Rattle snake tips.

Ikeepitcold · Mar 6, 2014

Stay in your pick up and road hunt! Oh and don't get bit on the butt! No one will suck out the poison!

Ikeepitcold · Mar 6, 2014

Around here I've seen most of the rattlesnakes in the shade by boulders. Mostly where there is a high population of rabbits. I've only seen a few and not enough for me to be overly concerned with them. I've seen some snakes by springs when antelope hunting and sitting in a blind. So I would always check your blind before you climb In.

Great thread MM!

packmule · Mar 6, 2014

Areas that attract small rodents/birds for them to eat.

Best way to avoid them is to look for them.

Easiest exit strategy is to kill the threat.

All snakes in the darkness are rattleheadcoralmoccasins and should be treated as such.

Wear snake boots and don't get bit....don't reach blindly into brush to pick something up. For instance you drop a flashlight (flashlight/bject 1 put it in defense mode, hand/object 2 gets struck)

They won't always rattle. Have had a lot not rattle until they were dead.

Carry a snake bite kit, water & a sat phone if possible.

packmule · Mar 6, 2014

Ohhh...and just bc it's cold doesn't mean they'll be slow & won't bite you. Did a myth buster with that a few yrs ago with a shovel. Wouldn't strike a cold shovel put in front of it, but put in a fire for a few seconds and it popped it...despite being a lovely frosty 33 degrees

Cobbhunts · Mar 6, 2014

At least when I go to WY next fall I won't have to worry about rattle snakes. Thank goodness they don't have any.

At least that's what I am telling myself

I used to kind of be into snakes and they really don't bother me to be honest. Sure, I don't like walking right up on one and they do give me a startle when I do, but I keep my composure when I do come across them. I think the main thing is to leave them alone when you come upon one and watch where you step while on the move. I always look down the path that I plan to take several meters ahead. I seen a staggering stat one time about venomous snake bites. I can't remember the #'s, but a very high % involved Alc intoxication.

The problem I see with hunting the west is the locality of hospitals. Where I hunt in OH and KY the furthest hospital is probably 40 minutes tops. Where I plan to hunt in WY this fall it's probably 2 hours drive time. And that's if you are at your vehicle when bitten. I will absolutely be carryng a snake kit with me.

shootbrownelk · Mar 6, 2014

I've seen a few of those hybrid Rattleheadcoralmoccasins, the best defense is a pair of Nancy Sinatra style, mid-thigh height white leather "Go-Go" boots.

packmule · Mar 6, 2014

MM should get him a pair of those.

velvetfvr · Mar 6, 2014

Musket Man said:
Ill get right on that shootbrownelk! LOL. I have been around them enough that Im not really worried about them but I dont like them either. The main time I worry about them is when Im making a stalk or on the ground belly crawling.

Say you did get bit. How bad is it? How long do you have to get to a hospital? Are you just going to get sick, die, leg fall off? Are most snake bite kits the same? How much more time will you have to get to a hospital if you have and use a snake bite kit?

Depends on the snake and its bite. I know adult rattlers can hold their venom in or release very little. Like a warning bite. Babies can't and that's why they are the most dangerous. When they bite, it all flows out.

packmule · Mar 6, 2014

Musket Man said:
Say you did get bit. How bad is it? How long do you have to get to a hospital? Are you just going to get sick, die, leg fall off? Are most snake bite kits the same? How much more time will you have to get to a hospital if you have and use a snake bite kit?

Sick, muscle rot, neuro system shutdown, loss of limbs, cardiac arrest, etc. Where the biologists did the research release on our lease, they installed an emergency landline and cleared a helipad. Been used twice, neither guys have died, one lost several fingers, the other had a lot of muscle loss in his thigh and spent a lot of time in PT relearning how to walk.

jims · Mar 6, 2014

When antelope hunting in New Mexico last fall, I got out of my truck, took two steps and spotted a prairie rattler about two more steps ahead of me in a clump of brush. I took it home with me because I wanted the skin. We were at elev 6500 and the rancher said they are almost too high in elev for rattlers. I sure kept my eyes open for them over the next couple of days, but saw no more. Rancher said the area around Roswell (approx elev 3500) has diamondbacks which are much larger than prairie rattlers. I don't think I want to cross paths with a diamondback.

Dearhunter3450 · Mar 6, 2014

MM great post and I will be reading often!

arwaterfowler · Mar 6, 2014

I did a little research, the link below explains the general opinion of most websites.

http://www.outdoored.com/community/risk_management/b/wildmed/archive/2012/07/04/treating-rattlesnake-bites-in-the-field.aspx

Hilltop · Mar 6, 2014

Wear boot and pay attention... I have encountered three while archery hunting in Wyoming. All were while antelope hunting in August but I have heard a few stories from September. Much of the southern end of Wyoming has them. I have hunted in texas as well and most of the locals had the same opinion. Pay attention and wear proper gear and you will never have an issue.

NDHunter · Mar 6, 2014

Anybody ever run into one when they were stalking an animal? My biggest fear would be crawling along, hear a rattle and be face to face with one.......

shootbrownelk · Mar 7, 2014

Musket Man said:
Ill get right on that shootbrownelk! LOL. I have been around them enough that Im not really worried about them but I dont like them either. The main time I worry about them is when Im making a stalk or on the ground belly crawling.

Say you did get bit. How bad is it? How long do you have to get to a hospital? Are you just going to get sick, die, leg fall off? Are most snake bite kits the same? How much more time will you have to get to a hospital if you have and use a snake bite kit?

Seriously, the only times I see any rattlesnakes is antelope hunting around water sources & rocky/brushy terrain in the early season.
And around irrigated field fencelines. Later in the season (Oct. Elk) they are heading to denning areas. I see them on the roads then.
I'm showing my age with that Nancy Sinatra line....

shootbrownelk · Mar 7, 2014

NDHunter said:
Anybody ever run into one when they were stalking an animal? My biggest fear would be crawling along, hear a rattle and be face to face with one.......

I was ONCE, crawling up a deep washout during a stalk on antelope with my hunting partner. I'm just about deaf, so my friend heard it, and pulled me back. If he hadn't been there, I'd have, more than likely, been bitten in the face. We were just about to peek over the edge...the snake was in high grass on the edge of a field, within 100 yds of a river.
I thanked him for that on a pretty regular basis! By the way, that snake was pretty big...and pretty tasty too!

ivorytip · Mar 7, 2014

good GOD MM!!! i hate freaking rattle snakes! thanks alot man. every spring when we get an early warm up i allways run into them while shed hunting. 3 4 and even 5 foot snakes. thankfully we are getting alot more blow snakes around here and alot less rattle snakes. what scares me most is what my dogs gonna do.

Ikeepitcold · Mar 7, 2014

NDHunter said:
Anybody ever run into one when they were stalking an animal? My biggest fear would be crawling along, hear a rattle and be face to face with one.......

Ya that would scare the p... Out of me! That stalk would be OVER

Rattle snake tips.

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