Watch your step while scouting!!!!

XxPSEaddictxX · Jul 7, 2012

I'm was coming down the mountain in the Pine Valley Range earlier today after an all day scouting trip and was in bit of a hurry because food was calling....I go to duck under some low hanging limbs and come within 2 1/2 feet of stepping on a 5' Mojave rattler. He never rattled until I had jumped to the side and said a few explicit words. I know a rattler can strike up to half the length of its body so I'll scratch this one up as luck. Being new to Utah my snake lesson is learned. I got a pic of him and will try to post

ShowThemToMe · Jul 7, 2012

Is he still alive?

[font color=red size=redsize=18"face"]SHOW THEM TO ME![/font]
If You Love Your Country,SHOW THEM TO ME!

I've got Wild Honey Tree's and Crazy Little Weeds growin around my Shack!
These Dusty Roads ain't streets of gold but I'm happy right where I'm at!
All these Perty little Western Belles are a Country Boys Dream!
They ain't got Wings or MM Halo's but they sure look good to me!

XxPSEaddictxX · Jul 7, 2012

Utah law says rattlers are protected...

TOPGUN · Jul 7, 2012

So now I know why those pictures were deleted yesterday!

doggbiter · Jul 7, 2012

I like to pick them up and move them to safety, a 12 gauge with hi-brass loads works really well for this!

whiskeybent · Jul 7, 2012

I hate those things. Kill every damm one Ya see!

DreaminOf200 · Jul 7, 2012

They may be protected, which is why it would be unfortunate that the rock he was under just happened to fall on his head right as you walked by!

I've had my close encounters as well with rattlers and copperheads, but none of them lived much longer...I'm not in Utah though...

feddoc · Jul 8, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jul-08-12 AT 10:03AM (MST)[p]This pic was taken in October of 1969 near Roy, NM. My hunting partner stepped over a log...only it wasn't a log. The pic shows two exit wounds...but, I only shot him once (the one closest to his head). The bullet exited, entered again (he had begun to coil) then exited a second time. A fully grown rabbit came out of the second exit wound.

FWIW, I am about 6'2"; there was another foot of that snake still on the ground.

theox · Jul 8, 2012

One word... Judge!

Go down and buy a taurus judge. .410 pistol... they buggers may be protected, but very few follow that.

I have been close to being bit twice in the last 3 years. the one i almost steped on, the other i walked up a draw came around a tree and it rattled within 2-3 feet of me my natural fight or flight kicked in and i literally flew. i jumped to the side so fast as i looked down and that thing was in the air strinikng at me. i bet i will never be able to side jump that far again. I felt like michael jordan. then the fight kicked in.....

just be careful cause those demons can stilll bite with there head blown off. best thing to do is make sure to cover the head as you leave the crime scene.

NVPete · Jul 8, 2012

In all my years in the hills (and Rangering) covering a span of 35 years, I have killed them at times especially around high visitor-use places, but other times just let them be. I even once fried one up so the Scouts that were with me could try rattlesnake meat...just told them not to tell their moms, as they probably wouldn't get to go camping again!The Great Basin Rattlesnakes that frequent the northern 2/3 of the Nevada IMO are not very aggresive. On a recent youth hike, we encountered one finishing his morning meal. There was talk about killing him, but most watched him finish his meal and we parted ways. He wasn't about to strike nor let a bunch of humans interrupt his meal! I was grateful at having the opportunity of witnessing this event.And he was in a somewhat remote location, so chances of future encounters are slim.

tex270 · Jul 8, 2012

This is the result of not watching your step.

tex270 · Jul 8, 2012

Lets try again

Corihor · Jul 9, 2012

We went out rock hounding over the weekend and my wife about stepped on one 20 ft out of the vehicle and I came up on another two all tangled up together in the rocks. All three were within 100 yards of each other and I bet there were more we didn't see. My kids were with us and in shorts so we were very cautious!