Ive hunted out near Buffalo and a little farther south near Kaycee for about 25 years now, and have seen a couple of rattlers while hunting. One of the properties we hunt has a well known rattlesnake den, so we need to keep an eye out in that area when they begin to congregate just prior to denning up. Otherwise, just watch where you step and put your hands if you crawl, especially if going through sagebrush or rocks. Normally you have adequate notification they are there at walking pace or slower, and can just stop to see where they are, and adjust course as needed. Dogs have the most encounters as them move more quickly and aren’t always paying attention to what they are walking through. You’ll be fine, so don’t worry at all about it. Just go enjoy your hunt.
You just have to pay some attention and avoid stepping on them, and you’ll be fine.
As an example, I live in South Florida, and was born and raised here. Our snakes are generally pissed off here, it’s hot quite a lot of the year so they have energy, and some of the habitat we hunt you absolutely cannot see the snake at all, even if you are looking for them. A good example is running into a large Eastern Diamondback while walking back from your hunt, in the dark, in 90* heat, wading through waist high palmetto scrub. When the rattle goes off, generally you are close enough to be hit, and a large snake can hit you well above the knee, so you cant be certain of being protected, even with snake boots. Similar situations arise with Timber/Canebrake Rattlers farther north. Another wonderful situation is wading out of your boat at 4am to go set up duck decoys, in thigh high water, and having one of our wonderful cottonmouths greet you by swimming right up to you in the dark. These guys have no rattle, so no early warning here. Both have happened to me, more than once, and I’m still here to tell the tale with no bites.
So go enjoy your hunt, don’t worry about snakes, and post pics of your goat when you have them.
Craig
