Rattlesnakes in Coues Country

[ScottAdams]

I was helping my cousin Duwane out several years ago in unit 36C on the Oct. hunt. As we were walking to our glassing point in the early morning Duwane felt something "soft" under his boot, looked down and saw he was standing on about a 4 footer. Don't let Duwane ever tell you he can't dance because he can. I some him do the ole anti-snake dance that morning! What a sight!

 

Scott

[CouesWhitetail]

WOW! Never heard of someone actually stepping on a rattler and not getting bit! That's amazing. I can just picture Duwane leaping off that thing! Thanks for sharing that story Scott.

 

Amanda

[crotalus]

Well, just to let everyone know just about how expensive and damaging a rattlesnake bit can be:

1) the average cost of antivenom is approximately $2,000 - $3,000 a vial

2) the average number of antivenom vials used per bite ~20 - 30 and it could be

alot more depending on the serverity of the bite, really nasty bites can use 50

or more vials

3) the average cost of an ICU room stay doing your bite ~$10,000($1500/day times 5 days) and that's not counting the lab test, medications like IV's and antibiotics, as well as bandges, physical therapy you'll need post bite, etc.

4) we all know how expensive a doctor's visit is so just imagine the additional cost.

Grand total of a nasty bite from a rattlesnake, oh some where's around $150,000 per bite and that's if everythng goes well, that is you don't have any complications that will require surgery or have a reaction to the treatment. Ouch!

On the bright side, rattlesnakes are not out to kill every human they encounter so just leave them alone and they will return the favor.

Ernest

Edited January 1, 1970 by crotalus

[Guest Ernesto C]

Rattlers are out now!! With temperatures going up, there are different types of snakes coming out,so far this month only 300+ phone calls to the fire dept.for rattler snakes.

 

If you go out hiking,camping,shed hunting,fishing etc etc. stay alert and be carefull look where you walk Have fun and God bless you all.

 

Ernesto Cibrian.

 

P.S. have any of you seen one lately?

[KGAINES]

I saw one that had been run over by a car about 1/2 mile from my house on thursday, it was about 4 foot long, it was gone this morning I figure it was washed away by the rain because I checked and it was very dead yesterday.

[COUESAZ]

Did you cut the rattle off of it first. I cut them off and keep them, for what stupid reason I don't know. I just have a crap load of snake rattles in my garage. Oh well glad to see a car got it before it got one of us or some child latter.

[KGAINES]

Whoever hit it took the rattle, it had only been ran over by one car it looked like and they ran over the head, it was in the Agua Fria River on a dirt road about 1/2 mile from my house. Usually I don't have a problem with rattlesnakes but, I have three small kids and that is too close to home.

[Dodger]

We had one (about 3' long) out at the school I teach at the other day on our football field. We are out in the desert though so it wasn't a big suprise. I'm the baseball coach at my school and I keep waiting for one of my outfielders (or an opposing teams ) to coming running of the field in the middle of inning yelling about a rattlesnake. On a serious note, I check my field every day before we start practice or game looking for rattlesnakes.

 

I once ran into a rattler on a warm November hunt in unit 30A. Scared the you know what out of me!

 

Matt

[audsley]

In more than 20 years of Coues hunting, I have never encountered a rattlesnake during a November or December hunt. I did once encountered a small feisty rattler on a cold day in November, but that was in Desert Mule Deer country on the Empire Ranch near Sonoita.

 

I do not give any thought to rattlers in November and think nothing of walking in the dark. However, you just never know. My wife once encountered a small one on the pavement of the Bear Canyon tram road, near Sabino Canyon, the day after Christmas! And it was rattling away and ready to rumble!

 

But a snakebite in mid-November is an extremely low-odds event. I've never heard of a hunter being bit in November. It's the dove and early season quail hunters who need to step carefully.

[az4life]

I have seen rattlers out even in the Dec late hunt . We were out in 31-32 I think, between Safford and Fort Mojave ?? if I recollect. Anyway We had camped out and were nearly dead since we were sweating all day long with fighting daytime temps in the 80's and 90's. Really HOT temps for that time of the year! We saw a rattler and a gila monster plus tons of lizards during that trip. Amazing

 

Now Whenever I see lizards out, I am on the lookout for snakes.

 

One other case, I was about 18 and was quail hunting. I Dropped into a wash to cross to the other side and half way across, I heard my partner yell STOP, FREEZE. I started looking for the quail... He told me I was standing on a rattler. I looked down and coiled in the sand mostly covered, was a rattler. I was half on top of it with my foot. Sort of had it pinned down. We talked about it for a couple seconds and I pointed my shotgun toward the outside of my foot angling it out away from me making sure it was going to miss my foot, and fired the round in the chamber. I shot, and jumped back as the snake sort of flopped around split open in a couple places but not the head. It was Deafening to me and a big percussion felt on my foot, but better that than a bite being 25 miles from a hospital and 1- 2 miles from the truck.

 

My friend shot it another time after I was clear and he bagged it up to have for dinner.

He said it was full of sand when he cleaned it and kind of gritty to eat.

 

I was glad I got out of it! Now I am quite afew years wiser, and try to look where I am going to step before I do it!

 

Amazing the things that happen to one person when they go out in the wilds!

Like Ernesto, I thanked God for helping me out of that one!

[KGAINES]

One of my dogs got bit last Thursday. They got out and I don't know if the snake was in the yard or if the dogs found the snake in the desert. The dog pulled through it and seems to be doing fine.

[COUESAZ]

The snakes are bad this year. I know of a few guy's that I prospect with have had two dogs killed and had some close calls. I have been lucky so far.

[Guest Ernesto C]

I took my doughter fishing last week,just before getting in our favor fishing spot we saw one in the middle of the row,it was a big one,my doughter got scared but later after 3 big record size crapies she forgot about the rattler.

 

I'll never forget her smile after catching those fish.Thank you Lord.

 

God bless you all.

 

Ernesto C.

[Guest Ernesto C]

Hey Keith sorry to hear about your dog and I'm glad he/she is goin to get ok. I lost one several years back he got bit in the neck,I was really sad because I loved my dog;and at the same time I felt like if he had saved my life because that was exactly where I was going to walk.

 

My brother almost lost his dog four years ago due to a snake bite too but the dog recovered.

 

Here is a list of the rattlesnakes we got in Arizona:

Western Diamonback Rattlesnake

Western Rattlesnake

Black Tail Rattlesnake

Rock Rattlesnake

Twin-spotted Rattlesnake

Sidewinder

Ridgenose Rattlesnake

Tiger Rattlesnake

Speckled Rattlesnake

Mojave Rattlesnake

Massasauga Rattlesnake

 

Do we need one more? I dont think so I think we got plenty already so guys be carefull out there and recieve blessings

 

Thank you.

 

Ernesto C.

[CouesWhitetail]

Sorry to hear about the dogs getting bit. Is there any treatment for dogs once they get bit by a rattlesnake? Or do you just wait it out and hope for the best?

 

Amanda