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AZDirtyTaco

Rrrrrattle Rattle

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I'm getting ready to head back down to the youth turkey camp, but holler at me sometime.  I did my graduate work on the venom and genetics of Mohave rattlesnakes.  I've seen strings of 5+ people walk past them because passive defense is their primary defense (most of the time).

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Freakin snakes! I’m getting some turtle skins this year. I sweat in the winter so no worries about extra heat.

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I've stood on a couple, those bastards find me in 21 all the time. I only kill them when "It's an ethical shot"😝

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Had a friend finish a rattlesnake off with a pistol. He put it around his neck took some pictures for a few minutes. Put it down back on the ground and the thing coiled back up ready to brawl. Lucky sob

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Yeah, it’s just something you have to deal with here. It’s pretty unlikely that you will have any trouble.

I run into the black ones in the canyon bottoms where I hunt coues. Those suckers can be pretty aggressive and I have actually run into a few of them in close proximity before. Hearing multiple buzz all around you is a real trip. But all it took was walking away to fix the situation.

When I was a kid I spent a lot of time in the desert during the summer. I killed all of them I saw and in 3 months killed 13. Never really had any trouble with them that I didn’t start.

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Pack a stun gun, if bitten stun your self around bite  it will stop venom from spreading. Done and  it works but still go to medical facility to get checked

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I’ve seen 3 this week. Plus two gopher snakes. They have definitely started moving around more. I see them all the time in my line of work.

I stepped inches from the first one I saw this week before he rattled and it scared me pretty good. Luckily he didn’t strike.

I’ve had so many close encounters, I’ve lost count. Probably the craziest was the time I squatted down to take a dump with one coiled up right next to me the whole time. I was messing with my phone and I didn’t notice he was even there until I stood back up. Luckily it was a cold morning and he didn’t care. 

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20 hours ago, Lucafu1 said:

This was handing around my porch yesterday....

20190417_162339.jpg

That snake is your friend.  Not dangerous and eats mice, packrats, not you.  Gopher snake I think.

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19 hours ago, Jazz said:

One thing to remember guys.. rattlesnakes don't always rattle. Maybe what.. half the time? If you're lucky.. Out of the hundreds I've killed, I think maybe 20 or so I actually heard.

My experience has been the opposite, out of the hundreds I have been around only 5 ish didn’t rattle.  The ones that don’t rattle usually aren’t ready to strike, they are moving away so no worries there.  Only 1 that a can recall didn’t rattle and was striking.  He was a grumpy little prairie rattler.

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1 minute ago, KoosCrazy said:

My experience has been the opposite, out of the hundreds I have been around only 5 ish didn’t rattle.  The ones that don’t rattle usually aren’t ready to strike, they are moving away so no worries there.  Only 1 that a can recall didn’t rattle and was striking.  He was a grumpy little prairie rattler.

Last August.. coming back from the blind in 21, heading to the truck. Got the wife with me.

We're walking on this trail - it's night. There's a mojave in the trail and it's ticked off. We're looking at it, decide to take it out. One shot- with a .45 snake shot did the trick. So I'm looking for a stick to move it out of the way- (Because you never know) and I walk 3 or 4 yards to get this curled branch - And it's another rattler! Quiet through all that commotion! I almost picked up a snake.. trying to move another snake.

That night we got 4 just on the way back to the truck. Crazy.

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Reminds me of the time my brother in law and I were hanging cameras in 23 one May.  We just finished up the setup and walked back to the quad for a cold one.  As we stood around the quad I heard the "rattle", and said did you hear that?  He said hear what?  We got about half way through the cold one and I heard the rattle.  I again said, "did you hear that", hear what he said.  This time I took a step back and found him coiled up and ready.  I jump back and my brother in law hops on the seat of his quad!  That day could have ended really badly, we were back there in "deep". 

Mohave Rattler.jpg

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I have posted this before but this was basically my introduction to rattlesnakes.......down in the bootheel of New Mexico in what some would consider middle of nowhere nothing! My dad's ditch banks were clean from weeds, our house......clean from weeds all the way around! If you went off the main path you made sure you had a shovel in your hand! Lots of great memories and lots of PTSD memories about growing up there! 

We have had several encounters out in the boonies with rattlers, walk loud and carry a big stick!!!!

 

IMG_1990.JPG

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1 hour ago, Non-Typical Solutions said:

I have posted this before but this was basically my introduction to rattlesnakes.......down in the bootheel of New Mexico in what some would consider middle of nowhere nothing! My dad's ditch banks were clean from weeds, our house......clean from weeds all the way around! If you went off the main path you made sure you had a shovel in your hand! Lots of great memories and lots of PTSD memories about growing up there! 

We have had several encounters out in the boonies with rattlers, walk loud and carry a big stick!!!!

 

IMG_1990.JPG

Nice ride!  Looks like a 55-57 chevy stepside.

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I've been hunting in  AZ most my life---   never really thought  twice  about  rattlers.   Friends wear chaps  religiously !!  

I've never been stuck at by a rattler , other than when I was trying to catch it!

Now that gets your blood pumping. going after a rattle with a cresol branch!!

if you leave them alone , they usually wont be aggressive.

I put on my first chaps  this  spring  as  the grasses , desert floral  was  crazily  thick and tall .  I didn't encounter a snake ,  probably my las t time  with gators too!

the fact that I probably wont  hear it  gives me a little thought  but hey  my problem-   Nobody I knows has ever been bitten ---  lots of people  with a lifetime of hunting.

I think one time  chaps prevented a strike.

yes , if you see what damage any venom causes-  it's not a joke to protect  yourself!

watch out  for young rattlers- small especially babys- they cant control their venom

older snakes  have a kill strike  where they intend yo kill , eat something - it shows  the jaws working  deep into the prey.

warning strikes aren't as dangerous- lethal usually.

wear leggings if you like -just be safe out there either way! 

 

 

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