berettadouble
Member
I'm going to be in MT the first week of pheasant season from Iowa. Since such things aren't available in Iowa and I spend a fair amount of time west, while I'm there are there any services that do the snake breaking? Thanks
snakebreaking in MT?
- Thread starter berettadouble
- Start date
MTtailchaser
Member
From what I was told, it's only offered once in the summer(end of June) here in the Billings area. There had to be at least 50+ people waiting after me and there were still people coming in as I was leaving. I'm not sure if it's offered anywhere else in the state.
BrowningCitori
Member
I know the Three Forks and Great Falls (or Golden Triangle) dog clubs offer snake break clinics (or have in the past). However, they are usually in the summer. The odds of finding one during the bird season seem slim to none to me (where would you rather be chasing birds or playing with snakes). Besides it needs to be warm enough for the snake to be active and buzzing/rattling. Usually by pheasant season snakes are in the den, however, if the weather doesn't change soon they won't be in this year.
It's funny how regional expressions differ. Out here in Calif. if you had your dog "snake broke" it would mean your dog was now trained to allow a snake to ride on its back. They call the classes here snake avoidance classes.
The one I went to had three snakes, one dead and two live snakes. The dog was introduced to the dead one and shocked. It then went to a live one that had been in an ice chest on ice so it was lethargic and wouldn't strike. The dog was shocked again. The third snake was warm and in a small animal carry box. They prodded the box until it rattled with the dog next to the box and shocked the dog. The dog was then led back to the dead snake and put on the opposite side of the snake from the owner. The owner was asked to call his dog and if the dog ran straight to the owner and across the snake it was given the lessons again. If the dog went to the owner but went around the snake at a safe distance, it passed and that will be $65 please.
The way they did the class it could be very cold and it would work but as BC pointed out everybody is hunting in the fall and not interested in dog training even though snakes may still be out.
The one I went to had three snakes, one dead and two live snakes. The dog was introduced to the dead one and shocked. It then went to a live one that had been in an ice chest on ice so it was lethargic and wouldn't strike. The dog was shocked again. The third snake was warm and in a small animal carry box. They prodded the box until it rattled with the dog next to the box and shocked the dog. The dog was then led back to the dead snake and put on the opposite side of the snake from the owner. The owner was asked to call his dog and if the dog ran straight to the owner and across the snake it was given the lessons again. If the dog went to the owner but went around the snake at a safe distance, it passed and that will be $65 please.
The way they did the class it could be very cold and it would work but as BC pointed out everybody is hunting in the fall and not interested in dog training even though snakes may still be out.
berettadouble
Member
I figured it was a long shot- thanks anyhow guys.
If you find a dead rattler or kill one you can do your own avoidance training using the technique I described they used in the class I took my dog to. You'd get a bunch of the benefit and maybe more than they offered because you could do it over and over. You wouldn't get the rattling noise opportunity to train but if you get them to avoid the smell you'll have a huge improvement.
Maybe there's someone who does problem snake removal in your area that you can get a snake from or borrow for awhile. There's a guy in our area that does it. We don't have more snakes than other places, just more people to come in contact with them.
http://ramirezrattlesnakeremoval.com/
Maybe there's someone who does problem snake removal in your area that you can get a snake from or borrow for awhile. There's a guy in our area that does it. We don't have more snakes than other places, just more people to come in contact with them.
http://ramirezrattlesnakeremoval.com/
berettadouble
Member
Thanks, hope I didn't appear ungrateful for the response. The issue I have is I am horribly afraid of snakes myself. I will stand my ground and shoot- but that is all the interaction I desire. Irrational? Sure. But I've had the bad experience to make the fear genuine also.
But there is no such thing as a harmless snake if they give you a heart attack when you see them.
SO- slightly off topic and maybe should post it elsewhere, would ANY snake work? I could find a nonvenomous snake here but obviously no rattle and smell different?
But there is no such thing as a harmless snake if they give you a heart attack when you see them.
SO- slightly off topic and maybe should post it elsewhere, would ANY snake work? I could find a nonvenomous snake here but obviously no rattle and smell different?
I know I took no offence. Snakes don't bother me once I see them (with the exception of the Whip Snake family. They are so fast you can't run away from them and they climb trees just as fast. Luckily non-venomous) but even a water snake can make me levitate a little if I don't see it until I almost step on it.
I imagine there'd be some benefit from any kind of snake but I'd imagine they do smell different. I'm not going to get down and try a whiff however.
A part of a rattler is as good as the whole thing if it's dead. Look for a squashed one on the road and take just a loose part if you can deal with that. They get run over more out here in the fall when they try to warm up on the asphalt before they hibernate.
I bet they'll find a gene that causes that fear and it's just how it is.
Ditchmaster
Well-known member
Vacciation
Besides the avoidance training, the local vet also recommends a series of rattlesnake vaccinations that will greatly increase the survivability of your dog if bitten. I think by October they should be denned up. You can order mounted rattlesnakes off the net, I am going to get one and use it for this season administrating my own avoidance training, then next summer I'll hit a live snake training and use the mount as a refresher.
Besides the avoidance training, the local vet also recommends a series of rattlesnake vaccinations that will greatly increase the survivability of your dog if bitten. I think by October they should be denned up. You can order mounted rattlesnakes off the net, I am going to get one and use it for this season administrating my own avoidance training, then next summer I'll hit a live snake training and use the mount as a refresher.
Here in the Calif. foothills of the Sierras there are a lot of rattlers. I asked my vet that my fiance's daughter worked for and who we now take the dog to about those vaccinations and he wasn't all that enthusiastic about them. The link below reflects a similar sentiment for the reasons he gave me..
A friend had his dog bitten by a rattler and he was faced with an anti-venom treatment that had two costs. One was for a specific species of rattler and was slightly cheaper than the other that was as all encompassing as an anti-venom can be. Both cost over $1,000 with the best one being $1,300 + as I recall. Even with vaccinations you still will need the anti-venom if bitten.
A vaccination buys you time if vets aren't close by or are hard to find which is the case in mid Oct. in Montana because they are all doing pregnancy testing for cattle. Last year I needed a vet while in Northeastern Montana and the closest one I could find was in Williston, N. Dakota.
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-health/Rattlesnake-Vaccine
A friend had his dog bitten by a rattler and he was faced with an anti-venom treatment that had two costs. One was for a specific species of rattler and was slightly cheaper than the other that was as all encompassing as an anti-venom can be. Both cost over $1,000 with the best one being $1,300 + as I recall. Even with vaccinations you still will need the anti-venom if bitten.
A vaccination buys you time if vets aren't close by or are hard to find which is the case in mid Oct. in Montana because they are all doing pregnancy testing for cattle. Last year I needed a vet while in Northeastern Montana and the closest one I could find was in Williston, N. Dakota.
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-health/Rattlesnake-Vaccine
MTtailchaser
Member
Me personally, I would stay away from the rattlesnake vaccination. My dog had a reaction to it this year and he was down for almost two weeks. He stopped eating, could barely stand up and could barely walk. He lost 10lbs in a week. The vaccine alone will not prevent a reaction or death if the dog is bit, it merely buys you time to get to a vet for treatment. My advice would be to get your dog(s) snake broke and carry benadryl with you in case they do get bit.
OKIEGunner
New member
Not sure that Benadryl is my first choice, exspecially if it is a bite around the face or neck.
DEXEMETHASONE (SP) Combats allergic reactions to venomor or anti-venom. REDUCES inflammation (20X better than ani-inflamitory).
I carry with me all the time in early season!:10sign:
DEXEMETHASONE (SP) Combats allergic reactions to venomor or anti-venom. REDUCES inflammation (20X better than ani-inflamitory).
I carry with me all the time in early season!:10sign:
BrowningCitori
Member
39 degrees this morning, the rattlers shouldn't be out much longer!:cheers:
Snow in the mountains, finally the weather is shifting away from hot and dry.
Snow in the mountains, finally the weather is shifting away from hot and dry.
Great news! We're scheduled to have a small front go through our area tomorrow. It feels like things have changed but until I hear the cranes fly over it's still summer in my mind.
mnmthunting
Banned
You know when it's cool like in the forties in the morning and the Sun shines bright on those gumbo hillsides and rocky areas heats those rocks and dirt up in the afternoons..
The snakes come out to catch the warmth.
The snakes come out to catch the warmth.