Using Floorless Shelters in Arizona or other areas with rattlesnakes.

[Mosby]

If I am in an area with rattlesnakes, copperheads, scorpions, ticks etc., I am in a tent with a floor. You can make anything work and chances are you will be fine. Use what you have. I have several tents with floors.

When I come back at night, I want to eat and sleep. It's dark. A floor saves me time and one less thing to deal with.

 

[Mosby]

I know a guy that got bit by a speckled cobra hunting in Africa. He was sleeping on a cot in a floorless shelter. Got up in the morning and when he put his feet down on the floor, the cobra under the cot bit him on the top of his right foot. Lost most of the skin on his foot along with circulation but he still has his foot. I am sure that camp has had hundreds of people go through it that never had a problem. It happens. You never eliminate risk but when you can reduce it, why not reduce it.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Do you know which unit you will be doing your archery hunt in? There are spiders, snakes, scorpions, ants, etc in all of the units. Some units also have chiggers.

Check bag your bag before going in for the night. Check you clothes, pack, and boots before putting them on.

 

[USMC-40]

I've used a tent in rattlesnake country quite a bit. At first I was super perinoid about rattlers joining me in the sleeping bag at night but one guy mentioned that rattlers head to their holes at night and aren't out. Not sure if that's the case in Arizona but may be a piece of mind if it's true.

In California, while stationed at Camp Pendleton, it was not unusual for a rattlesnake to come out of his home and snuggle up to us on cooler nights. No tent/using a bivy sack. I’d be real careful - on the flip side, we would just be careful rolling our ranger rolls up and if a snake was present, they were docile due to temperature and easy to deal with.

 

[Jimss]

In August through hunting season in Wyo, Colo, and states a little farther north it cools down so dramatically once the sun starts dropping down that at night that I would expect the snakes to be down in their holes before dark. A lot would depend upon hole temperatures vs temperatures above the ground. I've seen rattlesnakes and other snakes quite often on roads trying to warm themselves up during daylight hours but can't ever remember seeing a snake on a road after dark (in Colo or Wyo)….even in the summer.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

The nest in my Stratospire 2 weighs 14.7ozs...small weight penalty to avoid all kinds of bad. Would never hunt AZ floorless. Nuh uh-no way.

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

I’m a long time backpack coues hunter. I’d personally never even consider using a floor less here. The LAST thing I want to worry about is if there’s a snake in my bag or next to me when I wake up.no way!

 

[b2one]

I am an AZ native and have hunted and camped all over the state. For an 8 year period I was sleeping under the stars 30 to 50 nights a year, and hundreds of times outside of that as well. While I have seen, killed, and even been bitten by some of the critters mentioned, it happened to me during the day, never while camping. Most of the time I just lay a tarp on the ground with my sleeping pad and bag on it. No tent. If rain or heavy dew was possible, I used a floor less tipi, and the worst I ever woke up to was kangaroo rat tracks around my area. Most of the guys I hunted and camped with did the same. Once my brother was woken up by red ants, and once I watched a skunk poke around my buddy while he slept, but luckily nothing came of that. The only time I consider a tent is if I will be camping in a couple feet Or more of snow. However, The last several years hunting down by the Mexico border we started to sleep in a trailer if we were down in the flats, but that was mainly due to the 2 legged traffic that like to move around at night.

 

[neverquit]

I backpack in AZ.

it’s not the snakes it’s the bugs. I use a bivy