Labradinger
Active member
Goin to central SD where there are rattlesnakes. Never hunted where snakes are before. The high for Sunday shows 62 and sunny. Is anything above ground this year or will they make an appearance with ir being that warm?
Snakes out?
- Thread starter Labradinger
- Start date
Depends on what you mean by 'central'. If you are just East of the MO river, should have few problems. I hear they are more prevalent near and West of the river, but I steer clear so no firsthand knowledge. Never seen one in 15 years (East river) during pheasant season. Having said that, steer clear of any prairie dog towns if you are near any of that - snakes like those areas.
Labradinger
Active member
This will be south of Pierre
Yes, that's the area. I hunt out there every year and had never seen snakes this late in the season. See plenty in Sept, but not usually late October and early November.
That1uncle1776
Member
You won't see any this late in the year.
Labradinger
Active member
A buddy’s dog got bit in this area about 2-3 weeks ago, but it was considerably warmer both day and night. I wasnt sure if the recent colder temps, especially at night, kept them under ground for the rest if the year
Bob Peters
Well-known member
I'm not an expert, but would say it's still a possibility with the warmer weather. Odds have probably dropped significantly. What I learned here and other research. Avoid p-dog town, cattle grates, and broken rock areas. Stuff that looks kinda like the badlands.
How is the dog?
Labradinger
Active member
He said it got hit in the foot and it’s fine. Swelled up some is all.
So he didn't need any type of treatment?
Labradinger
Active member
I was told it never went to the vet. It was actually his brother’s dog. Kinda surprised me
Quailnerd
Well-known member
Just did 3 days and 25 miles on foot on Pierre grasslands not a snake in sight.. never crossed my mind. The sharpies were biting!
Were they of the fort, tribal, trust, or other variety of biters?
Thanks for the info. That's a lot of land out there.
gimruis
Well-known member
Rocky areas warm up in the afternoon sun and reptiles such as snakes are seeking these areas out for that specific reason.
As others have stated, with lows in the 30's, they will be in their dens but if its still reaching 60 degrees and the sun it out, there could be one basking in it.
I'd also be prepared for veterinary assistance should you encounter one and a venemous bite occurs. Contingency plans are a good thing.