WY BLM camping snakes

[nettereo16]

Planning to hunt archery opener in Central/Eastern WY and will likely camp on BLM since I’m not near anything.

I’ve always heard the tale of rattlers coming to your sleeping pad at night, is this actually a concern that I should bring a tent instead of just a tarp? I’m in NC and not new to snakes, but I’d really not like to wake up cuddling one.

 

[go_deep]

There's a chance, a decent chance at that.

 

[Packin_packout]

I have not had it happen in wyoming but out by Lubbock TX had one curl up underneath my tent underneath the pad in November. Tried to split my stock pounding around once in realized what was going on. It was a warm day getting cold at night. Best I can figure it curled up underneath it as evening was setting in. Had gone to dinner and then come back to camp. Definitely got my heart rate up.

 

[wytx]

I'd try to get off the ground if possible. Might be chilly at night mid Aug also, be prepared for that.

Depending on elevation though might mot be many prairie rattlers in your area.

 

[TaperPin]

Planning to hunt archery opener in Central/Eastern WY and will likely camp on BLM since I’m not near anything.

I’ve always heard the tale of rattlers coming to your sleeping pad at night, is this actually a concern that I should bring a tent instead of just a tarp? I’m in NC and not new to snakes, but I’d really not like to wake up cuddling one.

Firefighting in Wyoming, even the guys that like to sleep on the ground without a tent would use a military cot or tent when we’re out in the sage. For our guys only one snake crawled into a sleeping bag in 10 summers. Lol

Nothing illegal about sleeping on a ground cloth - some guys will say they do it all the time, but it’s right up with storing food in a tent in bear country.

 

[TaperPin]

Talking with the guy who woke up with a rattlesnake coiled up on his chest under the sleeping bag - apparently it wakes you up quickly and you have to do a gut check to either freak out and risk a bite, or be unnaturally quiet/calm and carefully open the sleeping bag and wait for the snake to peacefully leave on it’s own. Lol

 

[DPOPJLA]

Planning to hunt archery opener in Central/Eastern WY and will likely camp on BLM since I’m not near anything.

I’ve always heard the tale of rattlers coming to your sleeping pad at night, is this actually a concern that I should bring a tent instead of just a tarp? I’m in NC and not new to snakes, but I’d really not like to wake up cuddling one.

It does happen(I had it happen personally). I now use a tent with a floor and keep the zipper pulls at the top of the door.

 

[j_volt]

F snakes

 

[COelk89]

My buddy is riding the Tour Divide right now. He started seeing rattlers around Wamsutter. I advised that he stay in his tent and leave nothing on the ground as he moves towards New Mexico. I would not mess around in the sage. They can be thick.

 

[TaperPin]

“Oh look, there’s a rocky knob by that thick sage draw - let’s camp there,” is something never said by a local.

We look for thin sage out in a flat with no prairie dog mounds - these cool off quickly and snakes naturally avoid them at night for the most part. If you’re in the foothills, stay away from rock piles, rocky slopes and brush. Even sleeping in a tent, you don’t want to be in a snake prone area.

 

[Weldor]

Sleep in your truck bed if you have one. Easiest.

 

[wapitibob]

Haven't seen a snake in 10 years of hunting from Rock Springs East North and South.

 

[Packin_packout]

Talking with the guy who woke up with a rattlesnake coiled up on his chest under the sleeping bag - apparently it wakes you up quickly and you have to do a gut check to either freak out and risk a bite, or be unnaturally quiet/calm and carefully open the sleeping bag and wait for the snake to peacefully leave on it’s own. Lol

Had a coon curl up on my chest during a boy scout trip when in a hammock. Temps in the 30's. In that half groggy state while waking up I was like, why is there a damn cat on my chest. Then I realized that chirping wasn't a cat. It was a coon. After pondering about thirty seconds I rolled out that hammock nice and fast. Thankfully the coon decided it did not want any piece of me. The boy scouts heard some rather choice words. Got ratted out about this to my wife about it about six months later , when I got the most animal friendly award at one the scout meetings.

 

[go4thegusto]

Been hunting 29 for antelope for years. They are definitely there. One of us usually sees one or is buzzed most years. We wrapped a poly tarp around 3 trees for a shower in camp. I stepped in to use it and a rattler was curled up around my can of shaving cream I left on the ground.
I would not sleep w/o a tent personally.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Talking with the guy who woke up with a rattlesnake coiled up on his chest under the sleeping bag - apparently it wakes you up quickly and you have to do a gut check to either freak out and risk a bite, or be unnaturally quiet/calm and carefully open the sleeping bag and wait for the snake to peacefully leave on it’s own. Lol

What about the scream like a little girl option? Would that fall under freak out?

 

[Scorpion]

I’ve camped a lot during archery antelope season in August and September. Generally use my floorless shelter but have used tents as well. I haven’t had any issues with snakes, I think I’d choose the tent to help prevent dust getting on everything more than keeping snakes out.

 

[Brooks]

Never had one in a sleeping bag but I did kill two Prairie rattlers in 2022 a little west of Casper. That same year I killed one close to Chadron, Nebraska.

 

[Buckshotaz]

Maybe this should go into the “Stupid things you would hear as a kid” thread.

If you take a rope and lay it out on the ground around your sleeping bag, the snakes will not cross a rope

 

[E.Shell]

Maybe this should go into the “Stupid things you would hear as a kid” thread.

If you take a rope and lay it out on the ground around your sleeping bag, the snakes will not cross a rope

Yes, it should go into that other thread. BTW, the old wive's tale called for a horsehair rope.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

This thread is the stuff nightmares are made of