Rattlesnake!!!

[Mountain Cowgirl]

While on my morning walk across the dirt hayfield road this morning, a timber rattler shivered out on the road six feet in front of me and stopped. I froze immediately. This is the first rattlesnake I have seen in 20 years. I have never seen one on this road. I backed up a couple of feet and picked up a big rock and threw it hitting it in the head. Its tail shot up and after some ariel gyrations, it crawled off into the alfalfa field. I beat cheeks until I hit the residential pavement. Has anyone else seen rattlers this spring? I hate rattlesnakes!

 

[webfoot]

I have seen a couple bull snakes. The rattlers wont be far behind. The shovel in the back of the pick up is loaded and ready. That shovel has been the death of many a rattlesnake.

 

[leanin' H]

No snakes out here yet. I hate the dang things. I've called in a few artillery strikes of rocks myself. And shovels are a handy snake de-header. Thanks a lot Mountain Cowgirl, now I'll be jumping if something moves by my feet

 

[webfoot]

I haven't seen a rattler yet but I have seen at least one snake a day for the last week. It is only a matter of time. That time of year when you walk looking down. Especially when you are a deaf as me and can't hear them rattle.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

I haven't seen a rattler yet but I have seen at least one snake a day for the last week. It is only a matter of time. That time of year when you walk looking down. Especially when you are a deaf as me and can't hear them rattle.

I am totally deaf in one ear and only have about 60% in the other so it would depend on what side of me they rattled, then I would have to look around to trace the sound. To add to that I have bad glaucoma in one eye so I must remember not only to look down but keep looking side to side. Getting old puts a whole new perspective on living in rattlesnake country. My once lightning-fast reflexes have also disappeared in the sunset which is another strike against me.

My father was an expert in killing rattlers with his irrigation shovel that he kept knife-sharp on the edges. While I have killed many that way, I preferred my old Colt 22 revolver. I can imagine you will see plenty of them soon enough.

 

[webfoot]

I have an old H&R 9 shot 22 revolver. The trouble is the fact that it holds 9 shots. Shoot a snake, no problem I have 8 shots left. Shoot another and I still have 7 left. Lose count? One day coming down the canyon I shot 5 snakes. Snake number 6 the gun went click. Click! what the heck is this click? Oops! Where is that shovel? I do prefer shooting them. Especially the ones trying to escape. A lot easier to shoot a snake on the move than it is to chase it down with the shovel.

My neighbor said he always told himself that if you do get snake bit to remain calm. Last year he was herding some cows toward a gate on his quad. Dashed ahead to open the gate. Leaped off the quad. Realized he was standing straddling a big rattler. Screamed like a girl and leaped 15 feet. Killed the snake but by the time he calmed down the cows were once again scattered. He said so much for the idea of keeping calm if bitten.

 

[webfoot]

I miss all the excitement. I was hauling cows for Bert over the Wingville. Got home and the wife was telling me that she wanted me to see something. She had killed a 2 foot or so rattler while mowing the grass down by the chicken house. She said she tried to run it over with the mower but it got too close to the chicken house. So she tried to hit it with a brick but again it was too close to the chicken house. So finally she went the 20 feet or so to the shop and got a shovel to finish it off. She couldn't find the rattles. It appears she got that part of the snake with the lawn mower. And it is pretty beat up so she seriously wounded it with the mower.
I did kill one of those little button rattlers over on the road on Monday. My first one of the year. And I saw a pretty good size one today on the shoulder of the road. But i had a load of calves on and was doing about 45 so I didn't slam on the brakes to stop and kill it.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

I think you may be more infested with rattlers than the Hereford Valley. Sounds like your wife needs to mow with a sidearm. Shooting rattlesnakes from a moving mower sounds like a new rodeo-timed event.

 

[webfoot]

I think you may be more infested with rattlers than the Hereford Valley. Sounds like your wife needs to mow with a sidearm. Shooting rattlesnakes from a moving mower sounds like a new rodeo-timed event.

I believe we have a lot more snakes than they do at Hereford. We own the first mile or so of the canyon. Nothing like good rocky places for the snakes to feel at home. We have averaged about 2 a year around the house/barn. They have a rattle snake vaccination for dogs. Both of the dogs get it every spring. Where I killed that little button is on the other side of the river and up stream a quarter mile or more. There is most likely a den up there. Last year I killed 6 or 7 of those little button snakes right in that same small area.

 

[bighead]

We certainly have our share of rattlesnakes here 60 miles west of Fort Worth. If they are near the house or barn we kill them, but out in the pastures and woods we leave them alone.

 

[webfoot]

I kill everyone I see. As an old rancher I worked for said, that one might not bite me but its grandson might. Or the horse, or calf, or dog. They do soem good killing rodents etc. But we have plenty of bull snakes that do the same thing without the poison bite.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

Rattlesnakes are good for making hatbands and that is it in my opinion. I would kill everyone I see but that never made a dent in the population. There are lots of other predators to kill the rodents.

 

[Evans]

Thank God we dont have them where I live but south of me in Lethbridge AB they not only have them but they are protected!

 

[Nicky]

We killed 3 yesterday, the neighbor killed 4 in the 3 miles between her and her folks house. When riding we kill them with the snap on the end of our reins. Just swing the rein and hit them in the head with the snap. It's quite easy and impresses anyone you are riding with.

 

[Faster horses]

We killed 3 yesterday, the neighbor killed 4 in the 3 miles between her and her folks house. When riding we kill them with the snap on the end of our reins. Just swing the rein and hit them in the head with the snap. It's quite easy and impresses anyone you are riding with.You

You guys are really handy, Nicky. REALLY HANDY!
Old neighbor of ours uses to take the back cinch off his horse and kill them with that.
I thought that was tricky, but nothing compared to what you do. WOW!

 

[Nicky]

You guys are really handy, Nicky. REALLY HANDY!
Old neighbor of ours uses to take the back cinch off his horse and kill them with that.
I thought that was tricky, but nothing compared to what you do. WOW!

LOL, thanks. You are farther away with a rein than a back cinch.

 

[webfoot]

My neighbor Levi told me a week or two ago that he killed a big snake. Dismounted got his hobbles off and killed the snake. I prefer a shovel or a 22 pistol with snake shot. The wife got that one last week mostly with the lawn mower. It is a riding lawn mower.

 

[leanin' H]

I prefer a nuclear weapon!!!! Did I mention I hate snakes.

 

[DosArroyos]

I had my second encounter with a little 14 incher in front of a shipping container I keep feed in.Now that I know it's his home,I'll get him.I'll be prepared next time.

 

[webfoot]

With this first day of hot weather I figured it was a good day to drive up the canyon in search of snakes. We saw 13 bull snakes, 9 deer, 1 chukar, 2 dead rattle snakes someone else had killed, and 1 rattler that I made into a good snake. Only about 20 inches with 5 rattles and a button.