Can I have all three?

FlushingSetters1724

FlushingSetters1724

Active member
Is it possible to get all 3... Huns, Sharpies, and no fear of rattlesnakes in September? I usually head to South Dakota in October to pheasant hunt, but I've always wanted to get a head start on the action and hunt in September. I wanted to get to MT but that's a bit further away, and it sounds like snakes are a legitimate concern there.. From what I've read, I should be safe around the Minot area, but I could be wrong. I wouldn't be so concerned about snakes if I was able to get my dogs the vaccines or some aversion training, but we don't have too many rattlers in WI. If anyone can steer me in a direction from Minot to have some success with all 3 or tell me it's silly to even worry about snakes there that'd be cool.
 
Rattlesnakes are mostly limited to the are SW of the Missouri River and within that zone there are areas of relatively sparce snake use and areas that were rattlesnakes are more common. In late August and September, they are often moving to communal dens.

There are a few areas N and E of the Missouri River where rattlesnakes are locally common. I believe ND Outdoors did an article about a den in the Linton area.
 
FlushingSetters1724 said:
Is it possible to get all 3... Huns, Sharpies, and no fear of rattlesnakes in September? I usually head to South Dakota in October to pheasant hunt, but I've always wanted to get a head start on the action and hunt in September. I wanted to get to MT but that's a bit further away, and it sounds like snakes are a legitimate concern there.. From what I've read, I should be safe around the Minot area, but I could be wrong. I wouldn't be so concerned about snakes if I was able to get my dogs the vaccines or some aversion training, but we don't have too many rattlers in WI. If anyone can steer me in a direction from Minot to have some success with all 3 or tell me it's silly to even worry about snakes there that'd be cool.
Click to expand...
The last rattle snake I saw was near reed point montana 5 years ago.
 
I've hunted all over the western 1/3 of ND the past 4 seasons, and haven't encountered any rattlesnakes. (knock on wood)
I'm there in Sept for sharpies & huns, and again in Oct for pheasant.
I've spent more time north of the river than south for sure. I'm guessing that the further south and west you go, the odds of a snake encounter go up.
 
I live about 20 miles SE of Dix (Dickinson) and do most of my hunting around my place. I've yet to see a rattlesnake in the area. Down here you really don't get into snakes until around Amidon, then west into the Grasslands and Badlands. Even at that, you likely will never run across one except maybe around P-Dog towns.

Back in the 90's (before I moved down here) I was bowhunting the Badlands and camped on private land near Rhame in early October, across the road from a well known denning butte. Snakes were on the move headed toward that butte, I would find them run over on the road every morning. I had the idea I should be able to find a nice sized rattler to skin and tan for a hat band, but hard as I looked, I never saw a live rattler in the week I hunted there.

BTW, I can & do get into all three species on any given day, but not necessarily in the same type of terrain. I can recall only once in the last three years when I got all three in a mile walk of one patch of cover. I expected roosters & huns, but was completely surprised when the Wrecking Crew flushed a sharp...
 
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