SFR Rattlesnake behavior

Sorta fishing-related
I have always seen rattlesnakes right where are supposed to be. On exposed basalt, base of sage brush. They are not sitting in the middle of a trail waiting to bite you. Only one that rattled was in a brush pile at the end of a log. I parted ways and we were both happy.
Spent a few nights on the shop floor (in Oroville) in just a sleeping bag, with a black widow in the window sill. She liked flies and wasps. No interest in me.
Scorpion on a fire pit at Lenice.
With that said, ticks are another matter. One on a butt cheek, another on my right nipple. Tough to find someone to help with either.
 
On the opposite end of the spectrum:

Walking out at last last light through a pine tree flat with my 3 dogs I had one jump about 4-5' straight up in the air about 10' in front of us. As soon as it hit the ground it coiled and rattled. We made a hard left and went waaay around it but I never had seen one do that and have no idea why it did.
 
Seeing them first is always the cue, If I see them first no problem. But when you don’t see them, because they do blend a bit, and of course your senses are not all on snake mode when walking and looking ahead. Right? You see movement but don’t know what it is? Then you notice the little F’er coiled some times off to the left or right of your trail. Or you at a spot and casting and for some reason you seem to notice you have a friend near you who has been quiet. These are the things that bother me deeply. I don’t do well with bee stings. I get bad reactions, even from one sting these days….. hives and local swelling. I can’t imagine what a snake bite would do but I don’t want to find out !!! 😬
 
I like to fish the Yakima in light wear… including sandals. My fishing friend took a piss on some plants river edge and a rattler let him know. …. Don’t want that bitten. 😆
 
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question: I'm interested in getting the rattle from a snake. If I come across one and have the nerve, can I kill it and cut off the rattle?
is this illegal? unethical? not cool?
just curious.
 
True story
I worked for a logging co. out of Twisp, WA
I was walking off the ridge (Gold ck) back to the landing when I walked into a stinky, clean rocky area, like no pine needles or duff, just sand.
I stopped cause of the smell, and started looking around.
I had been buzzed at about 50 yds from is area. Didn't see the snake.
Anyway, I'm looking around and there is a rattlesnake, and another, and another. I'm standing in the middle of a denning area. There are snakes all around me.
All is quiet, I do an about face and walk my tracks out of there.
I get about five steps away and the side of the ridge starts to buzz.
I was working a thinning contract up Black cyn, trib to the Methow.
A rattler came out from under a little tree I cut, so I hit it with my saw, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, rattlesnake flying right back at me.
Fun times working the woods in rattlesnake country.
 
dep said:
question: I'm interested in getting the rattle from a snake. If I come across one and have the nerve, can I kill it and cut off the rattle?
is this illegal? unethical? not cool?
just curious.
Click to expand...
If ya don’t eat what ya kill…just say no…and travel on down the trail.
 
dirty dog said:
A rattler came out from under a little tree I cut, so I hit it with my saw, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, rattlesnake flying right back at me.
Fun times working the woods in rattlesnake country.
Click to expand...
Always cut snakes with the top of your bar never the bottom. :)
 
RCF said:
After encountering water moccasins, copperheads and timber rattlers, and diamondbacks in Alabama I have one response. You go that away and I will go the opposite way. Not sticking around.

PS: they even hang from tree branches. Those are knarley for sure...
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lol, yep. I never would handle moccasins or copperheads....too squirly (even with both a hook and tongs) and with the moccasins, total assholes 100% of the time. When I lived in TX, we would canoe down the Brazos. Once had a water moccasin try to climb into my canoe....wasn't particularly aggressive in attempting to do so, just wanted to place to rest, but that was a solid NO from me.
 
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Den area story like dirty dogs:. Was walking in to climb at a place called phantom spires, Tahoe area, one warm May day. My friend dave was in the lead, and the snow hadn't all melted out, so it was a mix of snow and dry patches. After walking on snow for awhile, Dave walks into a 30' circular dry brushy area with a stump and smallish rock pile. Takes about 3 steps in, and the place erupts with angry buzzing ALL around him. It was the sound of hitting a big angry bee hive, or throwing the rock through the wasp nest. Warm enough to get all the hungry angry spring snakes out of the den and into the sun, but the snow fence kept them all right there next to the entrance!

He levitated for a bit and came running out without getting bit. No idea how many, we saw a few, but it was a double digits all close together situation for sure.
 
clarkman said:
lol, yep. I never would handle moccasins or copperheads....too squirly (even with both a hook and tongs) and with the moccasins, total assholes 100% of the time. When I lived in TX, we would canoe down the Brazos. Once had a water moccasin try to climb into my canoe....wasn't particularly aggressive in attempting to do so, just wanted to place to rest, but that was a solid NO from me.
Click to expand...

That was also my experience. Alabama also has coral snakes. Never saw one. Any experience with them?

BTW rattlesnakes do taste good. But that is a different story I may share sometime...
 
RCF said:
That was also my experience. Alabama also has coral snakes. Never saw one. Any experience with them?

BTW rattlesnakes do taste good. But that is a different story I may share sometime...
Click to expand...
I've found them under rocks & wood debris but that's another I won't mess with at all. They aren't usually super bitey....unless they are. super unpredictable in both temperament from moment to moment and in movements.
 
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dep said:
question: I'm interested in getting the rattle from a snake. If I come across one and have the nerve, can I kill it and cut off the rattle?
is this illegal? unethical? not cool?
just curious.
Click to expand...
There's a term for this....it's not something I can repeat but I thought of another term: snakebit. Enjoy collecting your rattle.
 
dirty dog said:
True story
I worked for a logging co. out of Twisp, WA
I was walking off the ridge (Gold ck) back to the landing when I walked into a stinky, clean rocky area, like no pine needles or duff, just sand.
I stopped cause of the smell, and started looking around.
I had been buzzed at about 50 yds from is area. Didn't see the snake.
Anyway, I'm looking around and there is a rattlesnake, and another, and another. I'm standing in the middle of a denning area. There are snakes all around me.
All is quiet, I do an about face and walk my tracks out of there.
I get about five steps away and the side of the ridge starts to buzz.
I was working a thinning contract up Black cyn, trib to the Methow.
A rattler came out from under a little tree I cut, so I hit it with my saw, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, rattlesnake flying right back at me.
Fun times working the woods in rattlesnake country.
Click to expand...
Funny story! 20 years ago I hunted deer on Thompson Ridge, just West of Twisp. There was a particular area where I could almost always count on seeing a rattler. It must have been a den area, also.
 
I help put on a snake break every year to keep dogs safe around rattlers. The folks actually doing the training show up with a bunch of pet rattlers of different species/subspecies. They tell me that the ones we have in Wa/Or/BC ( northern Pacifics) are the most laidback of the species. They do not like to rattle much and they are pretty happy to avoid conflict. The ones I have come across in the NW bear this out. The Montana species- the prairie rattler- is pretty pugnacious and likes a fight.

Fun fact- a dog training friend years ago got ahold of a local snake and wanted to slow it down by cooling it down to snake break a dog, so he put it in a bucket in the fridg. Came back a few hours later and opened the lid and stirred it up a bit and it was still incredibly lively. Did the same thing again with the same result. Turns out the northern pacific is the most cold-hardy of the rattlers.
 
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I have no idea what it is, but I stepped out of the water to this, and it must have been warming up because it didn't move. I just assume they all bite.
20220802_snake.jpg
 
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