NFR Close encounters of the slithering kind!

[Flymph]

The wildfires we had this past summer sent some of our reptile friends into wet orchards just outside the city limits "and beyond". Was chatting with a coaching colleague who parks his "Locked Up" truck in the High School, student parking lot. Not giving it much thought he opened the door and out popped a rattle snake from the driver's side seat. Of course this would have been a significant heart event for me but he took it in stride. He went on to say that he has seen more snakes than usual that have been driven down the burnt hills less than a mile out of town. Our principal also found a rattle snake in her office one fine morning to get her day off to an exciting start.

I taught at this HS for 46 years and never saw a snake in the school or on the school grounds. Snakes seek refuge just like any other creature fleeing for its life from the ravages of wildfires. It's just that I would rather see and welcome just about any other animal coming into town.

 

[Evan B]

I have many snattlerake stories. The time I got bit on my right arm probably topping the list.

 

[_WW_]

The wildfires we had this past summer sent some of our reptile friends into wet orchards just outside the city limits "and beyond". Was chatting with a coaching colleague who parks his "Locked Up" truck in the High School, student parking lot. Not giving it much thought he opened the door and out popped a rattle snake from the driver's side seat. Of course this would have been a significant heart event for me but he took it in stride. He went on to say that he has seen more snakes than usual that have been driven down the burnt hills less than a mile out of town. Our principal also found a rattle snake in her office one fine morning to get her day off to an exciting start.

I taught at this HS for 46 years and never saw a snake in the school or on the school grounds. Snakes seek refuge just like any other creature fleeing for its life from the ravages of wildfires. It's just that I would rather see and welcome just about any other animal coming into town.

I suspect hi-jinks from the student body.
Don't ask me how I know...

 

[SurfnFish]

My uncle was a herpetologist, and for 30 years the director of the SF Randall Museum of Science and Nature. He personally trapped many of the snakes and reptiles on exhibit during his tenure, had endured endless bites from pretty much everything, and not once did I feel compelled to go collecting with him when invited.

 

[RCF]

When living in Alabama we came across lots of snakes; rattlers, cottonmouths, copperheads, pretty much anything that one did not want to be around.

One afternoon my family was sitting around the kitchen table. My brother came home with a paper bag. Said ' almost got killed the afternoon'. Sorta normal for him. He reached in the bag and pulled out a 5' rattler. The rattles were shaking really loud. Mom leapt across the room. I hide under the table. Then Dad noticed the head had been cut/shot off. All clear! That night we had grilled rattle snake... It was tasty - just not much meat...

 

[JudyM]

When living in Alabama we came across lots of snakes; rattlers, cottonmouths, copperheads, pretty much anything that one did not want to be around.

One afternoon my family was sitting around the kitchen table. My brother came home with a paper bag. Said ' almost got killed the afternoon'. Sorta normal for him. He reached in the bag and pulled out a 5' rattler. The rattles were shaking really loud. Mom leapt across the room. I hide under the table. Then Dad noticed the head had been cut/shot off. All clear! That night we had grilled rattle snake... It was tasty - just not much meat...

Tastes like chicken, eh?

 

[troutstalker]

I have many snattlerake stories. The time I got bit on my right arm probably topping the list.

Would love to hear your story.

 

[Sam Roffe]

No great rattle snake stories here. Did drop my boat on an unsuspecting baby rattler. Didn’t know it until the next day and went fishing, being flattened didn’t do it any good.

 

[Cliff]

No problems here with rattlers. I almost stepped on this one while hunting turkeys in the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area last spring. Lots of snakes there.

 

[clarkman]

As one who loves to search slithering critters out, I've got plenty of stories.

found this fella right in the middle of a campsite when we rolled up and even walked all around the campsite without seeing it...didn't make a peep.


Didn't even make a peep when I moved it away...


It was this 5'+ gopher snake (the Great Basin Gopher's that are commonly found in E. WA & E. OR rarely get larger than 3.5'...this was an absolute unit) that had the worst attitude for me saving him from the road.