ChrisAU
WKR
Ok, maybe I wasn’t quite in the clouds but around 8,000 ft hunting mulies in southern WY. Nighttime temps near freezing.
But, if your chosen glassing spot looks like this:
Keep your head on a swivel.
I sat here until right at the end of legal light on Oct 1 and started packing stuff up. When I stood up and spun around to begin putting stuff in my pack I noticed an oddly perfectly round object stretching between two of the pieces of brush in the picture. My stomach dropped, I quickly stuffed what was in my hands in my pack and dug out my headlamp. A quick glance during this process confirmed that the oddly round object had indeed moved.
I held my light by hand and spun around to confirm a healthy rattle snake now at about 6 feet from me and coming straight to me. I quickly reached down and grabbed a nice size rock and nailed him. He rolled and writhed and began to rattle. I then grabbed up my rifle and tripod and trekking pole.
He was now coiled with his head 8-10” off the ground. I estimate he was 2-2.5” in diameter and 3.5-4’ long. I slowly backed up two steps and feeling that he wasn’t going to advance any more I spun around to quickly head up the face, 200’ vertical to the trail.
But it wasn’t over.
As I spun around I planted my trekking pole right by another snake. Much smaller, 1-1.5 ft long, 1” or so in diameter. I shoved him away quickly with the pole that I had almost hit with and then took the widest path possible between brush straight to the top, talking to Jesus the whole time.
Point is, be wary out there. I was a warm, still object to those snakes as the sun fell. If I had been motionless for 2-3 more minutes both of them would have been cuddling with me and if their bites wouldn’t have killed me I’m positive that cardiac arrest combined with an imminent tumble 300’ down that face would have done me in.
But, if your chosen glassing spot looks like this:
Keep your head on a swivel.
I sat here until right at the end of legal light on Oct 1 and started packing stuff up. When I stood up and spun around to begin putting stuff in my pack I noticed an oddly perfectly round object stretching between two of the pieces of brush in the picture. My stomach dropped, I quickly stuffed what was in my hands in my pack and dug out my headlamp. A quick glance during this process confirmed that the oddly round object had indeed moved.
I held my light by hand and spun around to confirm a healthy rattle snake now at about 6 feet from me and coming straight to me. I quickly reached down and grabbed a nice size rock and nailed him. He rolled and writhed and began to rattle. I then grabbed up my rifle and tripod and trekking pole.
He was now coiled with his head 8-10” off the ground. I estimate he was 2-2.5” in diameter and 3.5-4’ long. I slowly backed up two steps and feeling that he wasn’t going to advance any more I spun around to quickly head up the face, 200’ vertical to the trail.
But it wasn’t over.
As I spun around I planted my trekking pole right by another snake. Much smaller, 1-1.5 ft long, 1” or so in diameter. I shoved him away quickly with the pole that I had almost hit with and then took the widest path possible between brush straight to the top, talking to Jesus the whole time.
Point is, be wary out there. I was a warm, still object to those snakes as the sun fell. If I had been motionless for 2-3 more minutes both of them would have been cuddling with me and if their bites wouldn’t have killed me I’m positive that cardiac arrest combined with an imminent tumble 300’ down that face would have done me in.
