LOL.That wasn't my post jac.

Sorry Jac. Think of it as preparedness info. Blames Izzy and points. Bad Izzy!

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Wow! That's a pretty high strike for a rattler. Must have been a big one!

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A few quick snake stories. When I was twelve one of my brothers teenaged friends showed up at our place drunk and with a prairie rattler in a gallon jar and proudly sat it on the dining table. It was already agitated and he began slapping the sides of the jar thring to get it to strike. It wouldn't so the brain surgeon unscrewed the top and stuck his hand inside to slap the glass. I told him he was going to get bit and he said he wouldn't. and didn't. It never once struck him, just rattled and hissed. Eventually he left to take his treasure to someone elses home.

One day we were driving down a freshly graded irrigation ditch, not far behind the big dozer and saw more than a dozen snakes. My oldest son jumped out and caught one. It was a bull snake a bit over five feet long, missing the tip of its tail and an eye. We were sure it had been a pet at one time. It was very human friendly and would sleep in my lap or in the kangaroo pouch of my baja hoodies as I did tasks around the house. We had him for years.

A girl I had been dating and I went for a walk in the River Park. She spootted a snake and went into a tizzy and and I pinned him with a stick and picked him up, trying to educate her that he was harmless and helpful. She would have none of it staying a minimum of 20 feet away. I let him go and watched him slither away.

I would pick up gopher snakes, after being sure that it was not a rattlesnake that was simply missing its rattles, and I was continually amazed at how quickly they would gentle down and relax. They were better than cats at keeping the wretched rodents in check.

We had to catch mice for Cartouche. (The Bullsnake) Never seen a gopher snake. Snake can be good pets.

Have Fun hiking,Period!No Worries,just common sense!& No,they will not partake sleeping with you in a sleeping bag,that's Pure Bulloney!A coiled rattler will Not strike 3 lengths of their body,All snakes can swim,most choose not to,due to temperature drop!Have Fun,take pictures,Cheers!

I agree about live and let live with respect to snakes, but one time I violated that principle, and more than a few National Park Service regulations, when I was working on a project at Chiricahua National Monument, living in a trailer at an abandoned dude ranch within the monument with my wife and one year old daughter. A very healthy, fat and sleek diamondback showed up one afternoon, and I was merciless. First I wielded my relatively new S&W, featuring my hand loaded snake shot (#8, I believe). Unloaded at close range, my loads did nothing. Out came the shovel, and Mr. Snake got a lesson in long division. A long handled, round point, suitably sharpened, is the ideal tool for this, and many other tasks.

If you absolutely, positively must kill the snake, you will be motivated enough to find plenty of rocks - trust me on this. But the best course is to go your way and let the snake go his.

Best marinated and grilled.

From reading this thread I'm grateful for (Eastern) Washington's mellow rattlers - I have stepped over more rattlers than anything. I think that comes from being exothermic, I tend to hike in cooler hours and snakes aren't out and about yet, but even on a hot afternoon I don't find rattlers to be scary.

Except around kids and animals. If a dog isn't raised to be cautious around rattlers, they risk getting bit on an encounter. I've heard too many sad stories about favorite companions either dead or suffering along a trail because the dog wasn't on a leash, approached a rattler too aggressively, and was bit.

I've never encountered a cottonmouth and don't want to - my trips to Florida are quick and don't typically allows for snake and reptile encounters. shudder