Rattlesnakes

[BuckeyeMan]

Since it's getting to be that time of year, (4 days and counting) does anyone have any good links for either snake avoidance or first aid.  I'm hoping to not see any, but the reality is probably different.  any info would be welcome for first aid.

[boneaddict]

They are already denning up, so the odds of you running into a random one aren't that great.  If you see one, there will probably be 300 or more of them around and your problems will be exaggerated tenfold.

[TC_outdoorsman]

I was hunting the mayview GMU last weekend on opening muzzleloader and I ran into 3 rattlesnakes all within 10 feet of each other. I imagine I must have ran into the den as I saw a snake skin and it smelled like a pet store. Only one of the snakes rattled the other 2 I spotted on the side of the trail were coiled up but they never rattled. Needless to say the next hour I was paranoid of getting bit and did more watching the ground to avoid snakes then i did hunting. I didnt see anymore after I passed through that spot around the basalt. 3 weeks before that I stepped right next to one in that same area and it rattled at me. I should have known better then to go back through it. The things we do for deer.....

[king]

Best thing to do is find a bullsnake and let your dog learn his lesson with that. They are real aggressive and after he pops the dog on the nose a few times, the dog will learn his lesson. We live in some serious snake country and have had dogs get bit several times, they usually swell up a bit but are fine in the end.

[mmchukar9]

So the snakes are still out? Should I run my dogs chukar hunting or just stick with quail hunting along water? I don't know what to do i have seen rattlesnakes in the quail areas just as much as i have seen them in the chukar habbitat? What do you guys think?

[king]

The buzztails are gonna be around shale rock where there dens are. If they arent denned up already they'll be headed for dens or laying around den areas. Shale rock (softball size and bigger) on hillsides facing the sun is where they'll be.

[sisu]

Where do you think they might be in the Charles, Montana area? I'll be bird hunting around the Marias River. I was hoping to hunt the early AM they would be cold and not very active and then the evening again hoping that they'd be heading into a place for shelter for the night as it will be cooling off. All this is speculation of course. I don't know a lot about snakes been around bears most of my life and not many snakes.

[king]

It's to the point now where I doubt you'll have to worry about them. They should be in dens and if they aren't, they'll be slower than a a slug.

[10Key]

I almost stepped on one yesterday...little bugger was hot! He was near rock, but he wasn't slow.

[Ironhead]

They are definately not all denned up yet. I ran into a few last Saturday.

[lewy]

I had one rattle at me friday while quail hunting, but he waited until i was almost on top of him. I jumped about ten feet in the air and looked down and seen him and got the hell out of there. It was a very close call so be carefull still.....

[Bob33]

I wear something like these: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Mens-Hunting-Clothing/Mens-Specialty-Clothing/Mens-Snake-Protection-Clothing%7C/pc/104797080/c/104748480/sc/104590080/i/103951980/Whitewater-Snakeproof-Gaiters/725400.uts

They sure ease my piece of mind.