Only three snakes that ever startled (much less scared) me were rattlers. I don't kill any snake needlessly - my definition is far more stringent than many here. If not an immediate threat to people, livestock, or close around home buildings they live. Of course, I don't have to worry about that up here.
Wife and I were walking on E. MT. grassy prairie when one went off at our feet. It's really hard to push one's wife aside with one's feet a foot in the air. No leverage...but I tried. Got ME out of harms way, anyway. My intention was good...... Really....
. Besides- she grew up with them, and just stood there until she located the snake, then stepped back.
A couple years later, a few miles away, one at least 6' long went off right under the tractor I was discing FIL field with. I looked back in time to see it go under the disc, tho If I could have stopped in time I would have. It was loud enough that initial thought was that it was in the cab with me. Probably still finger and toe claw marks on the ceiling! It was LOUD!
In HS, I was making 10-bale stacks on a sled behind a baler in central ND, where rattlers are not common. Sank the hook in with right hand, grabbed strings with left hand, started my pivot when I noticed a foot of tail end of a rattler hanging out the bale. The pivot continued, but the 60 lb bale wound up about 30 feet to the side. Boss stopped the tractor and wanted to know WTF I was doing.
Never did find the front half- maybe a cow ate it later, in another bale, tho we examined that one, and one either way. Or maybe that front end is a mummy now, still inside that baler, if it still exists.
