rattlesnake season

[Marsha Cassada]

I know they've been out and about already, as a neighbor's cat got bitten on the foot (he's okay). But I haven't personally seen any in the yard--until this morning. I was walking down the driveway to the mailbox looking down at my letters to make sure they were sealed and I saw something whirl on the ground by my feet, so instinctively I jumped straight up. It was a baby rattlesnake about 8 inches long. I looked at him good to make sure it was a rattlesnake and not a harmless snake, and sure enough it had the triangle head. He was sort of cute, but I didn't spare him. He was headed to the horse pasture and had stopped to sun along the way. I was lucky.

 

[Sterling]

Whew!!!! That was close! We have rattle snakes up this way...the northeastern variety, altho I have not seen any around (nor do I ever hope to). We have a lot of the other kinds...mostly King, Hog Nosed and Rat snakes.

 

[River Wood]

I just couldn't stand it!

We have harmless snakes here in my area I guess altho it has been YEARS since I've ever seen any type of snake. Yikes. Wasps...well we have plenty of those.

 

[Marty]

Hey Marsha, if he was only 8 inches, look for the nest. You still might find some.

Also, some type of rattlers like to travel in pairs, so look around for his brother too.

 

[Leeana]

Ewwwwww please do not say the word snake around me LOL. Big time snake phobia, i cannot even stand the word snake. Ew

That really stinks, im sorry, i could not stand to live where you do! Garden snakes are to much for me.

I actually just seen the first (hopefully last, dought it though) snake of the season on my way to the barn ...

A good snake is a dead snake, i know i know ..they kill bugs and keep gardens free of pests but they do not have to do that at my house

 

[wildoak]

Baby rattlers can be very dangerous I'm told - they don't control the amount of venom they inject, and basically give you all they've got.

We don't see them here as a rule, we keep it mowed and have enough cats, dogs and general activity to keep them away. They are nearby though, several neighbors have found snakes nearby. Ugh.

Jan

 

[Feather]

Haven't seen "Big Mama" yet this season. Last couple years she has been over 6 foot & about 8 inces of rattles. Course I haven't been able to actually measure her with a tape. She is pretty smart, always found sunning along one of our wooded paths when I don't have a gun & I'm not ready to chase her into the woods yet. Our place is very very natural terrain. Planty of wild life still. A mountain lion, a couple Bobcats, planty of deer, copper heads, green/yellow type & my favorite; the Blue birds, Cardinals, Gold birds, etc. etc.

Ever try the "Old Indain Folklore"; you burn a snake & no more will reappear at that spot again??

It has worked the few times I have tried it. Also, hogs will drive snakes away by eating them because their bites won't penerate their skin.

Have a wonder spring/summer; if you run out of snakes I may be able to send you some, of course no guarantees which kind that might show up.

 

[minih]

Yikes, you are lucky indeed!

Yesterday we went out to my Mom's house where we have an arena set up for driving, my daughter and our gelding Pistol were driving on the far end away from us and I saw him jump forward and speed up. My daughter and him came whirling around, and she said that right after he jumped and took off she saw something out of the corner of her eye and heard a ssssss, a snake had struck at the cart while they were driving off.

We looked and couldn't find it. Tonight my husband went out and put round up around the outside edge of the arena to help deter them from coming inside where the grass is any longer. It is at the edge of her property and around that end the grass has grown to where we had the fence set up. I hate snakes!!

 

[Bunnylady]

We have a couple of dozen different kinds of snakes around here, only about 6 of which are poisonous. Some of the nonvenomous ones only get as long as a pencil, they are rather cute!

If you want to talk about poisonous snakes, though, I bet Maplegum could really make your hair curl. I hear Australia has some doozies!

 

[tigeresss]

AHhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! I would not survive down South! hahaha. Granted I'm the sort of person who would rather encounter a 6ft boa rather than a 1ft garder snake. I love snakes when they're in cages or being held or from a distance but I don't like being near them when they're on the ground. They always manage to sneak up on me.

Up here the only snakes I've ever seen in "the wild" are garder (garden) snakes. They're ugly, small, and creepy. I've had pythons and boas on shoulders/around my neck but you won't get me picking up a garder snake! hahaha. I know it's very backward. Anyway I saw my first (and hopefully last) one of the season up at a friends farm...I jumped over my boyfriend to get away from it haha.

I'll always remember the other year when I was riding near my house and I saw a garder snake on the ground...I was so scared (keep in mind I'm up on a massive horse) that I just cantered away and I didn't stop for quite awhile! hahaha.

 

[strass]

Saturday, I was walking the fence in one of our pastures down by the pond. The wind was blowing really hard, but I noticed something that sounded slightly different amongst all the rattling leaves.

I looked down and saw a large rattler within striking distance coiled back like we was going to give me a taste.

(I think the smell of my pee must have driven him off.)

That evening, I got the 12ga. ready to go. It's just a matter of time before I will get another snake picture to add to my webpage...can't afford to take a chance on letting them live.

 

[Southern_Heart]

2 years ago we had a rattle snake bite my Darla on the nose 2 times. What a mess that was. She recovered nicely but she lost her filly.

The snake was found and shot. I also have her with the snake bites on my site along with the dead snake.

http://www.southernheartranch.com/rattlesnakebite.html

This year she gave me an outstanding filly to make up for it!

Shes 2 months old and 20.5" Shes a tiny little filly!!!

see below!! Life is good!!

Joyce

Before

AFTER

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes, I have had a hrose bitten before, too. He recovered, but it is a terrible thing to go through.

 

[Marty]

Enjoy!

 

[Janis]

I can tell you from a first hand experience that a snake bite is NO PICNIC! I was bitten by a copperhead on my ring finger a few years ago. I spent a week in the hospital!! My finger still swells on & off.

Janis

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Had I seen the snake, I would not have killed it. I would just start screaming and wetting my pants (at the very least), and it would probably have had to catch me to bite me! I am so scared of those things, and my grandson will capitalize on that whenever he can.

 

[txminipinto]

Enjoy!

A missed opportunity to kill 2 snakes with 1 shovel.......

 

[Feather]

Snake do not like to cross sulfur as it burns their belly BUT rain washes it away. It works to close off an area.

 

[Marylou]

If there are king snakes around, encourage them. Don't kill them. They are the one snake a rattler will run from as kings kill rattlers. We had a black racer have her babies under our house. A herpatologist friend who raises kings gave us a bag of king shed. We sprinkled it under and around the house and they were gone the next day and no snakes for over a year. Only have to do it once a year.

 

[Mom2Cami]

My brother in law and his brother went "Hickory Chicken" hunting a couple weeks ago and ran up on a rattler..they killed it and ate it for sunday dinner...I couldn't even look at the pot it was cooking in..