Posted: 4/27/2005 8:35:55 PM EDT
They seem to be out early this year.I've killed 2 while out turkey hunting so watch your step.  
|
What type of ratlers are those? I am covered up in western diamondbacks with a Very few Velvet tails(timber rattlers) around here. Timber Rattlers are protected in Tejas |
that is one of the 9 sub species of the western rattlesnake, either northern pacific or southern pacific. of the rattlesnakes in california they are the pissiest. I have had them light up 10ft away... where most others you can prod with a stick and they just try and get away. these are the 6 rattlers found in CA. western Western Diamondback Red Diamondback aka ruber Sidewinder Speckled Mojave aka mojave green this one has the worst bite...hemo and neuro. they are supposed to be the most agressive but of the many I have dealt with they were docile, and pretty! FYI all you need to take snakes is a fishing lic. there are posession limits though. |
|
| Because we have actually been getting rain this year the snakes and spiders are supposed to be really bad. About the dog thing, rattlesnake venom isn't nearly as dangerous to dogs as it is to horses and humans which is a very good thing for them! I didn't know there was a vaccine for them though. How would that work? |
From the Placerville Vet web page: Vaccination for rattlesnake bite: You may have already heard about “rattlesnake vaccine”. It is a relatively new product recently approved for use throughout the Unites States. Ranchers and veterinarians have long known that after having been repeatedly bitten, dogs become resistant to rattlesnake bites. Vaccination works the same way – it will make your dog resistant but not immune. A vaccinated dog is much less likely to suffer permanent injury or die from rattlesnake bite, but it is still possible. The vaccine is usually administered as two injections the first year, with a booster each year after that. It costs about $18.00 per dose. Reasons not to vaccinate: Although rattlesnake bites make dogs very ill and can do serious damage, even untreated bites are seldom fatal and generally cause no permanent damage. Rattlesnake bites don’t happen very often. Immunization of any kind can cause an allergic reaction. Most vaccine reactions are mild and easily treatable. Rarely, they can be severe or even fatal. Local veterinarians who use and recommend it report no problems. The clinician we spoke with at the U. C. Davis veterinary clinic said they don’t use it and don’t recommend it. Reasons to do it anyway: If your dog has a high risk of being bitten. Certain neighborhoods have a lot of rattlesnakes. If you live where there are lots of snakes or if you take your dog hiking in the mountains and don’t use a leash, then vaccination is probably a good idea. If your dog has already been treated with rattlesnake antivenin. Rattlesnake antivenin is made from the blood serum of hyper immunized horses. A single dose can make dogs so sensitive to horse serum that a subsequent dose of antivenin is rapidly fatal. There may be exceptions, but dogs that have been treated once with antivenin should never be treated with it again. The risk from a second dose nearly always exceeds the risk from the rattlesnake bite. Immunizing your dog eliminates the risk from antivenin by eliminating the need for antivenin. |
California, the only state where the law says you don't need a fishing license to kill a rattlesnake.
www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fgc&group=07001-08000&file=7145-7155 
|
I dont know about the ONLY state. you DO NOT have to have one to take them in TEXAS either. I beileve you have to have a hunting liscence in Texas to take them nevermind...I see what you mean...the law actually states that you don't need a fishing liscense |
Actually according to Fish and Game dept. You may keep two legally as pets with a fishing license, this is where the fishing license comes in. You have to get a different license if you want to keep more than two specimens as long as their not endangered. |
Rattlesnakes make very bad pets. They're way faster, more alert, and more aggressive (and dangerous) than traditional snake pet species. I had a roommate who kept one for a while. He got rid of it after his new girlfriend started to open the lid on the cage to get a better look. OTOH they do taste pretty good. 
|
I think there western diamondbacks.The most I killed in a year was 4 all during deer season.Some years I never see one.My friend has a 23000 acre ranch they kill around 30 a year on it.Is there a lot of em in Texas? |
hardly snake free. I used to hunt them when growing up. Me and a couple of buddies gassed a good den and made $381 in one afternoon the last time that I did it. Snakes were bringing $6.50 a pound that year.....you do the math....... went went to the same den the next morning and got $150 more. As I got older, I quit catching them to sell. I just shoot them now when I see them. I have yet to find a den on our farm yet. We have only had it a year now. Have killed a good many of snakes out and about in the summer months. After deer season I did find one promising hole. Upon further investigation I was swiftly chased out of the area by ground hornets...... This is where we used to sell snakes: http://www.rattlesnakeroundup.com/home.html there used to be rattlesnake roundups in a great many cities in texas, but they have faded out through the years. Partly from pressure from tree huggers and partially because Timber rattlers are protected here. Many folks dont know the difference between the Diamondbacks, cane breaks and timber rattlers and would bring protected snakes in to sell....bad JUJU |
Rattlesnakes as pets? without a permit? not what I heard, but I don't have the books in front. I would expect the fishing license exception is to protect the average joe what kills one in his front yard. |
My father used to keep a few in his office, in a cage. He would de-snake peoples dogs with them.(mostly bird dogs) Cut the fangs out of the rattler. Set it loose in the yard. Put a shock collar on the dog to be trained. Set the dog loose. Dog will immediately run over to see about the snake.( snake can cause no harm as his fangs are missing) SHOCK the HELL out of the dog. Dog no longer wants anythign to do with snake...EVER. ETA: And we never had no stinking Fishing liscense. Huntign liscense used to be required in Texas...I am not sure of the requirements these days for taking rattlers |
You are probably right as the snake looks over 2 years old. Counting rattles is NOT an accurare measure of a snakes age. It just shows how many times the snake has shed. |
|
Not that I am aware of. the rattle counting thing is a big myth though...there is some good information in the website on my earlier post. ...not only does a rattler get a new button everytime it sheds, but they also get broken off from time to time. Be safe out there! have to cut and paste it |
It's not a rattlesnake but I'm waiting for the day I see one about this big, this was a gopher snake we caught in the bluffs east of Bakersfield. He was right at 7ft long, my dad and I both are about 6ft 3-4in tall and we're hold the snake above our head, it kinks part way down, and curls at the bottom. Here's a rattle snake I saw about 3 weeks ago, what's left of him as he was disappearing into the bushes atleast. He was only about 3 1/2 feet long, tried to get closer to take a picture and he coiled to strike then dove into the bushes. 
|
|
Yeah, he surprised us as well. MEAN AS HELL TOO! No wonder he got so big.  Here's another gopher snake I caught about 3 weeks ago while camping up in Carrizo Plains, same area where I saw the rattle snake. There are some green racers or green water snakes up in that area that I desperately want to catch, saw 2 of them last year around this time while camping up there and want to put the snag on one as they are bad ass looking snakes. 
|
Western Diamondback. The most common venomous snake bite in the U.S. is from them. Also known as "The Coontail Rattlesnake" That's the easiest way to tell. These in the picture have dark markings and the diamonds don't show up as well, but the coontail cannot be mistaken. They are agressive and inflict large punctures when they bite. They have huge fangs and deliver quite a bit of venom with the bite. Hemotoxic and Nuerotoxic poisons...no fun... |
Real war...you can't shoot worth a shit. I have watched you drop mag after mag at that snake and you haven't hit it yet. It just sits there and hisses. 
|