CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 31, 2009 Hey All, Just another warning to get your rattlesnake awareness up to speed. I almost had a very bad day yesterday! I was out walking the dogs and looking for a spot to put a new trail cam out. I was hoping to find a coyote den or badger burrow or something like that. I was walking downhill and spotted a badger burrow, so I got close and tried to peer inside to see if it was an active burrow or old. There was some short grass at the front of the burrow and I needed to move it to get a view of inside the burrow. It wasn't until AFTER I reached down and moved a little grass, peered all around and moved my hand back that I noticed a small coiled up rattler just in front of the burrow. YIKES!! My hand had been within a 1/4 inch (yes, I said a quarter inch!) of his head!! Luckily he wasn't warmed up and was feeling mellow. He didn't react at all to my hand. Just stayed there coiled up. Then of course my old dog wanted to go sniff around and see what I was looking at so I had to move her away. It wasn't until after we were leaving that the rattler moved into the burrow and rattled as he moved. WHEW!! I was lucky!! Two things put me in that position.....one is that I am infinitely curious about things and was peering around the burrow without thinking about the fact that it was a perfect place for a snake. Since it's still early in the snake season, I haven't yet gotten my snake alertness up to speed. And secondly I was talking on the cell phone while peering and reaching around in there, so not fully thinking about what I was doing. My husband suggests this was just another example of the evils of cell phones!! hehehe Anyway, just wanted to remind everyone to be cautious and aware of your surroundings out there!! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ernesto C Report post Posted March 31, 2009 Wow that was a close call! I know exactly what you mean, being there before............on 36C. I bet you were so scare that you forgot to take a picture of the snake ha? Heck you did so what type of rattler was? Ernesto C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFGinNM Report post Posted April 1, 2009 Very close call, glad you are alright. --Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 1, 2009 Actually I didn't have my camera with me and I was really bumming about it because it was a neat looking snake. I only tend to see diamondbacks around here, so I am guessing that's what it was but I didn't see it's tail since it was coiled up. I thought about taking a pic with my cell phone, but I was in the middle of a phone call and wasn't sure if I could do that while on the phone. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 1, 2009 I have had three amazingly close encounters with rattlesnakes where only the coldness of the rattlesnake kept me from getting bitten (in other words they weren't warmed up enough to be hyper alert). That of course doesn't include all the "standard" rattlesnake encounters where you are walking around and see one nearby. One memorable encounter was when I picked up a snake that I saw while hiking out to a deer hunting spot in the predawn. There was a small snake in the trail and I didn't recognize it. I looked for a rattle and didn't see one, so I figured I was safe. It seemed to be dead anyway, but I picked it up by pinching it behind the head and started looking at it closely to try and ID it. That's when I noticed the tiny nub of a rattle at the end of its tail! And then it started wiggling in my hand and I started thinking "Holy XXXXX, I am holding a live rattlesnake!!!" What do you do now? Well, I just very careful put it back down on the ground and moved away. Turned out to be a banded rock rattlesnake. Very neat looking and thank God it didn't bite me. The other time was when I was doing box turtle surveys in Sulphur Springs Valley and I set my backpack down to get my notebook and GPS out to mark the location. I took the GPS out, turned it on, and set it on the ground nearby to let it "locate" itself. When I went to go pick it up, I realized there was a large mojave rattlesnake coiled up right next to it!! YIKES again! Thank God he wasn't in a bad mood. It was early morning and he wasn't warmed up. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted April 1, 2009 WOW!!!! I got some serious goose bumps reading about your encounter Amanda, VERY glad you didn't get bit!!!! I wouldn't even wish that on my worst enemy...no fun gettin' bit! I couldn't help but wonder if your TCam would have triggered on the snake had you set it up prior in that spot? That would be a first I bet! Glad your OK!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted April 1, 2009 I would wish it on my worst enemy Jim, saves me the trouble, but I am glad you were lucky Amanda, same thing as Jim I get goosebumps reading about rattlers much less running into them. Thanks for the update Amanda. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 300ultramag. Report post Posted April 1, 2009 timber rattler? Ive had that same situation where they were still sluggish! Thank goodness cause I was alone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted April 1, 2009 Amanda, if you are going to put yourself in them situations please don't tell us about it. What in the world would we all do if something bad happened to you? I couldn't imagine what the cwt members would do. PLEASE BE CAREFULL!!!!!! TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 1, 2009 Amanda, if you are going to put yourself in them situations please don't tell us about it. What in the world would we all do if something bad happened to you? I couldn't imagine what the cwt members would do. PLEASE BE CAREFULL!!!!!! TJ Thanks for your concern TJ! I was actually thinking about that the other day....who would run this site if I died? Given the number of people who get value out of this site, I really need to figure out someone who would not only be able, but willing to manage the site if I wasn't around. Anybody interested??? Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 1, 2009 WOW!!!! I got some serious goose bumps reading about your encounter Amanda, VERY glad you didn't get bit!!!! I wouldn't even wish that on my worst enemy...no fun gettin' bit! I couldn't help but wonder if your TCam would have triggered on the snake had you set it up prior in that spot? That would be a first I bet! Glad your OK!!! Maybe I should go back and set it up on that burrow and see if I can get the snake on the cam!! I hadn't thought of that! Good idea, only I will be all creeped out walking around there knowing that quiet snake is somewhere in there! That thing blended in perfectly with the dirt color. I was completely shocked when I realized what I was looking at! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehunt Report post Posted April 1, 2009 Ahhh heck no....dont go back there that first story scared the crap out of me!!!!! i had a similar incident while scouting for a muley hunt in november and i was lucky he was cold because my hand was placed right in front of him as i grabbed the boulder he was coiled up on!!! learned my lesson though, no matter what time of year im always on alert!!!!!! glad your ok amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted April 1, 2009 I came within 2 inches of stepping on a blacktail in Mexico last month on the coues hunt.. After Chef had missed it by an inch or 2 as well!! Only reason I didnt step right into him was he gave a sluggish rattle after Hector roused him a bit with his boot.. Close one Amanda!! I saw my uncle get bit in the shin on the opening day of dove season about 10 years ago.. He was walking out to pick up a dove, and stepped right into the middle of a 5 footer that was streached out in some knee high weeds.. It got him mid shin area.. He said it was the worst pain he's ever experienced in his life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted May 2, 2009 Its very scary when those little buggers are hidden in the grass. Be careful guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
