Ran across this guy while hiking yesterday.

[Timberwolf]

People shouldn't fear rattlers, but certainly respect them. There is only one sub-species that I'll usually kill on sight and that is the Mojave Rattler aka Mr. Green. They are the most dangerous snake in USA, except for the Coral Snake which offers very little threat because of its small mouth and rear set fangs. Beyond that most others get a free pass unless they get grumpy and then they become food.

I see a snake of some type every weekend - if you're outdoors in SoCal chances are you walk by more than you'll ever know.

[BlackViper]

I'm not advocating one way or another, but every ranch owner I know kills them on sight. I always think of this kid, who was hiking in Yosemite (something I do often) and in an instant lost the use of his hand for a year.

http://www.rattlesnakebite.org/

Of course he was invading the snake's "territory", but to say these things are no big deal and bites don't mean much is not entirely accurate. Their venom is necrotizing and if they dose you good you're in for a world of hurt.

[sideshowhr]

good lord man. that pictures link is something ELSE. poor little guy.

[SickofSoCal]

Great advise. Who did you survey for? Were you just a rodman/chainman? I've been surveying for 11 years and have found many that did not rattle. My partners have stepped on more than a few. I've always just come close to stepping on them. We even found a den (that they were all exiting) in Malibu once.

I surveyed for two small "mom & pop" outfits in the Santa Ynez Valley. Then I worked for MNS Engineers out of Santa Barbara. (they have offices elsewhere too)

I was a chainman, but would also run the gun quite often, sometimes by myself after we got a robot gun. Doing topos in wide open spaces was my favorite.

The economy killed my job.

[beb1954]

I FXXKING HATE SNAKES. EVERY FXXKING ONE OF THEM. DON'T CARE WHAT KIND THEY ARE. YOU BRING ONE NEAR ME AND I WILL WHCK THE DAMN HEAD OFF.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

So what you're trying to say is...?

[beb1954]

"So what you're trying to say is...? "

Yes, exactly...

[Armory XT]

I always take a stick when hiking in snake country (which is everywhere). i hike alot in the santa monica mountains and guns are a major NO-NO

snakes are cool though. something so facination about them and teh fear they cause.

[lead slinger]

Snakes are pretty bad in my book but I'm hating Gophers more now a days heard one snake eats 60 to 70 squirrels and or gophers a year I'll put up w/ the snakes...

[QuarterBoreGunner]

@beb1954 - so yeah, then never go to the East Bay Vivarium; it'll give you the creeping jibblies. Snakes don't bother me particularly, but I do dig frogs. Ribbit.

[SickofSoCal]

I like snakes. They are one of God's creatures just like the rest of anything else.

People should not be killing snakes willy nilly or just for the sake of "fun". They are an important part of the balance of Nature where there still is natural nature. (not the backyard of your suburban home)

I never pass up the chance to handle one (and no, not a rattler duh!)


From my personal photo collection:

[gotime]

I like snakes. They are one of God's creatures just like the rest of anything else.

God doesn't like snakes. It's in the bible.

[beb1954]

Never said I would hurt or kill one willy nilly or any other way. But you bring that sucker at me and wanna play... we will play... mumbly peg.
I don't hunt, never have and won't. I don't think that it should be a sport or ever should have been a damn sport. To kill an animal with a damn firearm. Bow and arrow is more sporting but still don't see that it is sport. ONLY if you are hunting to live because you can't feed your family/yourself. I would conceed to many exceptions with that but for the most part... To pay some sonofa***** $2500 to take me on a hunt that is probably rigged for the person paying to 'bag' something that is not sport. I am sure that there a many who would like to tell me to run this can out there and set it up now, are many, that is the way it is. I would much rather send michael vick out to run back and forth. If he did 30 sec. then he would eat that night and get a fresh bowl of water..... Now that would be some sport and for the actions of the man not who he is or where he came from. i was only trying to empahsize the point that I don't like damn snakes. It seems maybe it offended some and if it did it was never meant to...

[SickofSoCal]

God doesn't like snakes. It's in the bible.

How did I not see that coming? Well, I did.

[SickofSoCal]

Never said I would hurt or kill one willy nilly or any other way. But you bring that sucker at me and wanna play... we will play... mumbly peg.
I don't hunt, never have and won't. I don't think that it should be a sport or ever should have been a damn sport. To kill an animal with a damn firearm. Bow and arrow is more sporting but still don't see that it is sport. ONLY if you are hunting to live because you can't feed your family/yourself. I would conceed to many exceptions with that but for the most part... To pay some sonofa***** $2500 to take me on a hunt that is probably rigged for the person paying to 'bag' something that is not sport. I am sure that there a many who would like to tell me to run this can out there and set it up now, are many, that is the way it is. I would much rather send michael vick out to run back and forth. If he did 30 sec. then he would eat that night and get a fresh bowl of water..... Now that would be some sport and for the actions of the man not who he is or where he came from. i was only trying to empahsize the point that I don't like damn snakes. It seems maybe it offended some and if it did it was never meant to...

Well, that is okay. I understand that online message boards are a rather poor form of conversing - posts do not carry voice inflections with them.

For me personally, I don't believe in killing animals unless you are going to eat them or have some other use, such as a pelt or in defense of your life or property. And I am certainly not an "animal rights activist".


Americans should learn that the real people who loved animals gave them their first National Parks and that they were known as "Conversationalists".