Floorless and rattle snakes

[20DYNAMITE07]

I've only been on 3 hunts out west but never had a though of buzz worms til now. Just don't get them here besides garter snakes. We were hunting at 10k in CO, do they hang out that high?

I'm not an expert, like at all, but if it's warm and you're out west, then they could be there. I've read reports of them as high up as 9500' though I doubt it's common.

 

[452b264]

I ve lived in the western US my whole life and an avid backer/hunter and I ve never had an issue with snakes.

 

[isu22andy]

I get backpacking in the mountains not a big deal , but what about the open grass lands and sage for muleys and lopes ?

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm thinking he's asking more about setting up camp on the plains and lower elevation areas like eastern CO, WY, etc.

Edit........your last post wasn't showing up when I just posted mine. That's what I assumed you meant.

 

[whoop]

get yourself a good length horse hair reata. build a big loop to go around your shelter. when snakes crawl over the horse hair it ticklles their belly and you'll hear em laughing. it wont stop em for long but you'll know their closing in.

 

[isu22andy]

I'm thinking he's asking more about setting up camp on the plains and lower elevation areas like eastern CO, WY, etc.

Edit........your last post wasn't showing up when I just posted mine. That's what I assumed you meant.

Yep , if Im going to buy a shelter I want it versatile to use in many different terrains and situations. This is just one I cant seem to get past in my head.

 

[*zap*]

I wonder how many people have had a snake slide in under their bag and then slide out when they start to wake and move around....and the sleeper never even knows it was there?

I have seen a few hikers I have hiked with walk right by copperheads and never see them....

 

[Rmauch20]

Good lord Zap, quit already. I am going to have that in my head tonight.

 

[Raghornklr]

This is the most concerning thread I’ve seen on here. Now I’ve decided I cant go floorless until there is snow on the ground. Thanks for that.

 

[carter33]

Currently stuck in the Mojave desert but live in AK, this post is giving me even more reason to be excited to go back. It did snow here today in the desert though, must’ve brought the snow with me.

 

[*zap*]

Good lord Zap, quit already. I am going to have that in my head tonight.

Reality can be tough, harden the &*&* up.

 

[mnspotnstalk]

I get backpacking in the mountains not a big deal , but what about the open grass lands and sage for muleys and lopes ?

In plains country, I wouldn't go floorless. Period. I wear snake gaiters when we hunt the WY plains, I've had enough close encounters that I'm not messing around. I'm from MN though, we don't have snakes other than non-poisonous large worms. Snakes freak me the F out.

Up in the mountains though, I've never worried about it at all. Wouldn't think twice about going floorless.

 

[mnspotnstalk]

Speaking of snakes, the damn beetles that sound like a rattler. God knows how many times I've stepped on a sage bush and jumped out of my skin.

 

[isu22andy]

Anyone else have any solutions ? I see a few walltents in the plains of Wyoming and they just not worry about it ?

 

[Copen1822]

I've camped at least 5 times on SD and NE prairie all floorless, a couple times without any tent. Never a problem with snakes, although thinking about them can make it harder to fall asleep!

Guess I figure the odds are pretty long that one is going to crawl in with me.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Schism]

To avoid snakes on the plains, camp location is something important to consider. Setting up near rock piles or gumbo terrain with deep fissures may increase the likelihood of a snake encounter. Don’t setup where a snake wants to call home and the chance of an encounter becomes so rare I sleep just fine. For extra peace of mind pitch the shelter tight to the ground.

Edit: I’m referring to my experiences in the northern plains of ND, SD, WY, MT. The southern desert plains aren’t something I have familiarity with.

 

[WhiteOak]

Speaking of snakes, the damn beetles that sound like a rattler. God knows how many times I've stepped on a sage bush and jumped out of my skin.

Haha I know what you mean. I live on a decent size mesquite, yucca, sage,pasture that's full of them things. They really used to freak me out until I ran into an actual rattler. They sound almost more like a buzz saw, very distinguished.

The snakes haven't started showing up yet this year but I know it's around the corner. For what it's worth I wouldn't go floor less in my backyard and I live on the NM plains.

 

[mnspotnstalk]

To avoid snakes on the plains, camp location is something important to consider. Setting up near rock piles or gumbo terrain with deep fissures may increase the likelihood of a snake encounter. Don’t setup where a snake wants to call home and the chance of an encounter becomes so rare I sleep just fine. For extra peace of mind pitch the shelter tight to the ground.

Edit: I’m referring to my experiences in the northern plains of ND, SD, WY, MT. The southern desert plains aren’t something I have familiarity with.

This, exactly.

 

[cjl2010]

Here in AZ if it ain’t a snake it’s a recluse, widow, scorpion, turantula hawk, or wasp. When your done fighting those bitches off you get to worry about the cactus lol.

 

[kupper]

I did 10 days in the breaks last year in a supertarp. I find it best to just not think about it or hunt hard enough that being tired overtakes the crazy games your mind plays. One of the nights while we were cooking we did have a small scorpion crawl through camp that got a boot real fast. I will say that not being familiar with them it was a little uneasy going to bed that night. On a different outing in ND i was napping away the afternoon lull like any terrible hunter would do, outside my tent (tent happened to be about 100 degrees inside) and i woke up and had a tiny grass snake about 2 feet from me with his little head up looking back at me. we made eye contact for about 2 seconds before he went on his way. It all makes for good stories, the conclusion being that floorless is best suited for the mountains lol.