Going on a Javelina hunt in Mid Febuary whats the chances of running into rattlesnakes in Texas that time of year.

time of year has little to do with it ,,,,its all about the weather.. if its above 65 wear them snake boots or leggins. academy sells a set of hard plastic ones that work out nicely. khh

Biggest one we have killed on our lease was shot in January--so be on the lookout. Snake leggings/chaps/boots are a whole lot cheaper than a day in the ER/ICU/hospital bed.

And a plus, they help turn the cactus, mesquite, retama, and other thorns which would otherwise puncture your hide.

Thats a big one up here. Thanks for the advice

And they're all protected here in NY !! So it's SSS .

Last year when it was so warm and dry in Texas I was klling buzz worms in January.

One of my hunting dogs was killed by a big Western Diamond back in October of 2005.

He got bit in the neck and it took him about 4 hours to die.

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
And they're all protected here in NY !! So it's SSS .

Yes they are but around my area they aren't to uncommon if you know where to look for them. I know on lake George seeing one swimming or near the lake around Tongue MT area can give you quite a start. definite SSS! Of course you only have a chance to see one for 4 to 5 months a year.

quote:

Originally posted by bbruce:
Going on a Javelina hunt in Mid Febuary whats the chances of running into rattlesnakes in Texas that time of year.

What part of the state? If in the South Texas brush country, then snakes are fairly active year-around (and much more plentiful than in far West Texas). If in the Trans Pecos, then that's cooler country and snakes are rarely much of an issue in February.

"Snake leggings" will drive you crazy and you won't wear them for more than an hour or two. Besides being uncomfortable and difficult to keep in place, they'll make a loud scratchy sound on every piece of vegatation they touch. Any boot with a top of 10" or more is pretty good protection.

Dustoffer:

That's a dandy there!
What'd you do with it? Hope you ate it instead of just throwing it away.
Best chicken you'll ever eat, I promise.

Anyone else see that monster killed within the last couple yrs at Cactus?

I had a picture of it. About 5" dia and the caption claimed it was something like 98# and 9'7" or something like that.

A real monster in a place I'd been by many times just off the hwy. Fact is, one of those place's INS just rounded up Swift workers is down the road 1/4 mi.

George

That one got skinned and dressed (all of them do) and one of our hunters from Alaska took it home with him. You should have seen his wife -- she was holding it while we dressed it. Of course, it kept "striking" her with the bloody stub of a neck while she was holding it. Really gave her the willies, but she was a gamer and hung in there for the whole deal.

We keep all the skins--roll 'em up and freeze them, and then when we need one for some project, we thaw them and tan them. Some we sell to a local taxidermist. He makes a "South Texas mount" with them. He takes the skull plate/antlers which he has filled in with bondo or plaster to make it smooth and rounded, then glues the snakeskin to it. Puts it on a nice piece of mesquite and the diamonds really make a nice trophy. I have a pic of one (if I can find it) and I'll post it.

YUMMY!!! good eatin!!

bbruce,
If you can afford to spend the money Cabelas has snake boots that are lace up 17". They are as comfortable as sneakers ans dont require break in to wear for long periods. They are camo, which I think looks silly but some guys I hunt with love them.

Perry

Sorry I hadn't been paying any attention to this one bruce. We have run into a few rattlers in March, but very few. In fact, we only started running into them during the last 4 years. Up until then, we had not seen any. It will depend on what the weather has been doing, and where we go on the ranch. If your hunt was going to be 2 weeks later, than I would have suggested you think about tyhe snake boots. I just wear regular over the ankle lace ups, and in all the walking around I have done on the ranch, I have not yet ran into a rattler in the past 9 years. We did have a big one killed last year, the one pictured on our scrapbook page, but it was killed the second week of March. The guy that killed it helps with the guiding on the hunt, and he was hunting with his Dad when they got that one. They actually walked up on 3, that were on some rocks sunning. If you want to checvk into for you and your sons, at Cabela's last night, I noticed that they sell snake proof gaiters for about $50.00 a pair. As I say, I never worry about it, but the gaiters might be a better solution than having to wear the boots all day.

I'm not to worried about them,They usually warn you before you get to close. I was just wondering if there was many in the area that time of year. I hunted alot in OK on Fort Sill when I was in the army. I ran into a couple Rattlers but saw them in time. The snakes that bother me are the water snakes, Water moccasens.I can live without meeting up with them again.

Hate to say this, but rattlesnakes don't always warn with the rattle before they strike! Been many a times in the several years I lived out in Rule, Tx. when I stepped on one unexpectedly. Watch out for the rocky, canyon areas where the dens like to hide out and strech out on the rocks. They might not expect you and strike at a moments notice. Face to face with one inside a plexiglass cabinet, they strike quicker than you can blink your eye. In February, you shouldn't have too much trouble with them, but Texas is a very large state and the country has a lot of remote areas. Could take hours to get medical attention in some areas.

"Always rattle?"--not hardly. I killed a 4+ footer during dove season that didn't rattle, even though I was 2' from him. After I shredded his head and dragged him out of the weeds, I picked him up by the tail to count rattles--and found none!!! The tip of his tail was smooth and rounded, just like the end of your little finger. Didn't appear to be any scarring, not a sign of a rattle, and nicely covered in the "coontail" pattern skin.

Since then a veterinarian/wildlife biologist friend told me about reading somewhere that when rattlers den up, rats sometimes come into the den and gnaw off the rattles of the dormant snakes. I don't know if that explanation holds water or not, but there was at least one buzz bug without a buzzer on our lease (LaSalle County/Cotulla area).

I concur with both Mr.557 and dustoffer. I have stepped on too many rattlesnakes, that didn't start rattling till I stepped on them. The business about rats chewing off the rattles is highly likely, especially if the snakes are really crowded anmd it is really cold outside. They probably don't even feel the rats chewing on the rattles. I guess I have been real lucky in my dealings with the things over the years.

One thing is definite, if we run on to a "Keeper" while you are down here hunting, it will be come the "Guest Item" on the menu for supper.

Guess I've been overly lucky when it comes to snakes. Hauled pipe for most of six yrs to rigs, picked up, loaded and moved lots of equipment that had been on site for a long time all over Texas, OK, NM, Kans, Colo and never seen a one.

About ten of us loaded 7-8 loads of pipe that had been on the ground for a couple years by Ozona. Some of us had even walked on the ground between them and no sign of snakes. It was getting late enough in the day to get back to the yard and unload so left one last driver and jin trk operator to load the last of it. Damned if the driver didn't get nailed. That was late 60's long before cell phone's. They did have a CB and called for help someone came from a farm not too far away and took him in for help and survived. Lost a big chunk off his calf though.

On Memorial Day '99 was showing me around one of the farms they'd lived on south of Springfield CO. Cold and windy, damned if I didn't step on one. Thought I heard something and stood there looking around. Just happened to look down and was standing with my heal on it's head. Of course all I saw was rattler coming from under my boot. Didn't see what part I was standing on til too late. Never knew a fat man could jump so far.

Strange thing, just a yr before, same date one of my buddies did the same thing just west of Pueblo walking back to the truck from fishing all day. Heard the buzz and looked around about that time something started whacking the side of his boot.

Tell you what, far as I'm concerned ONCE is enough!

And I've lived among them all my life and seen, killed a bunch. But, only twice come across one while out in the pasture's, fields etc. Seen more around the farm yards, haying and such.

But, count on them being out there all the time and watch for them like you do for game and cactus you might step on and you'll be safe enough.

You kill 'em, don't waste the good eating though. It's real good chicken flavored meat.

George