As Fall closes in, bird hunters still need to expect a snake encounter. Poisonous snakes can ruin your hunting dog’s day. A surprised Rattler can strike even well trained and snake proof dogs.
The warmest part of the day is when a strike is most likely to happen. Cold blooded snakes lay in the open sun, along edges, and rocks. They will be near shelter or places where they can quickly go into cover.
Grain fields and grassy edges offer food and shelter for rodents, which snakes are after. Gopher holes are a good home for rattlesnakes. Once we get a few frosts, the rattlers will go to their dens, and the risk of an encounter will decrease. Dens can have hundreds of local snakes.
I recently saw a picture of an Oklahoma Snake Buster named Dennis Crow. He has been catching rattle snakes for a lifetime and recently caught his best and biggest rattler. He was taking part in the Apache Rattlesnake Festival, in Apache, Oklahoma, when he caught a huge rattler. Just after his buddy was taking his picture with the trophy snake, Dennis had a heart attack. The excitement was too much. Fortunately, they took Dennis to the hospital where he recovered.
Another monster Rattler was caught a few years ago near Ennis, Montana. This mega snake was just a mile or so from the town.
When hunting in snake country, expect an encounter. Hunt away from snakey cover. Know where the nearest emergency vet is. If your dog is bitten, keep them calm and get to the vet.
I also know a pheasant hunter that was bitten by a Rattler on a wildlife Management area near Townsend. He was picking up a downed bird when he was struck. The large snake embedded both fangs so deep into his forearm that it did not release. He was swinging his arm and snake around until it finally let go. He then shot it and tossed it into a sack. The 26-inch-long rattler went with him to the hospital. It took a couple of rounds of antivenom to deal with the bite. He has a scar to prove his story.
Hunt hard, hunt harder, just watch out for the SSSSSSS!
Montana Grant
