Rattlers awakened EARLY!!

[Hoser John]

Amazing fat smelly ol'boy was suning himself when dispatched yesterday afternoon. Absolutely amazing as over 60+ years in the boonies and NEVER seen before april fools day wow. Poison oak awake too with lizards hungry and scurrying around also. 75 here in Shasta county yesterday and even warmer today. Err on the side a caution detecting as was NOT being very cautious as in winter mode of alls well--well now I'll put on the open headphones to hear them buzztails---John

 

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[419GottaMinute]

King: any snake but a rattler and I agree with you.

 

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[63bkpkr]

Hi Kingsnake,

Yes indeed I do walk around them or just pick them up with my 6' long hiking staff and lay them where I'm not going to walk. It's like the bears that keep hitting my camps, even when I'm there, I've taken steps to assure that IF one decides to "do its thing" when I am there that I can defend myself and my camp. Do I want to kill a bear, NO! If its me or it I will come home as safe as I can make it. I feel the same way about the snakes now. I've had them slide right past me in camp as well as out on the trail, I've seen them crawling along defenseless being stuffed big time with a small rat or large mouse and that was the time that I was clued in that they have their purposes and their right to be on this planet so I leave them alone anymore. Thank you for your comment! What is the weather like in Colfax? Did you have much snow recently?...............63bkpkr

 

[419GottaMinute]

Colfax virgina? Our snow in colfax california is gone now. Another storm is darkening the skies as I write these words, but I think just rain...

 

[Kingsnake]

Thanks, guys.

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

copperhead surprizingly are more mellow then rattlesnakes and cottonmouths i had a copperhead slither across my shoulder lol

 

[63bkpkr]

NJnp - shudder!

KingSnake - right on

419 - thank you for the weather report. With all that is going on in my life I am over tired and missing details like which person is from which state and which Colfax, Colfax Ca is the one I was wondering about. Weird weather!

 

[kuger]

Prairie Rattlers are actually quite agressive,and I have had more than one actually come toward me unprovoked,fortunatly they are kind of rare.I have had at least one timber actually strike and became airborne(I have a witness)I had and to this day have never seen another do that.I need to point out that my granddad never provoked any of the snakes that bit him,he was like the guy that gets hit by lightning 7 times I guess.I feel no regret in killing rattlers and I will not apologize.I spend a great deal of time in the woods,and often in situations I cant hear,I'll be damned if the snake I let go today,kills me tomorrow.I dont enjoy killing them or hunt them but when we cross path's,more often than not.......they are done.

 

[419GottaMinute]

63: no prob. I have trouble keep people straight on here too

 

[NorCalPilot]

I heard on the radio that one someone (I think it was a Fish and Game officer?) shot a mountain lion Sunday in Colfax as it was preparing to pounce on him.

 

[419GottaMinute]

My wife runs the Starbucks in colfax and is telling me its true, happened on iowa hill rd. She gets all the local gossip. ..

 

[TerryC]

Yep,they are out....I ran into a whole den of em last weekend.They were in a Rock wall,three were sunning,and I dont know how many more were in the wall

Terry,Calisdad,what did yall think of that snowstorm yesterday?Took me 4 hours to get home.....boy,there are some real stupid folks these days!

(Today is the 23rd) Judy and I just hunkered down and waited for some to melt. I was out the day it snowed but it was not enough to stop my '13 Jeep! I couldn't come up Dennis' hill but took the upper flume road to the Adit 4. no problem. TTC

 

[TerryC]

If'n ya never tried it, fried rattlesnake is quite tasty!
says the kitteh smacking her lips

Ya'll do be careful out there.

Pat-Cat, Here is one of the trades I mentioned. Cannot PM a pic (I don't think). TTC

 

[bedrock bubba]

Hiya, 419!

Did you know that Colfax had a big rattler snake farm just after WW II, and all the snakes got loose into Colfax, and into the American River and Bear River Canyons? That includes Diamondbacks, which I have seen below Auburn!

Those two canyons are badly infested with rattlers today!
Mu old diseased friend told me that the had Water Mocs in Shirtail Canyon where he mined with his Dad in the 30's and struck it rich!

I lived in Colfax in 1990-91 used to manage a lodge and cabins there for a year, then moved to Grass Valley.

 

[419GottaMinute]

Bedrock: interesting! Make sense, I have seen them all the way up to dutch flat and down to arden park in sacramento.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Long as a rattler behaves himself then they are left peacefully, however if they are in
some spot I need to go they get gently relocated using a lengthy stick or two. If they
cop an attitude after that they get relocated even further away, and I've only had
to kill one in the past. Most time they just want to be left alone, and not stepped on,
so paying attention to what's ahead and off to the sides of your path and most
times the snake will give you ample warning of their location. No need to kill 'em
just for being a rattler, especially since we're out tromping around their home turf
for just a few minutes and then we're gone.

 

[419GottaMinute]

If I dont kill them, I relocate them VERY far away from the trail. Incidentally, that is how I learned rattle snakes can swim!

 

[calisdad]

Darn right they can swim. A couple of years ago when all the local lakes were flush they were climbing in peoples boats.

 

[kuger]

Darn right they can swim. A couple of years ago when all the local lakes were flush they were climbing in peoples boats.

Had that happen,and let me tell you,it was a long night till daylight so we could see to get it out....that sucked!I have a picture of one in the middle of the lake last summer....woman on the beach it was heading toward told me I was full of it when I told her....and of course her kids were in the water.So I went back and took a picture....I didnt kill it.They can climb very well,and wont rattle if off the ground,like in a bush.They especially like getting up in Sagebrush after a rain

 

[calisdad]

Oh Great! Now I have to look up for them too?? LOL

 

[kuger]

Oh Great! Now I have to look up for them too?? LOL

...that was on Pedro.....they swim very well!!!

I have never seen one higher than waist high,and only in Nevada/Arizona....one time out of Battle Mountain seen four within a 20 ft circle all in diff bush's.....in that same area just before a major lightning storm and flash flood,I seen 13 in a 6 mile distance ......I slept on the seat of my truck that night...and not very well!!!