Rattlesnake bite near here

[SMR]

One of the training classes I signed up for was venomous snake capture and release training. After a 3 hour class we picked the snake up, put it in the bucket, screwed on the lid and then waited 30 seconds and removed the snake from the bucket and set it back on the floor.
Don has provided some really good information
Still waiting to capture my first snake in the field, the weather is starting to warm up.
The snake in the pics is the smaller snake, we had to train with 2 snakes and those rattles were loud. Lol

 

[RayIN]

I always hike with hiking sticks specifically to help avoid issues with wildlife. I use them to poke around before stepping over logs or rocks snakes can be sitting behind and to help maintain distance when i do stumble across them.

No guarantees but it helps

Make your own from an Osage Orange tree, actually they are sorta bushy. I find the straightest sprout that's about 2" diameter at the bottom, cut and strip off the bark, then let it dry for a month in the garage. Next apply linseed oil liberally and let dry. It's stronger than any walking stick sold.
MIne's 6' long. I also have a shooting stick I made, with a wye on top to cradle a rifle, or long lens camera.

 

[rvlifer]

Make your own from an Osage Orange tree, actually they are sorta bushy. I find the straightest sprout that's about 2" diameter at the bottom, cut and strip off the bark, then let it dry for a month in the garage. Next apply linseed oil liberally and let dry. It's stronger than any walking stick sold.
MIne's 6' long. I also have a shooting stick I made, with a wye on top to cradle a rifle, or long lens camera.

I own a couple that i made but the store bought work far better as poles for my tarptent. I think i only paid $10 for the last pair i bought at walmart. The homemade ones are great for displaying the hiking medallians from the natl parks we visited

 

[No cats]

One thing about rattlers is that they can strike even when dead. If you kill one, cut the head off right away.

 

[zulutron]

One thing about rattlers is that they can strike even when dead. If you kill one, cut the head off right away.

Even that may not be good enough -- Smithsonian

 

[LarsMac]

I have had a few close calls with Rattlesnakes, and Water Moccasins, and, one very small Copperhead. None of them bit me, and I never hurt any of them. So far, so good.

 

[zulutron]

I have had a few close calls with Rattlesnakes . . .

My experience

 

[DonTom]

There are exceptions, like the Mohave green rattlesnake that climbs bushes/small trees to eat birds and is unusually aggressive.

Check your link. Wrong link.

-Don- Newberry Springs, CA

 

[DonTom]

Cottonmouth come is a variety of flavors. Sometimes in the color of the one I shot (inset).

The one you're showing there now is a genuine Cottonmouth. The head is what mostly gives it away, pit viper style, vertical pupil, unlike your other photo of the water snake with the typical Colubridae head.

See here.

-Don- Newberry Springs, CA

 

[DonTom]

I have had a few close calls with Rattlesnakes,

I have only had one, when hiking at night, in Zion Nat'l Park in Utah when I stepped on a Great Basin Rattlesnake. But I cannot even say it was even close. It did NOT rattle, did not strike or anything, just reversed (crawled backwards!) and never took its eyes off of me.

At first, I didn't know what I steeped on, just barely felt it, I probably only steeped on its side The snake showed no indication of being hurt in any way.

FWIW, I used to catch rattlesnakes, by hand, but I was very careful and never had a close call. That was when I was a teenager and hiked around Crystal Springs Lake.

-Don- Newberry Springs, CA (very warm night here)

 

[DutchmenSport]

I suppose we all have some historical ghosts in our family lineage. Well, here's mine:

My grandfather told me a story about his great grandfather. (that's 5 generations back from me, somewhere in the early 1800's.

My ancient relative was on horse back traveling across the pioneering wilderness of unsettled territory (probably Illinois or Arkansas). He'd been riding a hard day when we came to a roadhouse and decided to spend the night.

The proprietor charged him a nominal fee for a nights lodging and a meal in the late evening, which he thought was a fair value.

When the evening meal time came, the proprietor served the "guests" a wonderful meal, complete with a really great tasting meat dish. But the proprietor would not divulge what that meat was.

In the morning when my 4x's great grandfather saddled his horse to leave, he asked the proprietor what that meat was, once again. The proprietor said, well, since you are leaving now, I'll tell you. It was black rattlesnake.

My 4x's great grandfather very casually drew his gun and shot the man and rode away.

I don't know if the man died or not.

 

[LarsMac]

My first encounter with a Rattler was when I was a Boy Scout in Florida. I was working on "Trailing" where you follow someone without them catching you doing it.
I was hiding behind a Palmetto, and heard that noise. I looked over to my left and there was the biggest danged snake I ever saw, and he was backed up and about strike. Fortunately for me, one of the scoutmasters had been trailing me, and he smacked that snake on the head with his hiking stick, and took off its head.
We had Rattlesnake stew that night. It was delicious.

 

[DonTom]

We had Rattlesnake stew that night. It was delicious.

I have had snake soup a few times while in Hong Kong:

-Don- Newberry Springs, CA

 

[RayIN]

Snakes bite for 2 reasons self-defense and food. Sometimes they "dry' bite in defense- IOW, do not inject venom. Walking away is the best move.
If I see a snake in time, I walk away.
added update; There are exceptions, like the Mohave green rattlesnake that climbs bushes/small trees to eat birds and is unusually aggressive.

I apologize for the incorrect link. Thanks Don for bringing it to my attention. The correct link is: Mojave Rattlesnake Facts, Description, Diet, and Pictures

 

[DonTom]

The correct link is

The correct link is kinda incorrect on its range map. It is showing as the entire state if the snake is in any part of the state which is very inaccurate.

For the correct range of the Mohave Green Rattlesnake is:

-Don- Tehachapi, CA

 

[old RV guy]

I have had snake soup a few times while in Hong Kong:

View attachment 178355


-Don- Newberry Springs, CA

I heard it tastes like chicken.

 

[DonTom]

I heard it tastes like chicken.

When snake is a soup, it tastes closer to what Shark Fin soup tastes like. Otherwise, snake meat doesn't have much flavor, much like chicken.

The snake soup is spiced up quite a bit.

-Don- Tehachapi, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

Water snakes that look and behave like venomous snakes, evolved to do so to make you think they're venomous.

True...did you miss the part about me folding out the 1-inch fangs after I killed it?

 

[Tulecreeper]

The one you're showing there now is a genuine Cottonmouth. The head is what mostly gives it away, pit viper style, vertical pupil, unlike your other photo of the water snake with the typical Colubridae head.

See here.

-Don- Newberry Springs, CA

Did you miss the part about me folding out the 1-inch fangs after I killed it? Also, I sent the photo to a herpetologist at the University of Arkansas and asked him why a Cottonmouth would be so far from water (1 mile to the closest pond of any size) and he said that the females will travel that far to find a denning site.

 

[DonTom]

did you miss the part about me folding out the 1-inch fangs after I killed it?

Got a photo? Sound like you found the very first water snake with fangs.

-Don- Tulare, CA