How tough are rattlesnakes?

[crawfobj]

Last place I saw some elk jerky was a truckstop in Centerville, TX, but I can't remember what it was called. They had so many different types or jerky that I am definitely stopping there next time I pass through. They also said you can order it from them and they will ship it to you.

Woody's smokehouse. Great stuff. Good BBQ too.

[triggerhappy243]

Elk jerky? Try cabelas or there is a jerky place south of albuquerque, maybe 30 miles. They sell all kinds. You would be drooling for sure.

[UBER7MM]

This thread reminds me.... does anyone know where I can get some elk jerky? The kids are wanting some and I can't find it anywhere........

There's a truck/road side stand outside of Flagstaff, AZ on I-17 that advertises elk jerky. I don't know any thing else about the operation. Sorry, not much help.

[UBER7MM]

We are moving to Arizona later this year. I know next to nothing about rattle snakes and am honestly scared of most any snake. If I see them from a ways off, I am ok. But I'd like a little reassurance for the up close encounters.

I've been playing around with a shot load from my 32 single six. Using a 30 cal gas check over the powder, followed by a 32 acp casing full of #8 shot, then topped off with another 30 cal check. I've been using 1.5 grains of Promo for a charge. The shot will go about 1/4 inch into a pine board at 5 feet, the gas checks go a little deeper. Shot spread is about 8 inches at five feet, and both gas checks go roughly to point of aim.

Is this good snake medicine, or am I going to just tick them off?

Why not just stack a bunch of gas checks over some powder in a case and work up a load?

[Grizzly Adams]

They will continue to move for a while even after a well placed head shot. The first copperhead I killed, I took of most of it's head and it squirmed for a while. After cutting off the rest of the head I picked the body up and started walking back to camp. About three minutes into it it struck the side of my leg with it's now headless body. Thank goodness nobody else was around because I let out a squeal that would put my daughter to shame.

Steve817, Sorry but I had to laugh out loud and I am all by myself, but I can relate, I was with a friend when we came upon a 6' rattlesnake in his cattle pen, one lucky shot from a Ruger 44 mag. took it's head clean off. We got a shovel and buried the head, and through the body in the bed of the truck so I could skin it for the hide. As my friend was walking around to the door of the truck the headless body coiled and followed his pace and as he reached for the door handle it struck leaving a bloody print on the side of the truck bed. I can only assume that part of it's heat sensors were still working, but probably would not have believed it had I not been standing there and seen it with my own eyes.
I think the best thing to kill a snake with is an 11' pole because I wouldn't touch a live one with a 10' pole.

[UBER7MM]

Snakes are just plane evil....

Genesis 3

[Grizzly Adams]

Around here, we tend to only get the Texas Rat Snakes. They are a constrictor and as such are harmless to humans. I usually just pick them up and relocate them. I taught my daughter to not be afraid of snakes with one of them when she was young. I caught one and she would "take it for walks" around the local park (i.e. it was draped behind her neck). It would freak out the people walking / riding their bikes in the park. Some people are really afraid of snakes, even totally harmless ones. For the most part though, if you have snakes around your house, it's because their is a food source (e.g. mice) and if you get rid of the food source, the snakes will go elsewhere also. If you kill off the snakes, then you will have more rodents. A garden rake can be used to move a snake -- basically like a pasta spoon. A piece of PVC pipe with a loop of line running through it can be used to "lasso" the head of the snake and move it also. Usually though, if a snake is more than 4-6 ft away from you, he is not a danger to you and you can just leave him be.

When I'm in the woods (500 yds from the house) I let snakes be, I'm at there house. But at my house I don't try and relocate them. There has been a lot of snake bites this year, either snakes are getting more aggressive or people are getting dumber (my vote is on the later).
I'm not sure that I can determine whether a snake is poisonous or not, but I Know that God Knows which are poisonous and which are not, so I kill them all and let Him sort them out.

[Digital Dan]

Sometimes a bit of discrimination is a useful thing. King snakes kill rattlers and other poisonous peers, so do Indigo snakes. If you have those things around the neighborhood you'd do well to let them continue to do what they do best.

[UBER7MM]

Why not just stack a bunch of gas checks over some powder in a case and work up a load?

Something similar to shooting dimes in a shotgun:

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-656.html

[Grizzly Adams]

As you can see from my picture I'm a dog guy & like them way more than most people, up to & including most of my kids. I have spent thousands to save a dog & feel they are part of my family & would care for them just like anyone else in my family. Mine will protect anyone in the pack, never complain, always there & happy to see you & be with you. They will die to save you. How many people do you know that will do that?



That field behind me is our police dog training field, so you better believe mine will eat you.



If your not willing to care for your dog, don't own one. Also feel almost that way about my horses, but not quite. But have spent some pretty big bucks to fix them up also.



People like Michael Vicktheprick should have their balls nailed to a stump & pushed over backwards.



Letting your dog die from a snake bite when remedies are available is just plain wrong.

You have your opinion, other people have theirs, doesn't make either one of you right or wrong. Some people don't go to Dr.s when snake bit what makes you think they would take their dogs. Some dogs are family, some pets and some are working stock, different people have different levels of involvement with their animals. My dog is family, but that being said, I don't think any animals life should be put above a humans pain and suffering.

[Grizzly Adams]

Sometimes a bit of discrimination is a useful thing. King snakes kill rattlers and other poisonous peers, so do Indigo snakes. If you have those things around the neighborhood you'd do well to let them continue to do what they do best.

Yes Dan I do agree with you somewhat, if I see a black snake cross the road, I won't chase it down an kill it, but one across my door step might be a different story. I know he won't hurt me, but he'll make me hurt myself 😊.

[Bad Water Bill]

EEKS

A snake is on my computer

[tygar]

This one was cooled up when I shot it with my 20ga. Everyone said it was a copperhead so I shot it but the color looks wrong to me.

Well, I almost had a chance to spend several thousand $s or bury a dog.

Copperhead right at the bottom of the front door steps.

Good thing I take Gunny out on a leash & use a flashlight at night when I take him out & then let the other dogs out off leash after doing a snake search.

I hate those GD things. He's in a trash bag now, well perforated by 44Mag shotshell.

Shot him 3 times just for GP.

I hate those GD things!

I hate those GD things!

[35 Whelen]

As you can see from my picture I'm a dog guy & like them way more than most people, up to & including most of my kids. I have spent thousands to save a dog & feel they are part of my family & would care for them just like anyone else in my family. Mine will protect anyone in the pack, never complain, always there & happy to see you & be with you. They will die to save you. How many people do you know that will do that?

That field behind me is our police dog training field, so you better believe mine will eat you.

If your not willing to care for your dog, don't own one. Also feel almost that way about my horses, but not quite. But have spent some pretty big bucks to fix them up also.

People like Michael Vicktheprick should have their balls nailed to a stump & pushed over backwards.

Letting your dog die from a snake bite when remedies are available is just plain wrong.

We had a dandy little Border Collie bit on the shoulder and ran her to the vet. His exact words were "I have an anti-venom, but it might not save the dog, and I can't even afford it myself.". It was a tough choice. Sadly, she died a few hours later. He then told us when dogs are bitten forward of the shoulder, not to even bother bringing them in because they'll recover on their own. Well, my knot-headed bird dog bird dog has proven that true three times. Yep...three bites to the nose on three different occasions and she's still with us.




Same with a mutt my daughter brought home only she was bitten once in the nose.

I've killed a few dozen here at the house and they're really not too hard to kill. The only thing that has failed me miserably were CCI 22 LR shotshells out of a handgun. Something like a .38 Special does the trick with room to spare.

I kill rattlers on sight around the house but let any non-poisonous snake go. About a month ago I was walking the creek about 1 1/2 miles from the house and came across Mr. Grumpy Pants here:



I was wearing one of my .44 Specials and had a shot load in the cylinder, but decided to let him go. On the other hand a couple of weeks ago as I walked in to my shop, I saw a rattler dart behind the gun safe. I DIDN'T let him go:



That was a 3" .38 and a handload of #9's in a Speer shot capsule.

35W

[smilin jack]

Been making snake loads for the 44 mag. Add 4 gr Bullseye to primed/sized case, DIY card wad over powder (7/16 inch gasket punch and cereal box cardboard), fill case nearly full of small shot (#8 or 9), card wad on top of shot and a light crimp. I even put a little lacquer or finger nail polish on top the wad to keep things together.

An empty 357 case works well to seat the over powder wad. So does a new pencil with eraser down.

The gasket punch has a steel base plate with 7/16" hole and slot in the clear plastic top plate for the card stock. The punch is a tight fit into the plastic top piece hole. A sharp rap with a soft blow hammer punches crisp edged card stock wads. Think it was purchased at Harbor Freight.

One shot at a few feet and the snake doesn't move. Works about like a Judge with 2 1/2" shot shells but much quieter.

More powder seems to blow apart the pattern. Several snakes have met their maker with this load in my 4" Taurus Titanium.

Dave

[Lonegun1894]

What size punch do you use? Just asking so I know if this is something I can go buy or if it's a home made item. I don't have much use for shot loads in a handgun, but have been thinking I should reconsider them cause my experience is mostly limited to the .22 shot loads, and they weren't very impressive, but the larger calibers should work. I have .357, .40, .44, and .45 options now.

[Redhawk500]

I met my first rattle snake just a month ago. It was 60 inches long (estimated 2 inches for head as it was headless) and 7.5 inches in circumference. One of our group was on the dirt road doing some mowing around a deer hunting property. He had showed me his .22 LR pistol, a baby 1911 style single stack magazine but don't remember the maker. I wasn't too impressed with his choice of firearms but he was accurate enough for head shots from the seat of the tractor. I vote for snake shot in my .45 ACP pistol or similar load in a .44 Magnum 4" revolver. Mostly I have a live and let live policy with snakes, moving them out of the way with a walking stick in the woods. If they are poisonous and in the vicinity of my kids, dogs and horses, they get no second chance. A hoe is the perfect walking stick while walking the fence line in thick brush. Biggest snake I've seen was a black snake long enough to block the driveway just after we had moved onto our "ranch" (gentleman farmer) a decade or so ago. Called wife on the cell phone so she could see it and was almost late for work. Big excitement on small farm.

[Rufus Krile]

An interesting development in South and West Texas is that, due to the proliferation of feral hogs, rattlesnakes are not rattling as much. Seems to sound like a dinner bell to the hogs who relish them. Don't count on any warning. Friend got bit on the leg and thought he'd gotten a mesquite thorn until the snake, having made his exit, rattled at him from cover. Probably complaining about the taste...

[opos]

Just don't play with them. Here is a list of fatal snakebites in the US since 2010. As you will see, very few people ever die from snakebite.

Getting bit is very expensive though. You can spend a week in the hospital and get multiple doses of anti-venom at 10,000 a pop.

A limber stick or hoe is the best snake killer I have seen. However, check your state laws, in most states now, it is illegal to harm ANY snake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...d_States#2010s

May be "illegal" to harm any snake..but you can bet if one comes in our yard as they have been known to do on occasion..they are toast...too close quarters in a big city for rattle snakes...lots of kids and pets and old people...no room for rattle snakes.
I was driving up and over a hilly open space area near our home and a woman was out in the middle of a major 4 lane street trying to catch a snake that was crawling across the road..she had a stick and a can...I stopped..yep, a rattler...I suggested she might just let it crawl across the road and into the brush and leave it alone...she was determined to "save it" from traffic so I simply cautioned her and left...she wants to hug trees...she can do it without me.

[auto5man]

This one was cooled up when I shot it with my 20ga. Everyone said it was a copperhead so I shot it but the color looks wrong to me.

Sure looks like a copperhead to me, good shoot! It's the pattern that is so distinctive.