Necessity of a Venom Extractor

[Ry_Harr_81]

Hey, so it may be obvious I'm from out of state when asking this.....and that I am probably an over-preparer, but I am heading to Colorado for an elk hunt next year and I know there is more of a diverse snake habitat out there than here in the Northern Mid-Atlantic. 'Colorado is home to three venomous snakes: the western massasauga rattlesnake, the midget faded rattlesnake and the prairie rattlesnake.' I saw this cheap extractor kit. Smart to have just in case? Have you heard of guys that keep it in their pack? Or is it very likely I'll come across Rattlers? I read on another post that snakes are known to dwell in basins out there.

Amazon.com

 

[Rob5589]

Uh, no. If you were to get bit; keep limb below heart level, keep calm, haul ass to ER for antivenin. Snake venom rarely causes death. It is more likely to cause tissue necrosis (death) at and near the bite.

 

[Ry_Harr_81]

Uh, no. If you were to get bit; keep limb below heart level, keep calm, haul ass to ER for antivenin. Snake venom rarely causes death. It is more likely to cause tissue necrosis (death) at and near the bite.

Thanks. Yea idk. snakes aren't really something we have to worry about over here. We have water moccasins out here but they're practically non-existent and other than that is just a typical garter snake or black racer. I know that we will be on the move quite a bit while out there, making it easy to overlook snakes, and I just have no idea how common they are to see out there.

 

[willfrye027]

Nope. Not recommended by medical professionals. During my toxicology rotation I learned that basically the only thing that truly does anything, is antitoxin.

 

[P Carter]

Throw it in along with your divining rods, just for good measure.

 

[NoWiser]

You aren’t going to get bit by a snake while elk hunting and, if you did, you wouldn’t want to use one of those.

 

[fwafwow]

Agree with @Rob5589 and @willfrye027 - I’m not an expert, but I took a trauma class from Dark Angel Medical (great course). I personally would not buy that or use it. Get someone to bring you antivenin if possible (to mitigate exertion and spread of venom), and do haul ass but try to minimize your effort.

Here’s a source that is a bit more legitimate than my “I took a course” equivalent to “but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night”https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15647-snake-bites/management-and-treatment

 

[jolemons]

A man and his friend are walking in the desert when suddenly his friend is bit by a poisonous snake directly on the penis. The man says to his friend, "Don't worry I'll run into town and get help, I'll be right back!"
The man gets into town and finds the local doctor and asks "My friend was just bit by a poisonous snake, what do I do to save his life?!"
The doctor says, "Well you have to suck the venom out as quick as possible"
The man thanks the doctor and quickly rushes back to his friend.
His friend asks, "What did the doctor say!?"
The man said to his friend "You're going to die"


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Antarctica]

Just watch some 60's or 70's western/mountain man movies. Cut at the bite, suck and spit. At least that's how I remember seeing them do it when I was a kid watching them ;-)

 

[Smokeslider]

As someone who has been bitten by a rattlesnake, that extractor will do more harm than good. Reducing travel time to a facility that can administer antivenin should be your focus.
With that said, the odds of getting bit are very very low, unless alcohol and stupidity are involved.

 

[Phaseolus]

I’ve spent my whole life in Western Colorado in the hills, I’ve never seen a rattlesnake while hunting. The only place i’ve seen more than a few is around Hayden. I wouldn’t put it on a list of your concerns for hunting Colorado.

 

[HighUintas]

The only thing you can do is keep your HR as low as possible while still moving toward the hospital as quickly as possible, and keep it below the heart.

 

[All American Boy]

Depending where you are hunting, most of the snakes are in antelope country and not elk country.

 

[Next Ridge]

Your odds of killing an elk in Colorado are much, much higher than getting bit by a venomous snake in Colorado...not sure what season you’re hunting or where. Snakes are cold blooded creatures.

 

[Rokwiia]

I'd focus on preventing a bite rather than addressing an envenomation. This summer, on two occasions, I almost stepped on a Timber Rattler. Both very large. It changed, forever, what I will wear in certain areas.

I would recommend getting snake gaiters, particularly Turtleskins. They are lightweight and feel like nornal gaiters. Also, make sure you wear a leather boot that will not allow a snake's bite to penetrate. With those two, you sure be able to hunt safely.

https://turtleskin.com/default/outd...kearmor-snake-protection/snake-gaiters-5.html

I also bought the Turtleskin chaps which will protect me to the top of the leg. I got those because I'm often bushwhacking in areas where the underbrush makes it impossible to see what I'm stepping on. The chaps allow me to walk with ease and not have to concentrate, or be concerned, where I step.

 

[Marbles]

As others have stated, no; prevention is your best protection. If prevention fails, you need professional medical care. Nothing you do should delay getting to professional care, however if possible:
-keep the bitten part level with the heart. Above the heart could increase systemic envenomation, below the heart increases the risk of compartment syndrome (which is nasty and could make you loose the limb)
-Wash it like you would any other wound and put a sterile dressing over it to prevent secondary infection.
-Try to minimize exertion, ideally be carried out.
-DON'T let any of the above delay getting to medical care. Time is tissue.

There are lots of resources on this. I have the latest edition of Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine on hand (which is considered the definitive text in wilderness medicine) and it recommends against it.

I doubt many here want to drop $160 on a medical text book or to wade through 40 pages of information on the topic; so here is the Wilderness Medical Societies' position statement for snake bites in the U.S. and Canada so you can verify the information for yourself. https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(15)00220-3/fulltext

Somebody read the position statement and let me know if I remembered everything correctly, it has been a few months since I reviewed it last.

 

[Ry_Harr_81]

Your odds of killing an elk in Colorado are much, much higher than getting bit by a venomous snake in Colorado...not sure what season you’re hunting or where. Snakes are cold blooded creatures.

Thanks

 

[Opah]

I would wear snake proof boots or Gaiters, anyways most snakes would see you as a treat not food and dry bite.
I have found the Snake bite kits work great for the insect bites.

 

[WCB]

unless you are down in sage country don't worry about it.

But make sure in the morning to tip your boots upside down and when going to sleep at night make a ring around you with your rope!

 

[justinspicher]

I’ve heard there are poisonous snakes here, but Ive never seen one. Maybe I should start looking.