Anyone been bit by a rattlesnake in back country?

[S-3 ranch]

If you’re worried, buy a GPS receiver to communicate a SOS
I have dealt with snakes plenty, but never got bitten, dog got hit and swollen up , eventually she was fine

I was guiding some pronghorn hunters, and heard a snake under the cabin and the landowner sprayed some gasoline , and about 50 rattlesnake came out underneath the porch, I moved the truck and set he yard on fire , did want to chance it as 99% of hospitals don’t carry antivenin and life flight is very expensive unless you carry a flight policy

 

[Seth]

Never had an encounter with a rattlesnake until I moved to NM. On my very first NM archery hunt, I was glassing a canyon and heard a clicking sound. I looked about 5’ to my left and thought, that’s a funny looking big. While watching the big, I realized it was a rattle as it slid onto the top of the coil.

Two years ago I was hunting pronghorn and we were stalking in on a group. The guy behind me let me know I had just planted my foot in the middle of a coiled up prairie rattler. He never struck or rattled. My friend said he saw my foot coming down on it and he couldn’t process what he was seeing quite fast enough.

We’ve had a couple around the house also, so we keep vigilant, the dog is vaccinated, and the kids know not to mess with any snake.

 

[def90]

Only place I've run in to Rattlesnakes in Colorado is on golf courses along the Front Range and one time while climbing at the Shelf Road climbing area in the southern part of the state. I think that the habitat that you will be in to hunt elk through most of Colorado harbors few if any rattlesnakes.

 

[RMac5]

Snake handler in Texas died just the other day from a rattler bite. He was at a snake round-up and got bit and it killed him. https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending...ttlesnake-roundup/QD6R3NXSUVEMBOEULEYNC3R55M/

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I've had some close calls out hog hunting, but luckily avoided. Can't even drive to the hospital out there, have to go for a boat ride just to get back to the truck and nearest hospital is another hour away.

Dog got hit in the back yard at home years ago, found her with face swollen up like a basketball. We've had them in our shed out at camp and in my garage at home as well. I had to unload a cluttered garage to find that one, seriously puckery trying to move boxes and stuff to try and figure out where the durn thing went.

Have not been bit by any venomous snakes. Been around plenty of them. I’ve been bit a few times by pythons and a gartersnake.

My dog is vaccinated and I keep some DMSO on hand. I listened to a quail hunting podcast that had a Texas veterinarian that treats a lot of snake bites. I can’t remember what the podcast was called. The veterinarian recommended getting your dog vaccination, avoidance trained, and have DMSO. He said spray the DMSO on the bite and get to the puppy hospital. It was an interesting and very informative conversation, wish I could remember who and where it was.

The local beach is crawling with rattle snakes behind the dunes. It’s not uncommon to see several at night while walking back to the bay to gig flounder. Have a bright headlight(and a backup), walk slow, and stay on the trail if there is one. All the ones I’ve come across on summer nights were actively hunting and paid little attention to me if you gave them space and let them carry on about their kangaroo rat hunting.

Sounds like 'gorda.

Leon?

 

[Dobermann]

Nope. But used to run a tarp instead of a tent and woke up one day with a snake curled up on my sleeping bag.

Scared the sh*t out of me. Possibly literally. But don't let my mates know about that bit.

 

[Crowmangler]

Nope. But used to run a tarp instead of a tent and woke up one day with a snake curled up on my sleeping bag.

Scared the sh*t out of me. Possibly literally. But don't let my mates know about that bit.

the price of tarps in the classifieds just went down

 

[FLATHEAD]

Nope. But used to run a tarp instead of a tent and woke up one day with a snake curled up on my sleeping bag.

Scared the sh*t out of me. Possibly literally. But don't let my mates know about that bit.

My biggest tarp fear.
Gotta wait till its cold.

 

[J Batt]

I live in SoCal. I was almost tagged by a rattler a couple weeks ago. I was on a trail run, and had just stopped for a big rattler crossing the trail, so I was already on high alert. A few hundred yards further the trail narrowed with knee high grass on both sides. I heard a rattle to my left and within milliseconds I was jumping backwards and seeing the snake striking at where I had just stood, at about waist level. I could have put my hand in his mouth if I reached out. Freaked me out a bit. I usually have a InReach or phone but had nether that day since it was a short run.
My coworker was struck in the calf when he was a teen and never even went to the hospital. Guess it was a dry bite.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Not many rattlesnakes where I live. Plenty of moccasins. They aren't aggressive, but they are more likely to bow up and lash out in defense than than copperheads.

 

[Button]

I've had some close calls out hog hunting, but luckily avoided. Can't even drive to the hospital out there, have to go for a boat ride just to get back to the truck and nearest hospital is another hour away.

Dog got hit in the back yard at home years ago, found her with face swollen up like a basketball. We've had them in our shed out at camp and in my garage at home as well. I had to unload a cluttered garage to find that one, seriously puckery trying to move boxes and stuff to try and figure out where the durn thing went.



Sounds like 'gorda.

Leon?

Si

 

[frank church guy]

I have seen two dozen rattlesnakes in the last two years. Stepped on two of them. One of our weiner dogs got bit on the nose. (he was vasccinated, but shit he had miserable two days), The snakes I see on the salmon are not aggresive, most of the time they are trying to get out of the way. They are not diamondbacks or mojave version. And I hate snakes. But these buzz worms do not bother me. I just pay attention. Hell I still my get bit, but I love where I live and it is just part of it.

I have only killed one on the property. And that is because of the dogs or my boss's grandchildren. All the other ones up the creek drainage to the high country I never kill. They are just part life back here.

 

[MountainTracker]

Got hit by a Copperhead in my Mom's garage in 06.
Was disconnecting my son's battery powered 4-wheeler.
Sucker had got in the battery compartment on that cool
September night.
Drew blood on my finger.
He's in a glass jar full of alcohol in the man cave.

I used to work in the desert of AZ for many years. Sometimes rattlesnakes would find their way up into the skid plates of our work quads. I’ve seen hundreds out there, messed with more than I should have and never have been bit. Neither has anyone I’d worked with. I will say if you come across a green Mohave diamond back, looks like a diamond back with a hue of green, best to not mess with them. They are aggressive and have chased me on my quad

If your worried wear chaps, carry a inreach and look before you sit down ha.


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[Historybuff]

I see more than i like in the red desert wyoming. Haven't been bit, but I danced on one while it struck at me twice. Must have been a sight to see. Here's one from wyoming.

 

[Lionhound1975]

Never bit but I did have a lot of snake encounters growing up working as a cowboy in Oklahoma. I had a moccasin strike me in the shin but I was wearing full length shotgun chaps, so it didn't penetrate the leather. I saw another cowboy's horse get bit by a rattlesnake on the inside of the leg. He startled trembling and shaking and the cowboy stripped his saddle off and tried wrapping a tie down rope around the upper leg but the horse died within 15 minutes. It must have hit a vein because I have seen a few horses get bit and they swell up but it is not often fatal to a healthy adult horse.

Most of my issues have been with moccasins. When I was a teenager I was cutting grass around the front gate and my little sister was playing down by the creek. I heard her yell and grabbed the machete I was using and saw a moccasin. I swung and hit it mid back and the thing tried reached up and almost bit my hand, he would have done it if that machete blade was a few inches shorter. We found a nest down there so I spent the next day with a shotgun and birdshot killing the whole brood. Another time I was chest deep in a creek fixing a breakaway gate in a water gap and I saw something cutting the water swimming fast towards me. I saw it was a moccasin so when it was about 15 feet away i threw my fencing pliers at it and did a mad scramble to get out of the creek. Needless to say I hate moccasins much more than any other snake. It seems like they will often seek you out whereas rattlers have always given me a warning and I gave them plenty of room.

We are fortunate here in North America as far as snakes go because South America and Africa (as well as Australia) have some snakes that are in a whole other danger league...

 

[Phaseolus]

Has anyone been bit in the hills? One my biggest fears since I hike tons of miles during the summers in western Colorado. I’ve been wearing taller Crispi guide boots and am curious if a snake would penetrate or not. Also anybody had their dog bitten? Surprised I hadn’t seen the topic come up much.

I’ve spent 62 years in Western Colorado hunting, hiking, biking, farming and otherwise crawling around. I’ve never come close to a snakebite and I’ve probably seen less than a dozen rattlesnakes in that time. So since you are worried about it may I assume that you’ve seen a bunch In Western, Colorado? I’d be curious as to where.

 

[frank church guy]

I used to work in the desert of AZ for many years. Sometimes rattlesnakes would find their way up into the skid plates of our work quads. I’ve seen hundreds out there, messed with more than I should have and never have been bit. Neither has anyone I’d worked with. I will say if you come across a green Mohave diamond back, looks like a diamond back with a hue of green, best to not mess with them. They are aggressive and have chased me on my quad

If your worried wear chaps, carry a inreach and look before you sit down ha.


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I mess with them too. Probably the kid in me. I like to get them strike at something. Hell I hate all snakes. I have just becomde comfortable knowing they are part of my world. And I always pay attention from april thru septmeber.

 

[Dobermann]

the price of tarps in the classifieds just went down

Don't panic.

That was in Australia. Our snakes are scarier than your snakes, on average (okay, I'm stirring, but the adage of "they're more scared of you than you are of them" somehow never got passed on to Eastern Browns ... I've been actively chased by one, and seen my dogs chased by them multiple times ... the first rule is Cardio!).

So the price of tarps in the US is fine.

I forgot to add the good outcome to that story - a couple of weeks later, we found a fresh roadkill snake during one of our daily 5 am 5 km runs. Fresh snake for dinner that night. Bony, a little bland, but it felt like poetic justice.

 

[frank church guy]

I am a wimp when it comes to this. Dont know how aussies do it. More creepy shit that can kill you quicker than jealous husband

 

[Wolf_trapper]

I kill every one of those devil's spawn . One less that can bite me.