Rattlesnake

First time I encountered a rattlesnake was a couple months out of college working for Chevron in west Texas. I was collecting coordinates for a pipeline we had just laid, looking at my GPS and not paying much attention to my surroundings. I came to a barbed wire fence across the pipeline route, dropped to my hands and knees, and started crawling under the wire. Halfway across the fence I looked up and found myself eye to eye with a rattler. Fortunately he backed up then coiled and rattled instead of biting me on the nose. I crawfished back under the fence and got out of Dodge.
 
First time I encountered a rattlesnake was a couple months out of college working for Chevron in west Texas. I was collecting coordinates for a pipeline we had just laid, looking at my GPS and not paying much attention to my surroundings. I came to a barbed wire fence across the pipeline route, dropped to my hands and knees, and started crawling under the wire. Halfway across the fence I looked up and found myself eye to eye with a rattler. Fortunately he backed up then coiled and rattled instead of biting me on the nose. I crawfished back under the fence and got out of Dodge.
Were you out in that stuff west of Orla? I really hope you were alone at the time haha. I know the guys I worked with wouldn’t let me live crawling under a fence down
 
IMG_1584.jpegRan into this one the day before I killed my bear. It was the most aggressive/angry snake I have run across. I used to kill them out in the woods. They get a pass from me now. On the property is a different story. I have killed two by stomping on them (on purpose). I have shush kabob-ed two of them together with an arrow. Probably killed 50 in my teens/20’s. Don’t know how many I have let “walk” now.
 
Killed this one during archery a few years back. Made a nice frame for it
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Velvet tail from the yard
 

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Were you out in that stuff west of Orla? I really hope you were alone at the time haha. I know the guys I worked with wouldn’t let me live crawling under a fence down
The rattlesnake incident was at an old EOR field called the Dollarhide that straddles the Texas-New Mexico line a few miles east of Jal.

That wasn't the first or last time I've crawled under a fence. I would rather go over or through it, but if I come up to a high and tight 5 strand fence without a good post nearby to climb, I'm going under...after I look for snakes on the other side.
 
The rattlesnake incident was at an old EOR field called the Dollarhide that straddles the Texas-New Mexico line a few miles east of Jal.

That wasn't the first or last time I've crawled under a fence. I would rather go over or through it, but if I come up to a high and tight 5 strand fence without a good post nearby to climb, I'm going under...after I look for snakes on the other side.
I am from Artesia, NM, but did some work in WT by Orla, and then was a lease operator south of Carlsbad for Cimarex/Coterra. Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend much time by Jal, but there are some giant deer over there. Hopefully, you’re applying for deer in that area (unit 31) because that unit has some of the best deer in the state after the NW corner! Let me know if you draw there and I’d be happy to help! Except I will give you a hard time for going under a fence haha
 
Went fishing with some buddies over the weekend in western CO. Two of the guys there have been fishing this canyon for 25 and 15 years respectfully. These are river rat fly fisherman that probably wade that river section 20-30 times a year each. Neither one had ever even heard of a rattler in there. Well Saturday night late walking out we bump into a midget faded rattler. Very docile and quiet almost cicada sounding rattle. Only thing we shot him with was the camera as he sure showed no sign of wanting to harm others. Picture sucks since it was so late but he was a crazy maroon red color.

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