle Lehman got the hoe out from under the house and brought it with him to kill it with. Meanwhile, my brother and I (mostly me) kept throwing things at the snake trying to keep it out of the big, tall weeds where it might have gotten away. We just barely kept it there when the "rescue crew" got there. It kind'a perterbed me they'd dawdled along, still gossiping, while I was so excited and was working so hard to keep that darn snake from getting away! But Uncle Lehman asked Dad if he wanted the hoe to do the honors with. Dad demured, and so Uncle Lehman closed in cagily for the kill. He was no big lover of snakes, to say the least, but he wasn't truly scared of the devil himself. So he tried to position the snake right for a good, quick, beheading with that sharpened hoe, poling at it and getting it to back into a better position. Then, when he judged things to be "right," he raised that hoe high over head, and then, with his unique split handed grip that he always used on a hoe, he brought it down. That old snake was hot with all the provocations, and the blow missed its head and the whole body of the snake! Uncle Lehman cussed, and drew the hoe up again, high over his head, but just as it started to move, the snake struck at it, and somehow, got its head and neck stuck securely in the little crook between the hoe's blade and handle, and as Uncle Lehman brought it up, up came the snake with it, until it got just about straight up, and then the snake's head came loose, just in time to make it go flying over Aunt Myrtle's left shoulder!!!!

Now boys, if you've ever heard what it sounds like when a fox gets in a big hen house, you have a pretty good bead of what Aunt Myrtle sounded like! She was deathly afraid of snakes, and especially rattlers, and a snake coming that close to her would have made her swoon, had she not been to afraid to let it do that to her lest she get bit! They ate supper with us that night, and still, Aunt Myrtle was swearing Uncle Lehman had MEANT to throw that snake ON her! He was always red-faced, and the redness nearly shone like a new star or moon in the sky that night! When they left, she was STILL on him about that snake. I think I heard him say, as they drove off home, "If you don't quit all this, I WILL get one and throw on you." There was a lull, but I believe I thought I heard her further down the road start up again. I suspect neither of them slept well that night.

Snakes aren't nearly as deadly as what they can sometimes make people do to each other! But they STILL kill folks every year, mostly those who try to catch or harass them. They're not toys and CAN kill you, and almost certainly WILL cause you great pain and debilitation for years after getting bit. Arthritis of a severe king are pretty typical. Don't play with 'em, and if you're in their house, let 'em be. They have their place and function out there. If they're close to living quarters of humans, especially if there are signs of kids around, kill them, trying to make sure you empty those poison sacs at the rear of the head where those big bulging jaws seem to have SOMETHING inside (it's those poison sacs). Even a dead snake CAN bite, and still inject poison through the fangs. I've seen it many, many times. When you THINK they're dead, they're STILL very much NOT SAFE, and most especially, don't pick them up! There's no percentages in playing with it. Only very, very dire consequences likely as not.

[Clay M]

Walked out on my back porch a few weeks ago and there was a beautiful Red, Black, and Yellow King snake.
When my son was young he would have wanted to catch it and put it in a terrarium .

When I was young I was afraid of snakes and killed them all.

I have respect for poisonous snakes, and probably fear the cottonmouth most of all.They are about the only aggressive snake I have seen.
They will indeed come after you.

I have found the Copperhead to be the most camouflaged in the fall of the year.

I have almost stepped on them when bow hunting.



Most snakes here are harmless, so I leave them alone.

I still hear people say the only good snake is a dead snake.

I have actually stopped and moved some snakes out of the road, knowing someone would kill them.

[wv109323]

There was a 4 footer crawling through my yard several years ago. I was going to cut it's head off and save the skin. I took a swing with a hoe and missed. Of course it coiled up and started singing with his rattlers. That sound magically reduced the length of the hoe handle by a least 3 feet. I stepped around the corner into the garage where my target pistols were. I loaded up a Pardini SP .22lr and shot the snake. How many people know of a rattler dispatched with a Pardini

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

There is a young girl buried about one-half mile south of the house I grew up in. An older man less than one-half mile north of the house. My mom killed an average of at least one rattlesnake in the yard with her garden hoe each summer. Rattlers were the only ones we killed. Still kill them. About a month ago my brother killed one, that without the head, was as long as the handle on the long-handled shovel he used for the deed. There is a place for all of God's creatures. In the farmyard is not one of them.

[OS OK]

Out here some people have a dog training school for rattle snakes, they use live rattlers to teach dogs to avoid them. They put a shock collar on the dog and march him up on the rattler, if the dog is inquisitive they give him a big shock on the collar and turn around and bring him back over and over until he gets the idea that smelly rattler and the sound of that rattler mean trouble for him.
<<<Bubbie here went last year after he found a rattler under my truck. Luckily he passed the school with flying colors and I was very thankful that he already knew to be wary. When I killed the one he found I tried to scare him with it and was hoping that when I would growl and jump back from it that he would get the point...he wouldn't get anywhere near the dead snake...thank God above for that.
We have Rosy Boas here that prey on rattlers, they're welcome here but rattlers ain't.

[MaryB]

Rare to run into a rattler in my part of Minnesota but they do exist down in the rocks along the river. I went down to one of my easy access catfish holes that consists of a large rock that creates a whirlpool behind it the big catfish lay up in to wait for whatever ever the river sweeps in. I walk out there stepping up the broken rock that makes the ledge. Got to the top and danged if there wasn't a rattler laying out there sunning. I was 10 feet away and he was telling me this was his rock so I backed off and left. I put up a warning note on the trail sign that there is a rattlesnake so be cautious. Reported it to the DNR because the are rare in this area.

The bull snake in my backyard tried to pay rattlesnake today. I got to close to the den he has in an old stump and he started in on the tail vibrating thing... I laughed at him and kept on picking berries. He has been back there for 6 years+ now and we know each other.I have actually picked him up and moved him off my deck where he was sunning because 2 guests were freaking out. They refused to believe me he was not poisonous and he will not bite unless you really antagonize him. He had just eaten and was sleeping in the sun... I put some gloves on and my welding jacket I use for smelting and picked him up. He kind of made a halfhearted bite attempt then I put him back by his den.

[Hardcast416taylor]

An old friend of mine had a brother that lived in Gainesville, Fl quite a few years back. He had bought a house in a new development that had been wet lands. About 8 months after he had bought a new home he went for a walk to look at other new homes being built. As he walked by a very nice new home complete with sod lawn and a 2 car garage he saw the owner hitting `whiffle` golf balls out in the yard. The man suddenly let out a yelp and grabbed his `Big Bertha` driver from his golf bag. With 1 power stroke he swung the club at a spot on the sod. A snakes head came sailing out into the road where my buddys brother was standing. They scooped the head into a pail then hung the rattler by its rattles up in the garage up at the rafter line extending down to the garage floor. The body stretched to the floor and then for about another foot farther. They called the snake removal people in the area to come out for the head and supposedly the body. They said that was the largest rattler seen in years for the area. Probably the new subdivision got their population upset. The homeowner had the body skinned and tanned for an unusual wall mount for his `man cave`.Robert

[marlin39a]

I run into diamondbacks quite often here. I hate snakes, but always give them "the road".

[DLCTEX]

My brother is a rural mail carrier and is averaging a rattler a day on his route. The diamondbacks don't come in our sandy land area but are abundant starting three miles south where the red dirt starts. Maybe they don't like den cave ins?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Here's something for someone to confirm or debunk. When I was a kid and we killed a rattler we would cut off it's head and bury it. That was because we had those wasps that like to eat meat, and the theory was that if they ate the rattler's head they would absorb the venom and then getting stung by a wasp was like getting bitten by a rattler. Or, for people allergic to stings it would be even worse. We left the body for a skunk, raccoon, buzzard, whatever happened by. Now don't call me a dummy......if I knew the truth of it I wouldn't have posted this! :smile:

[OS OK]

171253

[leeggen]

Rattlers in the yard "gotta go" b ut if in the woods that is their home not mine. Killed a 6 footer several yrs. back about 3 inches across, boy had been eatting good. Several copperheads over the years, hate them things. My son and I were cutting some cedars out and as he drung one out of the way he stepped right on the head of a 2ft rattle snake. He just stood there and looked at me like well now what. I pinned it down and he stepped off it, 15 minutes later he move a sappling and here was another one. We packed it in thil winter. On the way to the house I told him He might want to have a long talk with God and figure out what was n ot right in his life, he must have listend that was the last time he ran into rattlers.LOL
Cd

[TXGunNut]

Good post, Blackwater. SE rattlers get bigger than all the rest. I keep a shotgun and pistol around but my hoes and shovels have a nice edge.

[dualsport]

30 year old pony! Wow. Picture? That's something.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Eastern Diamondback, or Timber Rattlesnake. The guy holding it (not me) is 6'3". I believe this one was full grown.

http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad123/olejoeclark/Fishing/V%20and%20Snake_zpsy56dnfaz.jpg (http://s928.photobucket.com/user/olejoeclark/media/Fishing/V%20and%20Snake_zpsy56dnfaz.jpg.html)

[Clay M]

Eastern Diamondback, or Timber Rattlesnake. The guy holding it (not me) is 6'3". I believe this one was full grown.


http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad123/olejoeclark/Fishing/V%20and%20Snake_zpsy56dnfaz.jpg (http://s928.photobucket.com/user/olejoeclark/media/Fishing/V%20and%20Snake_zpsy56dnfaz.jpg.html)

Looks like our Canebreak rattlers.

[w5pv]

I kill all snakes the tiny green garders and all others,they kill my baby Blue Birds and House Wrens among other little chick birds.

[abunaitoo]

I've never see a real snake.

[starbits]

There are no native snakes in Hawaii and it is illegal to import them even as pets.

[Markbo]

I dont kill snakes. I even try to relocate snakes if found around living quarters. My deer lease partners arent so kind and I find their fear of snakes humourous. Ive been catching rattlesnakes since I was about 6 years old, growing up in El Paso. They are just another critter to me. Dangerous I know, but nothing to scream like a little girl over. ;)

[packnrat]

do to the drought, (year 5 now) all snakes are hiding here in Ca. have only seen two dead on the side of the rd.
was told many are keeping close to what water is in the rivers? even areas know for lots of rattlers, are void this year.
but yes if a viper it must die. all others get to live another day.


.

[randyrat]

I'm going on a 24 hour sabbatical (not really) today with a couple kids, hiking and camping tonight in the Blue Hills. I can handle knowing there are a few big creatures here, but dang am I glad snakes are far and few between around here. 75 F day time and 50 F tonight and no rain.

[leadman]

A few years back my wife and I were fishing out of our boat when a big diamondback tried to get in with us. I used the paddle to pick it up and toss it back about 10 times as we went around the boat. Started to get close to where my wife was sitting so turned the paddle on edge and killed it.
Last year on the Navajo Indian Res. fishing on the Black River with my son I almost stepped on a small rattler in some tall dry grass. I could not hear it rattling, my son did and pulled me back just in time. I now have hearing aids and hope I can hear them now. I also am going to buy snake chaps to wear.
I used to catch snakes in Michigan when young as most were not poisonous, but could still bite. Still have a scar on a finger from a water snake.
Here in Az. I don't mess with them.

[Clay M]

My son skins and cooks rattlesnakes,he also eats armadillos .
He has offered me both, but I passed.

[tygar]

Went to the barn to feed my kids thirty year old pony and noticed the pony didn't want to go in the stall to get sweet feed.
I walk into the stall and there was a Rattlesnake curled up ready to strike.
I was standing about three or four feet away.
I backed out and went in the house and got my dads old Fox .410 shotgun and came back and dispatched it.
It had eight rattles.
It was a cane break rattler. Almost ruined a good day.
I thank God for looking out for me.

I normally don't killed snakes in the woods ,because the eat a lot of rats.

Around the house or barn is different.

Watch your step this time of year. Especially around old barns.

Was out riding my old stud horse (he lived to 33) & he skidded to a stop, back arched, head pointed like a pointer dog. I'm looking where he's looking & see a nice big rattler & a little further away another even bigger one. Believe me, I always pay attention to my horse. Now the dogs, those dummies either want to eat them or play with them & get their dumazs bit, that or just walk right over them.