[YoungGun9]

Hey Guys,

This weekend I am planning on headding over to the eastside to do some quail and chukar hunting. Has anyone seen any rattlesnakes recently cause I am not sure if running the dogs would be great if the snake danger is still going on?

 

[andrew]

I didn't see any or hear any this past Saturday, but then again we didn't hunt that long or in the heat of the day. Last year, which wasn't as hot as this opener we saw one or at least my friends saw one and I hobbled my ass (arduous day of chukar hunting) past the 'area' as fast as I could!

 

[Rick Sharp]

yes, they are still out. just avoid snake looking areas if possible.

 

[YoungGun9]

I am planning on hunting a creek bottom for quail. I have seen snakes in this creek bottom before. I also wanted to hunt the hills for chukar and I have seen snakes in that area also, which area seems safer to you?? What kind of habbitat should i avoid?

 

[Gary Thompson]

There is no magic # on what degree the snakes will be out.
I use a 70 degree as "don't hunt anymore for the day"
I also use the one mile from water, no snakes one mile from water.
If the nite time temps are in the 50's or less I don't worry much, cause the snakes take a long time to warm up, so that being said, if you hunt until noon "no worries" after that on a 70 degree day you are gonna see snakes around den areas.

 

[YoungGun9]

How will rain affect the snake, and cloudy days?

 

[Richard Torres]

A good pair of gaitors and heavy duty boots will work.

 

[Couleeflyfisher]

Your odds of seeing any buzz tails are slim to none. If you're close to the seeps or other water and/or rocky areas you may see one, however they aren't looking for you and it's been years since I've heard of anyone that's been bit. Ancient Lakes area around Quincy, Rocky Ford and a few other areas they seem to be plentiful but we're getting cooler weather and that helps. Ticks are a lot more threat and it's getting past their prime too.

 

[Kelly Michelsen]

My female Boxer got bit by a rattlesnake along the methow river in July, I have had very few encounters in 40 yrs runnng around in the
woods hunting, fishing,and 8 yrs with the forest service, usally they will avoid you unless the feel that they are cornered or surprised,
just like the previous replies, common sense things. Yes my boxer is just fine you can get them vacinated... she was pretty miserable for a couple of days the meds worked pretty well!
Flyfisher121

 

[Slipstream]

Rain won't afffect a rattler as much as a shotgun will. SS

 

[YoungGun9]

Thanks for all the help guys!

Me and my dad went out on our hunt for chukar and quail and we ended up seeing over 100 quail and we got 12. On the hunt the ground was wet with off and on rain showers so we felt the snakes where not out. after hours of hunting still no snakes until i was walking in on a point and some grass about 2 feet away from me started moving i thought it was a quail trying to run out, but it was about a 3 and /12 foot rattlesnake that did not even rattle at me. After we got the dog away we noticed that is was very slow and never coiled up on us even when I threw a rock near it. I decided to let that guy live. the scariest thing was that i almost stepped on it an it never bothered to rattle??

What do you guys think about killing snakes?

 

[Blake Harmon]

dude. they cant rattle unless they are coiled. and they cant strike well unless they are coiled. my suggestion. worry about them a lot less.
and if one gets in your way. or in someway may potentially harm your dog. take it with a shell. but don't kill everyone you see for the hell of it.
most the time they will be trying to scurry away.

 

[Old Man]

There was a write up in the Dillonite Daily about killing off 1,000 Rattlesnake's last week. There was a few pictures of them and some of them were quite big. They were in a feed lot with lots of cattle around.

Here I am trying to see one in the wild and not doing very good at it. They kill them. I want to see a live one and not in a Zoo. I don't want to get close to one, I just want to see one. I've seen Moose, Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope, Badgers,Wolverines, Mountain Sheep And about enough small animals to fill out a card. But no damn Rattlesnakes.

 

[andrew]

Oldman (Jim) your problem is that you are looking for them...just like fishing and hunting the moment you stop 'trying' you will get jerk, flush a covey, or see a snake...it is Murphy's law!

 

[dogsnfish]

Oldman - come to E.WA, we see plenty!
Blake - I've worked around snakes a lot, seen them rattle as they were crawling away, and have seen them strike without being coiled, and to everyone they often strike without rattling because you have just plain scared them
Younggun - please don't kill the snakes. I had a shoot on sight attitude when I was young, but have mellowed with age and also after working with snake biologists who explained to me all of the bad things they eat out there and also just how cool they really are. Just be careful and you will not have any problems, and the rattlers definitely don't want any problems with you.

 

[YoungGun9]

Yeah the snakes creep me out but i don't want to kill them just to kill them, I was thinking more about getting it away from the Pointers. Then it went into the rocks and it was no big deal.

 

[Jim F.]

As of today, the buzz-tails are still out. Saw one sunning on the asphalt this morning.

 

[bushwacker]

My two cents. Unless snake trained, most pointing dogs are going to stick their noses right in the face of a rattler. I wait until there have been a few days with freezing tempretures before putting my dogs on chukars. By then, the snakes have dened up and you have reduced your chances of having a dog bit. Not only is a rattlesnake bite dangerous for your dog, but the cost of the anti-venon is surprisingly expensive, provided you get your dog to a Vet in time.

I'm sure there will be disagreement on this, but I've often found that a dog on a chukar covey will force the covey to break earlier than happens for a single
hunter on foot. On the other hand, I can't argue that a good dog is much better at locating the coveys. However, in the early part of the season I will
continue to hunt alone to protect my dogs from a rattlesnake bite.

 

[troutberger]

I was out two weeks ago (Colockum) and saw rattlers in the creek bottoms and on the ridgetops (of course didn't see any chukar). My lab walked right over a rattler and it scared me pretty good as it was his first encounter. No harm done, but I wanted him to be wary of snakes so at the first opportunity I picked up a big bull snake, called my dog over and let him get in its face, and allowed him to be bitten squarely on the nose. He does not like snakes at this point. Point is, I guess, that it is probably prudent to train your dog away from snakes if you're going to be hunting in snake country.

BTW - more often than not, they do not relaese venom when biting in defense. Venom is energetically very expensive to produce and reserved for something far more important like eating their prey. Young snakes can be more dangerous in this respect because they do not have that control, and they often lack rattles when very young.

 

[Hem]

Hunting elk last saturday,it went from the thirties at night to high of maybe 55.Rattler 4 ft. behind me at 5 p.m.,he was cold but still ready for action.Reflex is squash him,but now I just kill the ones near the house.Imagine....hunting elk in the timber, dry as a bone..trying to watch for elk,trying to watch where you step to prevent noise, AND looking for rattlers.Rather pointless.