I stole this from another site I frequent.
So your stomping around the great outdoors and run into this
snake den snake den 2 Yet more snake den closeup

And your reaction is?

18 shots, use them all.

Am I starving?

Take a picture like this person did, then go about my business, and let the rattlers go about their own.

Later I'll wonder how I wound up about 2000 miles away from home and why I was stomping around. LOL

Put a 180 grain Barnes bronze solid, .300 H & H round into the engine block of anyone who thinks buzzworms need destroying and let them walk back.

Back in the day we used to go hunt rattlers (pacific rattlers, a lot more docile than diamondbacks or timber rattlers). We found a couple dens like this, though they were down in the ground more (hibernating I reckon). Very lethargic in those holes, but the ones we found out at other times were more lively. Wear thick vibram soled boots, stick your foot out at them, let them strike the bottom, then stomp down good and quick. Their fangs get hung up in the tread and a little stomp and maybe a twist and the fangs come off, better still the snake's neck also gets broke quick. Pacific rattlers aren't good eating for some reason, must be different sort of forage that puts their meat off. Make good headbands though. We gave that up long ago, but for a while it was interesing. I'll take snakes over spiders any day.

I dunno as I'd be sticking my foot out at that pile, though. I prefer them one at a time. If I had to eat, I'd be looking for a big willow switch or saguaro spine or some such, depending on where I might be. Better still would be to use my mates' methods from Queensland; run a chain down a 6' length of hose. They used that to ward of the Tai-Pans and Browns, at least that's what they told me. Pit vipers aren't real aggessive, not like them nasties down under.

If it weren't a matter of survival, I'd just get some pics and move on, watching my step.

Kinda reminds me of the round-up Cousin Eddie would use to keep his kids occupied out in the Vegas desert.

nothing if they aren't coming at me but as i do not like snakes one bit. (Yes 6 foot 2 300 lbs man is not fond of them at all) If I just stumbled upon the den as in very near stumbled I would think my Kimber would be emptied quickly and my reload would be for my walk away from there

Many many years ago, back when rattlers were considered nothing but targets, my best friend and I were out ground squirrel hunting and got our selves surrounded by a gaggle of snakes almost as large as that one. My Remington tubular mag .22 and his Winchester "clip" fed .22 saved our bacon. Or so we thought. Open sights back in those days, scopes would have saved a lot of snakes lives at that close range...

Rantor - You have SEEN my reaction with 1 snake, I have even been with you when you ran into those baby timber rattlers. I levitate approximately 5 feet off the ground, scream like a little girl, flap my arms and wet myself. I do this until I am safely in another county. Did I mention I dont like snakes....

Bring one home to show my daughters, then eat it.

Um, and then try and talk DW down out of the attic rafters.

-Blast