RATTLER!!

BritChaser

BritChaser

Well-known member
Ever encountered or been struck by a rattlesnake while hunting (or otherwise)? Share the stories.

I've encountered a rattler six times: First: on a piece of walk-in in SW NE. Made me jump! I turned around and gave it a load of no. 6 based on sound location and luckily connected, sending it flying. Second: was chukar hunting in northern NV on top of a little mesa with a broken rock top. Rattling started. I kind of tiptoed toward the sound, but it was deep in the broken rock and there it stayed. Third: while helping harvest wheat in western KS I went to my car but a vole scampered under the driver side door area with a rattler trailing it; took evasive action. Fourth: was in western KS walking through a prairie dog town when a rattler lit up. It was getting some November sun and then it wasn't. Fifth: a rattler was on a back road while I was scouting for turkey in western KS. Tried to run over it but it evaded three times. Got out of the car and used a shotgun. Sixth: In western Kansas helping a friend harvest his wheat. Went to my vehicle to find a rattler a few feet from it and heading for the driver's door. Went around and got in the passenger door as a vole scampered out from beneath the car. Snake was on the hunt for a meal.
 
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Being bit or having the dog being bit by a rattlesnake out in a rural area would be right up there in terms of emergency as having the dog get stuck in a trap. Both are potential life-threatening situations.

I hope to avoid both as long as I'm able to hunt.
 
Someone I took to southwest Ks stepped over one a couple years ago. The landowners son had hopped in that field to walk it with us and emptied his gun in it. And then got some shells from us to finish the walk . He’d only brought what was in his gun😆
We see them dead on the roads enough out there, you know there around
 
I helped a farmer in KS, who was stuck in snow once. It was in Jan. with snow on the ground, probably 6" or so. High temps for the day were in the 30's. He said hey go hunt my place, but don't go near towns. I said really as cold as it is
He said yes, I see them even in Jan, they are out sunning all the time.
 
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While it's not like I'm playing touch football or frisbee in prairie dog towns, it's tough to shoot prairie dogs without being in the towns. I've only seen a rattler once while doing so, I think. He wasn't rattling and I didn't see the head or the tail to verify, but it was definitely a snake and it definitely had markings that looked "rattlesnakey".

Of all the hunting I've done west of Wichita, there have only been two encounters. Both of them were in the same field in Gray county, and within a year or two of each other. I wasn't involved in either encounter. One was dove season and one was opening day.
 
Got hit on the leg while rabbit hunting in south Georgia a few years back on a warm day. Luckily I was wearing chaps. We encountered several more in the next few minutes so we shut it down. Turkey hunting in Texas years ago I encountered a monster diamond back but he got dead too.
 
Internet says if immediate treatment is given, survival rate is 80 - 95%, larger dogs doing better.
 
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