Grouse/Chicken and Snakes

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MrRedNWhite

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I am planning to come up to Fort Pierre Grasslands early October. Can anyone share info on the snake situation in that area at that time? How prevalent, how active? If I avoid prairie dog towns and rocky areas, are we safe?

I am trying to find some snake avoidance training before we go, but haven't found anything yet (Dallas, TX area if anyone has recommendations).
 
MrRedNWhite said:
I am planning to come up to Fort Pierre Grasslands early October. Can anyone share info on the snake situation in that area at that time? How prevalent, how active? If I avoid prairie dog towns and rocky areas, are we safe?

I am trying to find some snake avoidance training before we go, but haven't found anything yet (Dallas, TX area if anyone has recommendations).
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Most of the snake avoidance training in TX will use western diamondbacks....not prairie rattlesnakes. The have different scents. There is guy near Houston that does snake training with western diamondbacks. The Western Bird Dog Club of SD is in Rapid City and they do snake avoidance clinics with prairie rattlesnakes. You might check with them to see if they will be doing any additional clinics this year. Trainng should ideally be snake specific. Scent is a really important part of it.

I haven't hunted the grasslands but those that I know have, told me they waited until after the first snow fall. Avoiding the pd towns is important but I think you could run into snakes anywhere on a warm day in that part of the country. You can get a map of the location of the towns, to help avoid those areas specifically. I attached a link but don't know how current the attached map is.


Snakes can be an issue anywhere when hunting west of the Missouri River. Good to be prepared. Have run regardless.
 
On a warm day in October, the snakes will be out. Snake avoidance is the best. My dogs avoid anything that looks or moves like a snake, regardless of species. I also use the snake vaccine that is back on the market. Even though it was developed from one species, the vets I trust say it reduces the cost of treatment if they are struck. I hunt quail in New Mexico also. The vets down there deal with Mojave rattlers and still say "vaccinate". Good enough for me and it isn't expensive. The vet I use up here (SD) is a hunter and he uses it. Personal preference...
 
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