The cost of being bitten by a rattlesnake

[old RV guy]

Nope. Not trying to start a fight. I really am trying to understand why people do what they do

And you thought an RV forum would be a good place to start?

 

[Tulecreeper]

Back to the subject:

In 1991, I was bitten by a small rattler while quail hunting. Slipped on a shale slope, slid down the hill for about 50 feet, and used my legs to cushion my stop against a log at the bottom. Looked down and saw a 14-inch Northern Pacific Rattlesnake between my legs. Then he nailed me on the inside of my thigh through my jeans.

Then I had to hike about 3/8 of a mile to my truck - uphill - and drive 10 miles down a dirt road to the highway (Hwy 20), then about 5 miles around the lake to the town of Lakeport to the hospital.

They had antivenom, but they kept me for observation for 6 hours and it didn't get much past minor swelling so we figured it was mostly a dry bite.

In case you're wondering, yes, I pulled my pants down for the drive on the chance that it really started to swell before I got to the hospital.

 

[DonTom]

so we figured it was mostly a dry bite.

Dry bites are very common. Snakes do not like to waste their venom for defense as its main purpose is for food. However, often younger snakes do not know better and are more likely to waste their venom on defense.

BTW, was it very painful? If not, with the NP Rattlesnake, it is a good indication of a dry bite. So is the lack of swelling. BTW, the NP Rattlesnake has a very strong venom per ounce. But the quantity is rather low compared to many other rattlesnakes, making it less dangerous.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

 

[rvlifer]

And you thought an RV forum would be a good place to start?

No. It is the reason i ask people about it in person. I didnt start that sidebar discussion. My post was in response to it

 

[old RV guy]

No. It is the reason i ask people about it in person. I didnt start that sidebar discussion. My post was in response to it

I don’t know if I’ve ever met an anti-vaxxer and were I to I figure if they wanted me in their business they’d let me know.

 

[rvlifer]

I don’t know if I’ve ever met an anti-vaxxer and were I to I figure if they wanted me in their business they’d let me know.

In spite of your assumptions i wasnt prying. In some parts of the country you cant say good morning or good afternoon without it turning into a political discussion. In most cases it was an antivaxer that approached me trying to change my opinion.

 

[old RV guy]

In spite of your assumptions i wasnt prying. In some parts of the country you cant say good morning or good afternoon without it turning into a political discussion. In most cases it was an antivaxer that approached me trying to change my opinion.

So were they going door to door or do strangers just walk up and say "I'd like to change your opinion on vaccinations"?

 

[Tulecreeper]

Dry bites are very common. Snakes do not like to waste their venom for defense as its main purpose is for food. However, often younger snakes do not know better and are more likely to waste their venom on defense.

BTW, was it very painful? If not, with the NP Rattlesnake, it is a good indication of a dry bite. So is the lack of swelling. BTW, the NP Rattlesnake has a very strong venom per ounce. But the quantity is rather low compared to many other rattlesnakes, making it less dangerous.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

Yes, for the first couple of hours it hurt like ****. Mostly a deep burning sensation. That's also during the period it did most of the swelling and turned red around the bite marks.

 

[Oldgator73]

Yes, for the first couple of hours it hurt like ****. Mostly a deep burning sensation. That's also during the period it did most of the swelling and turned red around the bite marks.

My wife bit me one night while she was having a nightmare and received a similar reaction that you did; swelling and redness around the bite mark. Unfortunately there is no anti venom for wife bites. The big difference in our situations is due to the bite location I did not have to remove my pants. If I would have had to remove my pants because of the bite this discussion would be going in a much different direction.

 

[DonTom]

Yes, for the first couple of hours it hurt like ****. Mostly a deep burning sensation.

That was no dry bite! But perhaps very little venom was injected. The pain from a NP Rattlesnake can be intolerable if you get a full dose from a large NP Rattlesnake. But 35% of their bites are dry bites.

Oh, I recall you asking about the Black-Tailed Rattlesnake of AZ (AZ has more species of rattlesnakes than any other state). See here.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

 

[rvlifer]

So were they going door to door or do strangers just walk up and say "I'd like to change your opinion on vaccinations"?

Not exactly. In one case i was sitting outside my rv in a campground when a couple approached me because of my SC license plates. The conversation quickly went downhill when they started talking about vaccines and other political issues.

In the phoenix area i literaly just said good morning to a person and their response was a political one.

People are upset and actively advocating for their political issues right now