# Rattlesnake - be careful



## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

My 12 year old and I were at the ranch Sunday working and doing a little surveying. Walking down a sendero road this snake was curled, head and rattles up ready to strike. The snake never rattled, not once.

I never saw him and walked right past him but was on the left tire rut of the road (snake was on the right side of the road. I must have been just far enough away for him not to strike. My son was walking down the right rut and literally almost stepped on him and backed up just in time. The snake must have been watching me as he didn't strike my son who was so much closer, maybe one step away. His head is almost as big as my fist. 

We both have boots but this 6 1/2 footer definitely got our attention! This time of year wear your boots and be extra careful and they're coming out as the temperatures heat up.

Skelly


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

Good Lord! He is big enough to bite you in the face!


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## Mad Mike (Dec 28, 2005)

That's a big one for sure.


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## BigBuck (Mar 2, 2005)

*Rattlers*

I am not trying to start anything, but you really should remove the head before handling a rattle snake. They can strike for HOURS after they are dead. Ask Charlie or others on here that have seen it. I have. I will never handle a dead poisonous snake without removing the head.
Big snake, congrats, make a great belt or headband. 
BB


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## Fuelin (Jun 21, 2005)

BigBuck said:


> I am not trying to start anything, but you really should remove the head before handling a rattle snake. They can strike for HOURS after they are dead. Ask Charlie or others on here that have seen it. I have. I will never handle a dead poisonous snake without removing the head.
> Big snake, congrats, make a great belt or headband.
> BB


 That's what I am saying! WOW


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

BigBuck said:


> Big snake, congrats, make a great belt or headband.
> BB


...x2.....and believe it or not pretty good table fare when fried up like fish.


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## Mrschasintail (Dec 8, 2004)

Congrats!!!!! The only good one is a dead one.


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## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

*snake*



BigBuck said:


> I am not trying to start anything, but you really should remove the head before handling a rattle snake. They can strike for HOURS after they are dead. Ask Charlie or others on here that have seen it. I have. I will never handle a dead poisonous snake without removing the head.
> Big snake, congrats, make a great belt or headband.
> BB


BB - definitely aware that the snake can bite after it's dead. They have reflexes for hours. I actually held the head down with a stick and put a good slit right behind his head under the neck to minimize his movement and speed up the death!

The photos were taken several hours after we killed. Literally scared the **** out of both of us. It was such a close miss and our ranch is south of Freer and well off the hwy. We'll be keeping the anti-venom kits in all vehicles from now on. Not worth the risk for $15 a kit.

SKelly


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## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

*Snake*



pg542 said:


> ...x2.....and believe it or not pretty good table fare when fried up like fish.


Brought the meat in the house when we got home, wife asked "what the heck are you pulling that out of the ice chest in the kitchen?" I told her i was frying it up and she said "where do you think you're doing that".........decided to toss it..... 

Definitely not worth frying up, every 1/4 is a rib. I actually tried to filet the meat off the bone but just wasn't worth the effort.

Skelly


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Where do get the anti venom kits?


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## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

sgrem said:


> Where do get the anti venom kits?


Academy, Bass Pro(i believe) Amazon, Survival Supply or Gander Mt.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

skelly said:


> Brought the meat in the house when we got home, wife asked "what the heck are you pulling that out of the ice chest in the kitchen?" I told her i was frying it up and she said "where do you think you're doing that".........decided to toss it.....
> 
> Definitely not worth frying up, every 1/4 is a rib. I actually tried to filet the meat off the bone but just wasn't worth the effort.
> 
> Skelly


It is bony but once fried up, the meat will come off the backbone/ribs pretty easy. Especially a rattler like in your photo. I can certainly understand the " where do you think you're doing that". The last time I had it was at a friends house during a fish fry and Mrs. Friend made sure all of the fish/fries were cooked before any snake hit the batter or grease, HA! I got a snake video leaving my lease a couple of years ago if I can find it. Kinda neat.


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

I've had rattler that had been smoked. still boney, but tasty.

That is a huge one and glad you got it before it got yall.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Nice boots and belts!


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Absolutely, on the "be careful"! I wouldn't put alot of faith in the snake kits...here's some current info:
http://www.tmcnews.org/2014/08/watch-your-step/
In a nutshell, haul *** to the closest ER.
Have ya ever googled "cost of snake bite treatment"? 50K-300K. Convinced me I didn't need to pick dewberries at the ranch this past wke, after seeing several snakes on the move(not rattlers) while discing.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Yes definately cut the head off. As mentioned above they can still strike somehow being dead. and strike in the right direction (at an arm). Watch this video all the way to the end.


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## wfishtx (Apr 10, 2006)

Are you sure he wasn't sleeping? I walked by two rattlers a couple of years ago out at our place and they never made a peep. Never moved or anything. I probably wasn't more than 2 ft away from them every time I walked by. Probably walked by a half dozen times before I looked down and saw them.

Not to mention I'm at least an hour from the nearest ER. You get bit by one at my place, I'm not sure you'll survive by the time you get to the ER.

Scary as he!! that's for sure.


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## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

wfishtx said:


> Are you sure he wasn't sleeping? I walked by two rattlers a couple of years ago out at our place and they never made a peep. Never moved or anything. I probably wasn't more than 2 ft away from them every time I walked by. Probably walked by a half dozen times before I looked down and saw them.
> 
> Not to mention I'm at least an hour from the nearest ER. You get bit by one at my place, I'm not sure you'll survive by the time you get to the ER.
> 
> Scary as he!! that's for sure.


If he sleeps in the striking position then maybe! His head and rattles were up like he was the prettiest mount you've ever seen. Absolutely scared the **** out of me(as i've been bit before), especially for my son.

Honestly, we were very luck. But it's truly something i love about South Texas, rattlesnakes, cactus, cats, varmints not to mention the greats whitetail bucks in the world. When we bring new people down, it's something they've never experienced and seem to talk about it forever! ONLY IN SOUTH TEXAS!!!

SKelly


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## Bob Keyes (Mar 16, 2011)

Don't expect snakes to rattle, natural selection had stopped that. Snakes that rattle get shot, snakes that don't get walked by without being noticed a lot of the time.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

Bob Keyes said:


> Don't expect snakes to rattle, natural selection had stopped that. Snakes that rattle get shot, snakes that don't get walked by without being noticed a lot of the time.


I think the rise in the hog population helped also. I saw a vid a couple of years back where a hog made short work of a good sized rattler and then dined on him for a moment or two. Quiet snake, hog just might walk on by. Natural selection at work.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

skelly said:


> If he sleeps in the striking position then maybe! His head and rattles were up like he was the prettiest mount you've ever seen. Absolutely scared the **** out of me (as I've been bit before), especially for my son.





Bob Keyes said:


> Don't expect snakes to rattle, natural selection had stopped that. Snakes that rattle get shot, snakes that don't get walked by without being noticed a lot of the time.





pg542 said:


> I think the rise in the hog population helped also. I saw a vid a couple of years back where a hog made short work of a good sized rattler and then dined on him for a moment or two. Quiet snake, hog just might walk on by. Natural selection at work.


Maybe on the last - but more importantly, snakes are cold blooded, if they're fresh out of the den, or the temperature hadn't peaked yet - they're very unlikely to be active (or rattle). The snake curled up in a "striking" position on the sand is indicative of a snake trying to retain body heat or digest a meal - NOT indicative of a snake on the offensive, waiting in lurk for you to walk by so he can kill you. They actually don't do that despite the popular belief. The easiest way to avoid being hit by a rattlesnake is to leave them the hell alone - that actually includes killing them. But - congrats or whatever.


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

That's a big one for sure.


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## skelly (Jan 20, 2010)

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> Maybe on the last - but more importantly, snakes are cold blooded, if they're fresh out of the den, or the temperature hadn't peaked yet - they're very unlikely to be active (or rattle). The snake curled up in a "striking" position on the sand is indicative of a snake trying to retain body heat or digest a meal - NOT indicative of a snake on the offensive, waiting in lurk for you to walk by so he can kill you. They actually don't do that despite the popular belief. The easiest way to avoid being hit by a rattlesnake is to leave them the hell alone - that actually includes killing them. But - congrats or whatever.


I believe the snake was fresh out of the den, curled, probably sleeping when i walked by as i didn't see him. I probably startled him as he began to watch me as i walked by and didn't see my son until he was right up on him. His tongue began to reach/twitch but he never rattled so he probably didn't feel too much in danger. When we cleaned him his stomach was empty so i'm sure they're just beginning to move and will get active and aggressive very soon.

I agree with you that a snake's intent is not a human rather things they actually eat. We're just in their area and if startled or offended they'll strike.

*Since we're sharing the ranch with rattlers but i'm paying all the bills any rattlesnake we run across will be shot first and asked questions later! *

SKelly


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

Bob Keyes said:


> Don't expect snakes to rattle, natural selection had stopped that. Snakes that rattle get shot, snakes that don't get walked by without being noticed a lot of the time.


There is absolutely no science behind that statement. It is a myth perpetuated by word of mouth.

http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2011/06/are-rattlesnakes-rattling-less-because.html


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Here we go again...


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

spurgersalty said:


> Here we go again...


I take it there has been discussions/wars/snot slinger conversations about this?


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Yes.


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

I can say this. I work with rattlesnakes every day. Each one is different from the other. Each one is different from day to day. I pick from the group two different behaviors. Those behaviors are very relaxed and won't rattle and hardly move to ticked off/standing/head coiled up/ ready to strike and buzzing like a freight train. Every snake I have goes through phases. The ones that are rattling really well today, may not rattle at all tomorrow and vice versa. If you have ever been to any of my clinics before I get started, you will see me taking them all out of the boxes and seeing which one will just coil up and lay there and which ones are ready to defend themselves (Buzzing and raising all kinds of heck). It is a selection process to get a behavior characteristic that I need to train dogs.

The only snake I ever had that never changed, we nicknamed him Old Grumpy. He was a mean one to say the least. I lined him out on 46 german shorthairs one day. He whacked everyone of them right in the noggin the second they cleared the obstruction. He did that for every dog he ever got near. He was full throttle everyday we ever used him. I miss his action as he made my life as a trainer a whole lot easier.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

Yeah but are we talking high fence rattlers or free range rattlers?


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## wal1809 (May 27, 2005)

pg542 said:


> Yeah but are we talking high fence rattlers or free range rattlers?


No the chupacobra rattlers with teal tags.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

wal1809 said:


> No the chupacobra rattlers with teal tags.


 I knew it! People tellin me the ones I been see'n are mangy coyote rattlers but I know better. Never seen one with teal tag though. HA!


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## CentCzech (Apr 30, 2015)

Critters are definitely out, saw a lot at the lease, be careful


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