Rattle Snakes
My wife and I are going to be slow poke RVing for 8 to 10 weeks in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Be leaving mid June. I've spent the last couple of hours on internet searches, and I searched...
Forum Discussion
I killed 2 rattlers today at my house and 11 last year. Been living here over 30 years and average 6 or 7 a year. All snakes within 15' of the house.
I've lots of time to observe them.
1. They like to come out as the sun goes down.
2. I've taken out the trash and on the way back in, right where I walked just a minute ago, rattle snake. Happens pretty frequently!
3. If it's a baby rattler, there are gonna be more. A lot more.
4. There is nothing that will discourage them from just coming right in the front door, so close the doors!
5. They don't 'attack'. Twice while weeding, I've actually touched 'em before I saw them. They stayed hidden, no rattling, nothing. Both times was morning so maybe they were still lethargic from the cool of the evening.
6. The cats piss 'em off. The only time I've heard 'em buzz is when my cats 'play' with them.
7. They are very easy to kill. I used to shoot them, until I missed and shot the rattles off, making the snake very hard to find so I could finish the job. Then I got a hoe and whack their head off. Now I just drop a rock on their head. Any rock, about the size of a soft ball or maybe a little bigger. Small ones I can just stand over them and stay out of strike range. Bigger ones I lob it a couple feet. Heck, someone drop a rock that size on my head from 5' or higher is likely to kill me, so believe me, it kills the rattler.
8. They don't strike just because you stepped near them.
9. They will strike if you step ON them. My son stepped on one in our rose garden. He thought it was a stick. He said it felt like someone took a baseball bat to his shin. Knocked him flat on the ground. He didn't know what happened until he saw it crawling away around a rose bush. No venom injected, it was a large snake and that means it was an experienced snake. It knew there was not malevolent intent and just wanted the foot off him.
10. Wear boots and heavy pants that are extra long/baggy. Not tight fitting. If one does strike, it's less likely a fang will find your skin.
11. I carry a ski pole, a walking stick works too. Bang it around and let the snake know you are around. It won't run, it will hunker down and stay that way until you pass.
In a nut shell, unless you have a lot of experience looking to not step on a rattler, you probably are not going to see them. They really blend in quite well and will sit real still when they know someone is close. You'll never spot one further away than maybe 3 feet or so unless it's on pavement or other man made surface.
I've lots of time to observe them.
1. They like to come out as the sun goes down.
2. I've taken out the trash and on the way back in, right where I walked just a minute ago, rattle snake. Happens pretty frequently!
3. If it's a baby rattler, there are gonna be more. A lot more.
4. There is nothing that will discourage them from just coming right in the front door, so close the doors!
5. They don't 'attack'. Twice while weeding, I've actually touched 'em before I saw them. They stayed hidden, no rattling, nothing. Both times was morning so maybe they were still lethargic from the cool of the evening.
6. The cats piss 'em off. The only time I've heard 'em buzz is when my cats 'play' with them.
7. They are very easy to kill. I used to shoot them, until I missed and shot the rattles off, making the snake very hard to find so I could finish the job. Then I got a hoe and whack their head off. Now I just drop a rock on their head. Any rock, about the size of a soft ball or maybe a little bigger. Small ones I can just stand over them and stay out of strike range. Bigger ones I lob it a couple feet. Heck, someone drop a rock that size on my head from 5' or higher is likely to kill me, so believe me, it kills the rattler.
8. They don't strike just because you stepped near them.
9. They will strike if you step ON them. My son stepped on one in our rose garden. He thought it was a stick. He said it felt like someone took a baseball bat to his shin. Knocked him flat on the ground. He didn't know what happened until he saw it crawling away around a rose bush. No venom injected, it was a large snake and that means it was an experienced snake. It knew there was not malevolent intent and just wanted the foot off him.
10. Wear boots and heavy pants that are extra long/baggy. Not tight fitting. If one does strike, it's less likely a fang will find your skin.
11. I carry a ski pole, a walking stick works too. Bang it around and let the snake know you are around. It won't run, it will hunker down and stay that way until you pass.
In a nut shell, unless you have a lot of experience looking to not step on a rattler, you probably are not going to see them. They really blend in quite well and will sit real still when they know someone is close. You'll never spot one further away than maybe 3 feet or so unless it's on pavement or other man made surface.
