Ran into this fella at the lease...

Keg · July 7, 2012, 09:41 AM

He was crossing the road as I pulled outa front gate...

bswiv · July 7, 2012, 11:36 AM

One very good looking rattler.............how big was he?

We normally just leave them be unless they are near a stand, which sense they are territorial can be a problem.......especially when reencountered in the dark..............

Keg · July 7, 2012, 12:01 PM

He was about 4 1/2 ft....

Timber rattlers are a protected species here....Last I saw him..he was headed for cover....

JonathanZ · July 7, 2012, 12:10 PM

I have no idea why any kind of rattlesnake would be a protected species. It wouldn't bother me one bit if they and all other venomous snakes became extinct.

Keg · July 7, 2012, 12:20 PM

I guess I'm one of a few that have no problem with snakes...I see one of these things every couple years....

BigMikey76 · July 7, 2012, 12:32 PM

I'm right there with ya, Keg. I came across a few rattlers when I lived in Nevada. They scared the bejeezus out of me the first couple of times, but eventually I learned to just give 'em some space and walk away.

As for wishing them to be extinct, just think of all the mice, rats and other little walking disease farms that would be overrunning us if snakes disappeared

... not a pretty picture

Keg · July 7, 2012, 12:37 PM

I believe the hogs have thinned out the population in these parts....

Tickling · July 7, 2012, 01:02 PM

Plenty of other, non-venomous, snakes eat the creepy-crawlies.

I for one could also do without them.

Looks like a female from what I can see of the tail. At least according to my copy of Audubon Society guide.

Scout · July 7, 2012, 01:40 PM

He looks a lot like the Canebrake Rattlesnakes we sometimes see down here, close to the Georgia border. It's always a treat because they're less common than the Diamondbacks or Pygmies. I always leave them alone or move them to a better location.

Keg · July 7, 2012, 02:18 PM

Scout..after doing some more checking...I thought timber rattlers were one and the same...not so.....This is a canebrake....

The canebrake rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied snake. Color is pale grayish-brown to pink, with a pattern of dark-brown to black V-shaped cross bands and a russet stripe down the centerline of the back. (The rusty stripe distinguishes a canebrake from a common timber rattler.) A broad, dark stripe angles back from the eye, and the tail is velvety black.

SIZE: Adults average 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length, but some individuals reach lengths of 180 cm (6 ft.)

fatwhiteboy · July 7, 2012, 09:00 PM

I was going to say canebreak, also. Snakes don't bother me much, either. Remember, rattlers usually have a strike range about half their length...

FrankenMauser · July 8, 2012, 02:22 AM

How did it taste?

BIG P · July 8, 2012, 05:03 AM

They aint bad eatin, But they sure give Me gas.

Keg · July 8, 2012, 06:48 AM

I think they eat diamond backs...I have'nt got that hungry yet....

silvrjeepr · July 8, 2012, 07:02 AM

I can normally get along with a rattler that gives warning he's threatened. I just can't stand those cotton mouths and copperheads. Most of those that I come across seem to have an attitude problem. Of course I'm more than happy to fix it for them when I find one.

JimPage · July 8, 2012, 07:39 AM

I've heard that chicken tastes a lot like rattlesnake.

sc928porsche · July 8, 2012, 12:03 PM

Leave them alone and give them their space. They do much more good than harm. They are just one of the things that you have to watch out for when afield. Next thing you know, hunters will want grain fed deer with a warm hut overlooking the feeding site. Oh wait.................they already have that!

buck460XVR · July 8, 2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Leave them alone and give them their space. They do much more good than harm. They are just one of the things that you have to watch out for when afield. Next thing you know, hunters will want grain fed deer with a warm hut overlooking the feeding site. Oh wait.................they already have that!

A lotta truth in that post. I believe those same hunters want all predators and non-game species eliminated from the field so that all that is left is dumbed down domesticated deer and pen raised pheasants. That way they have a chance of takin' somethin' home.

FrankenMauser · July 8, 2012, 06:57 PM

Quote:

I think they eat diamond backs...I have'nt got that hungry yet....

They're tasty. Don't be scared.

Willie Sutton · July 8, 2012, 07:07 PM

That's a beauty...

They are part of the woods, leave 'em be to do their thing. All they want to do with us is to be left alone and able to go about their business. What a handsome animal. It would be a treat to see one.

Willie

.

Kreyzhorse · July 8, 2012, 07:17 PM

I'm not a snake guy and that thing would have freaked me out for a long, long time. I almost stepped on a baby rattler in Wyoming my first trip out West and almost packed in the trip right then.

scrubcedar · July 8, 2012, 08:03 PM

I've been around a lot of prarie rattlers, never really got into killing them. They were fairly nice about the whole thing, rattle, rattle, rattle, go away I'm a rattle snake. I only ended up killing a couple and that was because I ended up in situations that left them feeling threatened and me cornered. My rancher buddies felt differently, said they killed the cattle and killed them on sight. I might have been tempted to take a shot at the one you saw though, what an amazing hide/skin on that snake!

PoorRichRichard · July 9, 2012, 10:12 AM

Damn! Great pic. I ran across a nice 3' Pacific Rattler when I was out hunting wabbits day before yesterday. I was sooooo mad at myself for forgetting my camera phone in he car...

rickyrick · July 9, 2012, 10:53 AM

Almost fishy, whole lotta ribs. Won't eat diamond back again

Wild Bill Bucks · July 9, 2012, 11:16 AM

I agree with ricky, they look tastier on those survivor shows than they really are. The taste is not what I would call a delicacy. Problem with giving them their space here is southeastern, Oklahoma is that you are generally on top of one before you see him.

People who don't spend a lot of time in the woods, wouldn't know the rattling sound if they heard it, and for those of us who are a little hard of hearing, the rattle doesn't help us much anyway.

I don't believe in killing every one I see, as they do have a purpose in the eco-system, but it sure wouldn't hurt my feelings if they blew a horn instead of rattle.

July 7, 2012, 09:41 AM	#1
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	Ran into this fella at the lease... He was crossing the road as I pulled outa front gate... __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload......... Last edited by Keg; September 20, 2013 at 10:08 PM.

July 7, 2012, 12:01 PM	#3
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	He was about 4 1/2 ft.... Timber rattlers are a protected species here....Last I saw him..he was headed for cover.... __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload.........

July 7, 2012, 12:20 PM	#5
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	I guess I'm one of a few that have no problem with snakes...I see one of these things every couple years.... __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload.........

July 7, 2012, 12:32 PM	#6
BigMikey76 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Location: Bellevue, NE Posts: 981	I'm right there with ya, Keg. I came across a few rattlers when I lived in Nevada. They scared the bejeezus out of me the first couple of times, but eventually I learned to just give 'em some space and walk away. As for wishing them to be extinct, just think of all the mice, rats and other little walking disease farms that would be overrunning us if snakes disappeared ... not a pretty picture __________________ Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

July 7, 2012, 12:37 PM	#7
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	I believe the hogs have thinned out the population in these parts.... __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload.........

July 7, 2012, 11:36 AM	#2
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: NE FL....... Posts: 1,081	One very good looking rattler.............how big was he? We normally just leave them be unless they are near a stand, which sense they are territorial can be a problem.......especially when reencountered in the dark..............

July 7, 2012, 12:10 PM	#4
JonathanZ Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2009 Posts: 228	I have no idea why any kind of rattlesnake would be a protected species. It wouldn't bother me one bit if they and all other venomous snakes became extinct.

July 7, 2012, 01:02 PM	#8
Tickling Senior Member Join Date: August 17, 2011 Posts: 181	Plenty of other, non-venomous, snakes eat the creepy-crawlies. I for one could also do without them. Looks like a female from what I can see of the tail. At least according to my copy of Audubon Society guide. Last edited by Tickling; July 7, 2012 at 01:12 PM.

July 7, 2012, 01:40 PM	#9
Scout Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Central Florida Posts: 510	He looks a lot like the Canebrake Rattlesnakes we sometimes see down here, close to the Georgia border. It's always a treat because they're less common than the Diamondbacks or Pygmies. I always leave them alone or move them to a better location. __________________ God bless the U.S. Cavalry

July 7, 2012, 02:18 PM	#10
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	Scout..after doing some more checking...I thought timber rattlers were one and the same...not so.....This is a canebrake.... The canebrake rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied snake. Color is pale grayish-brown to pink, with a pattern of dark-brown to black V-shaped cross bands and a russet stripe down the centerline of the back. (The rusty stripe distinguishes a canebrake from a common timber rattler.) A broad, dark stripe angles back from the eye, and the tail is velvety black. SIZE: Adults average 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length, but some individuals reach lengths of 180 cm (6 ft.) __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload.........

July 7, 2012, 09:00 PM	#11
fatwhiteboy Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 317	I was going to say canebreak, also. Snakes don't bother me much, either. Remember, rattlers usually have a strike range about half their length... __________________ Fat White So Cal

July 8, 2012, 02:22 AM	#12
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	How did it taste? __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

July 8, 2012, 05:03 AM	#13
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	They aint bad eatin, But they sure give Me gas.

July 8, 2012, 06:48 AM	#14
Keg Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Freestone County, Texas Posts: 1,133	I think they eat diamond backs...I have'nt got that hungry yet.... __________________ Hog Hunters never die........They just reload.........

July 8, 2012, 07:02 AM	#15
silvrjeepr Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2009 Posts: 213	I can normally get along with a rattler that gives warning he's threatened. I just can't stand those cotton mouths and copperheads. Most of those that I come across seem to have an attitude problem. Of course I'm more than happy to fix it for them when I find one.

July 8, 2012, 07:39 AM	#16
JimPage Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2010 Location: Rome, NY Posts: 941	I've heard that chicken tastes a lot like rattlesnake. __________________ Jim Page Cogito, ergo armatum sum

July 8, 2012, 12:03 PM	#17
sc928porsche Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2008 Location: now living in alabama Posts: 2,433	Leave them alone and give them their space. They do much more good than harm. They are just one of the things that you have to watch out for when afield. Next thing you know, hunters will want grain fed deer with a warm hut overlooking the feeding site. Oh wait.................they already have that! __________________ No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.

July 8, 2012, 07:07 PM	#20
Willie Sutton Junior member Join Date: January 26, 2012 Posts: 1,066	That's a beauty... They are part of the woods, leave 'em be to do their thing. All they want to do with us is to be left alone and able to go about their business. What a handsome animal. It would be a treat to see one. Willie .

July 8, 2012, 07:17 PM	#21
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	I'm not a snake guy and that thing would have freaked me out for a long, long time. I almost stepped on a baby rattler in Wyoming my first trip out West and almost packed in the trip right then. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

July 8, 2012, 08:03 PM	#22
scrubcedar Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2012 Location: Southwestern Colorado Posts: 507	I've been around a lot of prarie rattlers, never really got into killing them. They were fairly nice about the whole thing, rattle, rattle, rattle, go away I'm a rattle snake. I only ended up killing a couple and that was because I ended up in situations that left them feeling threatened and me cornered. My rancher buddies felt differently, said they killed the cattle and killed them on sight. I might have been tempted to take a shot at the one you saw though, what an amazing hide/skin on that snake! __________________ Gaily bedight, A gallant knight In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of El Dorado

July 9, 2012, 10:12 AM	#23
PoorRichRichard Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2011 Location: San Berdoo Posts: 269	Damn! Great pic. I ran across a nice 3' Pacific Rattler when I was out hunting wabbits day before yesterday. I was sooooo mad at myself for forgetting my camera phone in he car... __________________ You are the weapon, your firearm is just a tool. It's a shame so many get the two mixed up. Last edited by PoorRichRichard; July 11, 2012 at 06:05 PM.

July 9, 2012, 10:53 AM	#24
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,236	Almost fishy, whole lotta ribs. Won't eat diamond back again __________________ Woohoo, I’m back In Texas!!!

July 9, 2012, 11:16 AM	#25
Wild Bill Bucks Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2005 Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, Next door to Sasquatch Posts: 1,266	I agree with ricky, they look tastier on those survivor shows than they really are. The taste is not what I would call a delicacy. Problem with giving them their space here is southeastern, Oklahoma is that you are generally on top of one before you see him. People who don't spend a lot of time in the woods, wouldn't know the rattling sound if they heard it, and for those of us who are a little hard of hearing, the rattle doesn't help us much anyway. I don't believe in killing every one I see, as they do have a purpose in the eco-system, but it sure wouldn't hurt my feelings if they blew a horn instead of rattle.