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First one of the year!!! Be careful!!

Rattlesnakes are hard to see in their habitat ...they sometimes don't rattle...not a sound...stepped right on it...it bit me 2.5 hrs from medical treatment...survived, but concerned about, not. The venom traveled up toward the heart, and rotted out a long strip deep 1.25" × 12 " of flesh in my right leg, turned a purple black..it destroys flesh. I kill every snake I see no exceptions...the one that bit me got away. I Went back and killed every rattlesnake I could find for several years...started hunting them, even Dad got involved after one struck at his foot and missed the foot ... I never heard of one missing a strike. Dad drew his 44 S&W and took care of the rattler...I carried a 45 Colt...but used .22 LR to chew up the rattlesnakes coils, and a long, durable thumping stick...it was safer, his 44 mag 240 gr slug bounced back, skipped in the dirt and hit the inside sole of my foot, it stung quite a bit like a paint ball bruise. Today I leave them alone, I'm too old and they are far enough away...but I still go where they are seen, if I see one I will still terminate its existence, with extreme prejudice.
 
when you end up with a vermin problem, you only have yourself to blame, it would have crawled off in time. who do you think eats the vermin?
 
when you end up with a vermin problem, you only have yourself to blame, it would have crawled off in time. who do you think eats the vermin?
A lot of easier ways to kill “vermin” than rattlesnakes. No offense but if I saw one of those rattlers around me, he’d have to go. Sorry if that offends anyone. That’s why I don’t live in a place with crazy bugs, snakes or hurricanes.
 
when you end up with a vermin problem, you only have yourself to blame, it would have crawled off in time. who do you think eats the vermin?
Around here in Kerrville, we have a lot of feral cats. Ya just put out some food for them and they hang around. They eat all kinds of other stuff, too. My wife is 3/4 blind but she still likes to plant her flowers and pots. If it’s a choice between her getting bit or a snake getting dead, I’ll be seeing if they DO taste like chicken.
 
A lot of easier ways to kill “vermin” than rattlesnakes. No offense but if I saw one of those rattlers around me, he’d have to go. Sorry if that offends anyone. That’s why I don’t live in a place with crazy bugs, snakes or hurricanes.

Do you live in apartment ?
 
when you end up with a vermin problem, you only have yourself to blame, it would have crawled off in time. who do you think eats the vermin?
Around my house it is the coyotes, owls, hawks, eagles and cats that kill the vermin. Of course the owls will kill the cats if they are poaching the owls food. My neighbor lost a huge cat to a huge great horned owl. And small dogs are considered food to most of the above around this area.
 
I've baled more than a few snakes over the years. Hit a big one with the mower once. I actually felt sorry for that poor critter. One day when picking up fallen branches I grabbed one and lifted it by the tail end. When it didn't feel like a branch, the impression I got was that I had picked up a rubber hose. When I saw it wriggling and writhing I right away put it down and thought "I hope my wife didn't see that or she'll never set foot back here again!
 
I don't envy you guys in the south, west, or anywhere else there's poisonous snakes, scorpions, gators.. you name it.
I'd rather have the snow, not a fan of snakes.

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Last day of March, -6C and snowing here in Nova Scotia. No poisonous snakes here at all, even in summer. Just some Liberals in Ottawa. Same thing really, although at least the snakes are useful to some degree.
 
I don't envy you guys in the south, west, or anywhere else there's poisonous snakes, scorpions, gators.. you name it.
I'd rather have the snow, not a fan of snakes.

0dM66lq.jpg


Last day of March, -6C and snowing here in Nova Scotia. No poisonous snakes here at all, even in summer. Just some Liberals in Ottawa. Same thing really, although at least the snakes are useful to some degree.
I'm out West in SE Alberta, the view is very similar looking out my window presently. We have Prairie Rattlers here, they usually are in the 2 foot length, but we have Big Bertha that lives on our Range, she's a 4 footer, big girl for around here. They'll be out in May for the season, some years only see one or two, last year was different, regular sightings on the Ranges. I keep snake grabbing tongs in the vehicle, grab em, move them out of the main area's.
There's a couple favourite places they like to frequent to warm up in the morning, we keep the " Snakes in the area" signs posted.
 
Well I'll share another one that may help your pet. While living in the mountains in California in the 70's in a very snake friendly area, and having a golden retriever whose only goal in life was to poke her nose into every gopher/snake hole ever made she of course got bit.
Within minutes she was swelling up and we were a long ways from anyone who could help her, the only thing we had that might even help was a bottle of vitamin C and I stuffed about half the bottle down her with lots of water. She kept it down and lay on the porch for about six hours and then very weak crawled into the house and slept until morning.

In the morning the swelling was gone and by the evening she was still weak but up and moving around, it took a few days for her to be ok. She had also lost her interest in snake holes after that.
 
Here in Canada we have 2 varieties of Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga in the eastern and central parts of the province of Ontario and the Prairie, as mentioned, found in the western prairie Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Each is venomous of course, but neither can kill a healthy adult or even a dog that I've seen.
Usually given antihistamines and steroids for medical treatment. Medical facilities here don't carry antivenom as there is typically no need.
I have to say, I'm glad we don't have the Eastern or Western Diamondbacks, Cane, Timber or any of those larger species down south.
For a location perspective, I live 2.5 hours directly north of Havre, Montana.
 

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