Anyone been bit by a rattlesnake in back country?

[shedfinder7]

Has anyone been bit in the hills? One my biggest fears since I hike tons of miles during the summers in western Colorado. I’ve been wearing taller Crispi guide boots and am curious if a snake would penetrate or not. Also anybody had their dog bitten? Surprised I hadn’t seen the topic come up much.

 

[*zap*]

I have been hit 2x by copperheads deer hunting in n/e Kansas...neither penetrated the skin. One I had snake chaps on and the other just grabbed pant.
Snake proof gaiters can be a good thing to wear.

 

[BBob]

More than 50 years and counting all over the SW and never. Close? Depends on what you call close. I've been rattled at in close range encounters but never struck at. I've had Mohave's and an AZ Black aggressively come after me but they were easily avoided. None of my dogs have ever been struck and I've never seen them have a close encounter (probably because snake training taught them to avoid the things). I had a friend that got hit in the butt by a big diamondback years ago but luckily it only snagged his jeans pocket. In all of those years the only other ones I know that were actually struck (and bit) were dumb asses messing with one.

 

[HighUintas]

I've jumped over many copperheads and rattlesnakes while running. Never been bit. I k ow a lot of people that run trails that have high rattlesnake populations and haven't heard of anyone getting bit. I think the types of rattlesnakes around areas people frequent are for the most part not very aggressive. Copperheads are not very aggressive. Cottonmouths are though!

 

[WRM]

I have been hit 2x by copperheads deer hunting in n/e Kansas

Interesting on the coppers--didn't realize they were in Kansas. They aren't "supposed" to be in area I live, but we've seen a handful over the years. Baby mocs are a near dead ringer for copperheads.

I've been super lucky. Some close calls. First trip out west I sat down on top of a butte to try and position on some bucks bedded on a lower ledge and I started hearing the buzzes. Realized the overhang I was on had an opening that went under the rock right next to my leg. Backed off a bit and looked under the lip--yuhp, full of rattlers. Like a horror movie--Indiana Jones in the Temple and whatnot.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Many encounters with rattlesnakes over the years. The only time I’ve ever been struck at was when I actually stepped on one. Fortunately he was tangled up in some reeds. I’ve stepped over them next to them etc. and they’ve always retreated And just rattled. I do worry about my dogs who have not been trained. Or vaccinated. I used to poo poo the vaccine idea, but it was explained to me one day at a lunch counter by a veterinarian, and now I’m convinced it actually works.

take away.…. Don’t worry about them just be watchful. Get your dogs trained and or vaccinated.

 

[*zap*]

We have copperheads and timber rattlers in abundance along with massanagua rattlers.

Timbers can be aggressive, king of the woods around here....they have killed cattle.

We are supposed to not have cotton mouths but I have heard folks say that we have some. In essence there are plenty of snakes in Kansas.

Black @ at csr's home.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Got hit by a Copperhead in my Mom's garage in 06.
Was disconnecting my son's battery powered 4-wheeler.
Sucker had got in the battery compartment on that cool
September night.
Drew blood on my finger.
He's in a glass jar full of alcohol in the man cave.

 

[Wags]

We have copperheads and timber rattlers in abundance along with massanagua rattlers.

Timbers can be aggressive, king of the woods around here....they have killed cattle.

We are supposed to not have cotton mouths but I have heard folks say that we have some. In essence there are plenty of snakes in Kansas.

Black @ at csr's home.

View attachment 411038

I’d need new siding after blowing a hole through the house .

 

[*zap*]

Black snake are good, I see that one once a month or so when I am taking care of that csr's ground cover beds....kneeling and seeing one close by thru the ground cover can wake ya right up..there are quite a few snakes around the houses in town.

 

[Rokwiia]

Back in 2020, I was in the strike zone of an angry, recoiled Timber Rattler twice in two weeks. I thought I was in an area far enough away from them but that was not the case. I learned a few things.

All my adult life, I've hiked or backpacked in low running shoes or trail runners. After those encounters, I did a fair amount of research and decided to get both thick-leather boots (Schnee's) and snake gaiters (Turtleskins). Hopefully, the 2.8mm-leather boots will prevent a fang insertion into my foot and the snake gaiters into my lower leg. I also got snake chaps from Turtleskin for times when I bushwhack in areas where I can't always see where I'm stepping.

I have some friends that go with me and profess they will be cautious and on high alert so they don;t need to be concerned. That might help in a few instances but the ones I nearly stepped on were absolutely impossible to see. They are difficult to see when you know where they are.

By the way, Tutleskins have protective gear for dogs as well.

https://snakeprotection.com/inc/sdetail/turtleskin-snakearmor-gaiters---storage-bag/131/243

https://www.snakeprotection.com/inc/sdetail/2278

 

[505Wapiti]

Grew up in Oklahoma had a rattle snake den less than a 1/4 mile from the house. Had many run ins but seemed they always let me know well before I was in the hot zone so I was never too concerned about them at all. Copperheads and cotton mouths are a different story though. I dislike all of them, LOL. We live in NM now for last 18 years and I’ve had two close encounters, one during a pronghorn hunt and one during early archery elk. The one during pronghorn hunt, I was walking the left side of a two track and stepped within 3” of a giant coiled up in the sand in the two track. Never rattled. I walked right over it the first time and never knew it. Had gone to glass over a little roll in the landscape and on my way back I just happed to look down as I was about to plant a foot right in the middle of it. My boot tracks were within 3”. Never knew my reflexes were that fast or that I could jump so high mid stride. My buddy thought I’d lost my mind until he saw it. It had the sand all dished out in the two track and was coiled up in it. Later on that same hunt my buddy came face to face with one on a busted out pond dam while he was crawling putting a stalk on a pronghorn. Neither ever rattled and were close enough it could’ve been bad. After that, I wear snake boots and my son wears the snake chaps on early pronghorn hunts in same part of the state.

 

[Like2hunt]

I’ve had a few close calls but not bit. The first one was when I was in Oregon. I was at a outdoor fish hatchery and was walking over to a pond and stood on a snake. I don’t know what kind it was, I got out of there too fast to look back. My step grandpa thought that was the best thing he’d ever seen and laughed and laughed at my reaction.
Second time was when I was hiking. Was walking along a road and hear a rattle and look down and see about a 3 foot rattler that my boot was about to go down on.
The last and most recent was moving sprinklers. We have these black hoses that connect from the swing line into the wheel line and I went to grab the hose and there was a massive rattler working his way over the hose.

 

[Dust Rider]

Never bit or hit in SW Montana. See them all the time around the rivers and lakes in summer time but they don’t bother you if you don’t bother them. Worst was floating the Jefferson river in a inner tube in college and having them swim by. I’ve stepped over juvenile ones and big ones fishing the rivers and a few rattled but never struck at.

 

[AZ8]

There was a guy on Bowsite that got bit and chronicled his entire ordeal with pictures, from strike to rescue to recovery. It was a heck of a thread showing what can happen. Maybe do a Google search to find it.

 

[Button]

Have not been bit by any venomous snakes. Been around plenty of them. I’ve been bit a few times by pythons and a gartersnake.

My dog is vaccinated and I keep some DMSO on hand. I listened to a quail hunting podcast that had a Texas veterinarian that treats a lot of snake bites. I can’t remember what the podcast was called. The veterinarian recommended getting your dog vaccination, avoidance trained, and have DMSO. He said spray the DMSO on the bite and get to the puppy hospital. It was an interesting and very informative conversation, wish I could remember who and where it was.

The local beach is crawling with rattle snakes behind the dunes. It’s not uncommon to see several at night while walking back to the bay to gig flounder. Have a bright headlight(and a backup), walk slow, and stay on the trail if there is one. All the ones I’ve come across on summer nights were actively hunting and paid little attention to me if you gave them space and let them carry on about their kangaroo rat hunting.

 

[rtkbowhunter]

There was a guy on Bowsite that got bit and chronicled his entire ordeal with pictures, from strike to rescue to recovery. It was a heck of a thread showing what can happen. Maybe do a Google search to find it.

Ya, I was gonna mention that. His hospital bill was just shy of $500K,

 

[McCrapper]

I was struck in the hand by a baby rattle snake. His timing was off or I was just lucky, it broke the skin but didn’t puncture, just a little scratch. Freaked me out about to say the least.


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[RADunfee]

Try turkey hunting on the ground in Georgia when your thermacell laying beside you gives off a heat signature and a timber rattler comes to check it out. Inches from your leg. Those underwear I had to throw away.

 

[Bl704]

My brother has been tagged a couple times by water moccasins. Crofab was 20k+ per vial and seemed like they have him 7-10 vials, this maybe 5-10 yrs ago...2-3 days ICU...yes about 500k total.

If you can, give snakes room. If you get bit stay calm, keep heart rate low, get to help/care...calling the ER in advance was helpful for him as one of his hospital choices didn't have the anti venom ( Crofab) on hand...

My former Lab was bit by a copperhead...a benedryl or two held her over till we got to the vet. Who put her on pain med and antibiotic for a 7-10 day period.