rattle snake encounter turkey hunting TOO CLOSE!

[birddogdad]

So last weekend i was in Idaho bird hunting, about 5 miles in gated access and stepped over a log and rattles immediately sounded the alarm.. I had never in all my years in the woods, stepped on a snake but that one was too close for me! Could have been a very dangerous situation had i been struck. I would recommend a good set of snake gaiters during warmer periods of hunting ANYTHING if you are in snake country from this experience! This guy was as big around as my wrist once i got a stick and actually got to look at him under the log! Hope you take this warning to heart!

[jstone]

Wow way too close
What was the elevation? Timber Rattler?

[birddogdad]

Wow way too close
What was the elevation? Timber Rattler?

timber yes, elevation ? up in mountains though temps last weekend were mid to high 60's there

[KFhunter]

I was rattle snake hunting once due to not catching any fish and lots of boredom, my little bro sat on a rock to listen better down in a crevasse we thought the rattler was in, but it was actually under the little rock he sat on, and it vibrated his scrotum. 

Tea bagging a rattler is my definition of "too close"

[7mmfan]

We had a very close encounter 2 years ago in June while scouting in Idaho. 5000ish feet? Very hot weather. Not at all in a location I ever expected to encounter a rattlesnake, north facing slope, in the timber, nice and cool. We were walking downhill through knee high grass and brush. No way to see them coming. He rattled so soft you could barely hear it. Timber Rattlers keep you on your toes boy. Went 20' and moved a big bull snake, and then heard another rattle not far from that. It was a veritable snake pit. We spent the next 30 minutes tossing rocks and sticks in front of us to try and move anything out of the way. It was pretty tense for a bit.

[Boss .300 winmag]

The Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) that is found in Idaho has three subspecies; the Prairie, usually found in Valley and Lemhi Counties; the Great Basin, located in the southwestern part of the state and the Northern Pacific rattlesnake that inhabit the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater River valleys.

[hughjorgan]

So last weekend i was in Idaho bird hunting, about 5 miles in gated access and stepped over a log and rattles immediately sounded the alarm.. I had never in all my years in the woods, stepped on a snake but that one was too close for me! Could have been a very dangerous situation had i been struck. I would recommend a good set of snake gaiters during warmer periods of hunting ANYTHING if you are in snake country from this experience! This guy was as big around as my wrist once i got a stick and actually got to look at him under the log! Hope you take this warning to heart!

Where’s the picture of the snake dead?

[cbond3318]

Knock on wood, I’ve never been able to even coax a strike out of a rattler, don’t recall ever stepping directly on them but have stepped darn close , stepped and rolled rocks they were under, handled them etc... Moved dozens off the rd and they’d rather turn and run. Bull snakes on the other hand, they strike first then hold their ground. 

Glad you didn’t get nipped.

[jrebel]

Wellllll......did you eat rattlesnake that night??   I know I would have.  Way better trophy than a dirty bird IMO.

[trophyhunt]

So last weekend i was in Idaho bird hunting, about 5 miles in gated access and stepped over a log and rattles immediately sounded the alarm.. I had never in all my years in the woods, stepped on a snake but that one was too close for me! Could have been a very dangerous situation had i been struck. I would recommend a good set of snake gaiters during warmer periods of hunting ANYTHING if you are in snake country from this experience! This guy was as big around as my wrist once i got a stick and actually got to look at him under the log! Hope you take this warning to heart!

Where’s the picture of the snake dead?

I sure hope you killed it???

[ghosthunter]

I have never seen a rattle snake while hunting in all my years. All over eastern wa.
One buddy once almost peed on one down near Asotin. And I set on big rock once and looked down beside it was a huge shed snake skin next to a hole. I got outta there.

If ever do see one and you are around you will know it by the girl like screaming and missals launching. 

[TriggerMike]

I hate rattlesnakes. I would've called in an airstrike if I were you. Lol. Stepped right over one, literally inches from my boot, in Umtanum once and during a different season watched another go down a hole about 5' right in front of me right where I was walking. Both in snakey areas though so wasn't as much of a mind F as seeing one where I never thought they'd be. Not fun either way.

[pd]

I grew up in the desert.  My elementary school was right on the edge of town, literally at the beginning of the Great Open Empty.  The dust storms were unbelievable.

I was fed a constant diet of stories about poor Joey.  "Joey crawled under his house to get his baseball, and was bit to death by rattlers....."  I must have heard a hundred different versions of the Joey story.  I often wondered how many times Joey died of snake bites, or how many Joeys there used to be.

But, in all my years of living in the desert, and the many decades of hunting and hiking in the Northwest states, I have never once seen a rattlesnake.

Lucky?  Fortunate?  Blind?  Maybe Joey took one for the team?

[idaho guy]

I was rattle snake hunting once due to not catching any fish and lots of boredom, my little bro sat on a rock to listen better down in a crevasse we thought the rattler was in, but it was actually under the little rock he sat on, and it vibrated his scrotum. 

Tea bagging a rattler is my definition of "too close"

   


  Impressive! Never heard of anyone that tea bagged a rattler! Maybe this could become a new "bucket list" item for the adrenaline junkies out there 

[KFhunter]

It could have made him a eunuch

[ghosthunter]

What worries me is my hearing shot, so not sure I could here one rattle.

[birddogdad]

What worries me is my hearing shot, so not sure I could here one rattle.

there are great hearing aids out there now! the change will mess with your brain for some time with the over stimulation of hearing if you have gone with limited for a lengthily time! compact, Bluetooth, rechargeable tunable, cell phone adjustable no batteries either! 5 grand ballpark

[salish]

A bit unnerving. Two seasons ago I stepped on or near a rattler in the Chief Joseph unit while turkey hunting. He buzzed me and warned me, thank goodness. And this was in a spot that I had crawled on my hands and knees the previous year trying to put a sneak on some birds.

[ghosthunter]

What worries me is my hearing shot, so not sure I could here one rattle.

there are great hearing aids out there now! the change will mess with your brain for some time with the over stimulation of hearing if you have gone with limited for a lengthily time! compact, Bluetooth, rechargeable tunable, cell phone adjustable no batteries either! 5 grand ballpark

yeah my wife threatens me every night with them.

[wonder]

Had a small one crawl right in front of me weekend before last just West of Wenatchee.  Didn't even see it til it was about a half foot from my boot.  In the timber and grass, about 3,300 feet elevation or so.  At first didn't know what kind of snake it was because it just slithered by.  It went about another 4 feet and stopped in a bush and then it let me know what it was.  Very close.  Out hunting by myself in the middle of nowhere.  Perfect timing eh?