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Wanting an opinion

C

CattleArmy

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I have a question for any of you that have lived around rattlesnakes and even those that haven't are more then welcome to answer.

How big of problem are the snakes around your home if you have guineas, big dogs, and cats. If you have used anything to poision them or to rid them what was it and did it work?

Would rattlesnakes keep you from living on a property?
 
CattleArmy, I don't believe rattlesnakes would keep me away from a place. It seems reasonable that one could find the den and eliminate them....eventually.

There are plenty of 'rattlers' in my area, and have been remarkably few people bitten.....and few of them have suffered greatly from the experience.....and this is since pioneer days here between Pierre and Rapid City.

They seem to have cycles of a sort. We have had several years where few were seen in an area, such as near our buildings. This past year, we have had quite a number, with maybe a dozen killed within a mile of home.

One of my brothers lives where there are maybe more than we have and he's only about a dozen miles away.

A friend has had very high numbers, to the point they carry a pistol when out and about and have dispatched hundreds in a few years.

I've seen a granular ( I believe) snake repellent in stores, including in a hardware store in Rapid City just last week. I haven't really heard of anyone using it and didn't check the label to see what it is, but may do so come spring as I don't like the things near the house.

SD used to have a state trapper who would come and find the den and trap the snakes out if there was a problem. Not sure if that still is done, or not.

mrj
 
When I was a kid of about 6, we lived 1 year in Midland Texas. That's only about 50 miles from my home town where I did most of my growin up. And yes we had rattle snakes at both places. But reallllly bad in Midland. Our house was surrounded by cotton fields. And when the guys were diskin up the ground you could just sit and watch them....hop off the tractor with a hoe or shovel....chop chop chop...and get back on...drive a lil ways and they'd do it again. Allllll day long...day after day. We had rattle snakes in our yard....under everything that was sittin outside. It was horrible. Dad ended up building a six foot concrete fence all the way around the house, to keep them out. It helped. But there were still snakes around. Had to be on the look out anytime you went outside. Our dogs and cats all got bit at one time or another while we lived there.

Would I ilve there again. NO...absolutely not.

We have snakes here.....a few rattlers here and there. But nothin like it was there.
 
Out here, rattlesnakes are protected. I think it's stupid but it is illegal to kill em'. We have our share of snakes and have just learned to keep an eye out for them. They warn ya that they are around. It's only in August when they shed and can be blind that they are a real problem as they are more agressive and strike at ya without rattling sometimes! Grand-dad always told us that gopher snakes and what we call blow snakes will kill rattlers and we never kill a blow snake around the place. And if rattlers are around we "relocate" them! With a shovel! :wink:
 
Up here in the frozen north we have a snake that only comes out in the winter time and is apparently warm blooded.We call it a snow snake and although I have never seen one personally I have seen it's tracks.The tracks are usually found behind large trees and buildings and are identified by a round hole in the snow with a yellow ring around it.
 
We keep the grass cut short and weeds trimmed around our house and buildings.
Still get one surprising us once in awhile.
Pigs work the best. Had some I let range around outside of the pen, they were kept confined by a hot wire, didn't have too many snakes around with the pigs out. They sure liked snakes. :wink:
I've ridden by rattlers before and never saw them and had no idea that they were there until the person riding with me told me about them later.
 
We have rattle snakes on some of our property and I dont mind them at al. Besides the od nosey heifer that gets tagged they are relatively harmless. Even if they were not a protected species , we would never kill them. They keep the rodents down and tend to mind their own business.
 
We have Timber Rattlers and Copperheads here.

Around the dog kennels I use mothballs around the perimeter and under the houses, etc as it's the same chemical in that " SnakeAway" stuff and seems to work.

Here, they are just a fact of life and out number the people. You just learn to look before you take a step in the woods or around the creek.


Never lost a dog or critter to one of them though.....it's been some close calls as the Heeler will grab blacksnakes and whip'em around like a bullwhip...one day I fear she'll grab something else.

We try to keep blacksnakes and kingsnakes in all the barns etc as they keep the bad snakes at bay and eat the mice also.

They are not portected here, not that I know of, and if they are....well I've commited crimes a few times as the ' bad guys' must die!! :wink:
 
Up here in the frozen north we have a snake that only comes out in the winter time and is apparently warm blooded.We call it a snow snake and although I have never seen one personally I have seen it's tracks.The tracks are usually found behind large trees and buildings and are identified by a round hole in the snow with a yellow ring around it.
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OMGAWD :shock: :) :) :) :D :D :D :D That was tooooooo funny

We have LOTS here about the only sure fire way to kill them is a snake charmer 410 or if you are driving slam on the breaks so you skid while on top of them to tear them apart. Kabutos dont do a good job and you might end up with a MAD snake in your lap.
 
C Thompson said:
Up here in the frozen north we have a snake that only comes out in the winter time and is apparently warm blooded.We call it a snow snake and although I have never seen one personally I have seen it's tracks.The tracks are usually found behind large trees and buildings and are identified by a round hole in the snow with a yellow ring around it.
Click to expand...

The reason I have a bottle of "Canadian antidote" behind my seat in the feed truck is because of them snow snakes ... :wink: :P :lol: Terrible the precautions a guy has to take against those things .... :P
 
the problem here is that we have prairie rattlers. only grow to 30 inches, and the bulk only go mid 20's.... but many of them never fully get a rattle... so you can not hear them. still poisonous though!

never saw one north of the creek, but south, along the rail road is snake heaven. and 450 acres of that is alfalfa, that is baled all year long, and drug to with in a mile of my home ....... soit is a matter of time before we get them up here too.


story I heard from Hutchinson Kansas was they never saw a rattler in that area till the drought of the 50's, and they hauled in hay from Texas.... now it is infested.


good rattler is a dead rattler.
 
Got this guy this summer just as we drove up to the gate. I just happened to see him. Husband killed him with the rod that lifts the tire jack, he also threw a couple of culivator shovels at him. He was 4' long.
snakeandcows009.jpg
 
Quite a few in this country,specially in the valley,it's the young one you need to be concerned about.Was told there was rattelers out on my lease,but never did see any,luckily.
 
I don't like spiders and snakes. Around here we can go years never seeing a snake and about the only one that lives here is a Garder snake. Too far west and not hot enough for a Rattler. OT that antidote actually attracts snow snakes. :)
 
per said:
I don't like spiders and snakes. Around here we can go years never seeing a snake and about the only one that lives here is a Garder snake. Too far west and not hot enough for a Rattler. OT that antidote actually attracts snow snakes. :)
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Yep-- but none kilt me yet :wink: :P
 
My mom was bitten by a Rattlesnake when she was a girl....so it happens, but when opportunity knocks you just have to make the best of it sometimes. Fill us in CattleArmy.
 
Most of my dogs have been bitten and none have died yet. It takes about 3 days laying on the AC vent to get over it. The next time they get bitten it is not as bad but still tough and go. I have heard of bird dogs that have been bitten so many time that it does not bother them any more.
What scares me is to have child bitten. A rattle snake could kill a child very easy. Be carfull.
We have timber rattlers and they do get big, up to about 7 feet but most of the grown ones I have killed are in the 4 to 6 foot range.
 
I thank all of you for your input. I've never lived around rattle snakes so they seem extremely scary to me. It's a hard call when you finally find a property that will work for you and the thing holding you back is fear of rattlesnakes. I've been asking around locally trying to get various opinions and people either think if you have found the property why let it go for a rattlesnake or two or they are dead set against it.

I've done some research into the aspects of the animals living around them. One of the local vets doesn't even carry the shot for horses for them swears that banomine (sp) will save them. Most everyone agrees that the more animals you have around the less snakes that will want to live there. Cats, dogs, guineas, and I even had an older gentleman tell me pheasants attack and kill the buggers.


I was also told by another guy that has grown up around them that once you hear that buzz you will never forget it and said it will be the same for the kids. He said to have a gun and just blow them away because he wouldn't recomend a novice going after them with a shovel. He also said to make sure and burry the head.

I was also told they usually come out around the end of April here and then head back to the dens the end of October. I was also told the most you see them is when they are moving from or back to the dens. Had yet another friend tell me if I knew where the den was he knew how to handle that.

It's such a hard call and if the kids were older I'd be all for it. Having said that I'm learning in this country it seems if you want a place in the country you tend to have a rattlesnake or two to contend with.

Any more input or opinions I welcome. Thanks to those of you who have posted!
 

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