Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Snake Question???

This might be a dumb question but being a greenhorn to snake country, I was wondering if I needed to be concerned about snakes while hunting in SE Montana. We'll be hunting in SE Montana in October for antelope. What are the chances of running into a rattler that time of year and what type of gear should I be looking at buying. I would have thought that most snakes would be dormant that time of year,but other guys have told me there'll be lots around still. Thanks.

Good 'ol common sense is the best protection against buzztails.

depends on what the fall is like but normally you dont run into them by the second weekend in October when speed goat season opens.......bird hunting in September is another story......never bothered with snake boots or the like, hell half the time im looking to run into one though cause they interest me.....2 years ago i did run across a yellow-bellied racer sunning itself the second weekend of deer season(end of October) one cool morning after it had frosted the night before so who knows when exactly different snakes decide to burmate.....

They will avoid you if you give them a chance. It is common to see them during those 80 degree days in October. They are usually out sunning themselves in the open. If you walk near one they will just move out of the way most of the time.

A hunting partner once stepped on one while hunting grouse. It didn't strike. Don't try and pick one up and you'll be fine.

Where you from? Watch where you step. I'm from the SE USA and I learned to watch my step when I was about 5 years old.

We had some extremely hot weather in the early part of November. I saw two bull snakes sunning themselves on a highway the first weekend in November. Temps were in the mid 70s for several days in a row.

North of the 49th parallel. Not to many snakes up here other than Garter's, that's why I asked the question. Better to get a little educated from the guys and gals that hunt that type of country, than to wander around like a complete idiot. Some hunter's up here are saying that I need to buy snake boots,chaps or snake pants etc. Didn't know if that was just heresay on their parts or not. I suppose I would probably be more concerned if I was bowhunting in September, but it never hurts to ask for advice.

up here i dont really view rattlers as a threat.....even when ive gone looking for them.....they feel vibrations through the ground of you walking.....alot ive found in the open were making their way away from me.....the prairie rattlers we have up here really arent aggressive and will move off pretty well every time if given a chance.....one of my uncles steps on one or two near every bird season and has yet to get bit.....if cornered and teased or picked up they will do their best to nail yah though.....

edit to add.......if you have to mess around rock piles though, dont EVER put your hand somewhere you cant see.....granted your far more likely to get nailed by a black widow in such an incident than a snake but you will be pushing your luck a tad....snakes love rock piles, especially in spring or fall cause they gather heat rather effectively.....

Biggame,
If you are hunting around Ekalaka or Baker you better watch out for snakes. We hunt the BLM land south of Ekalaka for antelope and the "pines" between Baker and Ekalaka for white tail deer and the rattlers are well represented during antelope season.
skitish

In October most of the snakes are getting ready to start denning up for sure in the northern states like Montana, a lot of them are still out but crawling closer to their dens. if you are around any rockcliffs or ridges they will start going on the southeast part of the rock hills because that being on that side of the mountain they will be protected from the cold north wind and even on cold days they can still crawl out and lay in the sun for awhile and warm up .then as soon as the sun cannot shine on them anymore back into the dens they go.

You can find rattlers in October in Montana but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just pay attention in the obvious areas. You don't need snake boots and all that. The only concern regarding rattlers that I have is when I'm bird hunting with my dogs. I just stay away from areas where they may run into them. I know guys that snake train their dogs, but I'll hunt mountain grouse till the snakes den-up, usually by early October.

It all depends on the weather.

Below freezing at night with the highs in the 50's no worry.

We don't hunt with dogs until it snows in some areas; such as south eastern oregon.

Ok BigGame you were not raised around snakes. I can understand your concern.
Most of the time a snake will try to get out of your before you know he's there.
I've never owned a pair of snake boots, chaps or snake pants etc.
What I do wear is pair of thick leather high-top boots, a pair double-faced Carhart jeans with the jeans over the boot, and a S&W J-frame with a 3� barrel loaded with snake shot.
Never, ever mess with a snake.
Never ever pick up a snake.
Never ever put hand where you can not see, like down a hole, under rocks, or in brush pile.
You should be ok if you use some common sense.
I don't worry to much about snakes when I'm hunting but when I'm fishing it's another matter.

getting bit by a snake makes for a bad day...
for the most part, snakes are a predator and only interested in the business of obtaining their next meal, and avoiding other predators that might eat them... humans are one of the predator species that snakes tend to avoid...

give a little thought about spaces and places that might draw snakes.. rock piles, bluffs, sunny ledges, prairie dog towns...

enjoy your hunt and don't worry...
know where medical help can be obtained... this is far more useful for sprains, strains, and sudden illness, but is good to know for the more unusual medical emergencies as well...

i've traveled remote areas of three continents, by night and day... i don't personally know of any snakebite deaths, except among refugees who live in crowded conditions where rodent numbers are high...

BigGame: Yes indeed there are certain Octobers in SE Montana where there will be Rattlesnakes out.
I have Hunted SE Montana most every year (every October) since 1969.
Year before last I was in eastern Montana for the Antelope opener. I saw 3 Rattlesnakes during the 2 days I was there.
BUT - I had been into the same area the week before the opener for 3 days (scouting) and I saw 8 VERY active Rattlers on that trip.
I also Hunt Varmints in SE Montana during late springs and summers - and I have seen MANY Rattlesnakes then.
This past Antelope Opener there was 18 inches of snow on the ground in many parts of eastern Montana!
I stayed at my home in SW Montana on the opener waiting out the blizzard and the wet ground that followed. When I finally got TO eastern Montana a week later it had warmed back up to 72 degrees during the day and I saw one Rattlesnake in 2 days!
I have been struck at MANY times by Rattlesnakes! In the last 45 years of trapsing around in Varmint Country and for four years I worked the hay fields of eastern Oregon and it seemed there was a snake under every bale of hay - I am sure I have been struck at 50+ times!
I was struck at 3 times in one day near Brewster, Washington while Hunting Rock Chucks in May.
My luck finally ran out and I was bitten by a Rattlesnake in my own yard here in SW Montana on August 22nd 2,005!
Make NO mistake - YOU want to avoid being bitten by a Rattlesnake at ALL costs!
Let me repeat - at all costs avoid being bitten by a Rattlesnake.
I won't even try to relay all the miseries and pain and sickness that will befall you if you are unlucky enough to actually be struck by a Rattler!
Be on the lookout for Rattlers in SE Montana in October!
I have never seen a live Rattler in that section of the state in November though.
If you are new to Rattlesnakes might I make this suggestion to you.
Be on the lookout for Rattlers as you drive around - and when you do see one park the vehicle and approach (carefully!) the Rattler - LISTEN to, and memorize the sound that snake will make with its rattles.
Memorize the way it is camoflaged - and the way it moves.
I once shot a Prairie Dog (SE Montana on the Tongue River) at what I was sure was 500 yards and I decided to pace it off for vanity reasons.
Well I head across the prairie and about half way there I see what I thought was a wounded and flopping Prairie Dog - I go over to investigate and it is in fact, a large Mole being eaten by a LARGE Rattlesnake! The mole creature was still half outside the snakes mouth and half inside.
I decide to take a picture of that snake vs. mole situation with my Nikon camera.
That went well.
THEN, I decide to get that snake to disgorge that Mole so I could get a picture of the BIG snake in a coiled pose!
That didn't go so well!
I was dropping dry cowpies on the snakes head and eventually it did disgorge the Mole. Then in an instant it began chasing me! And I mean it chased me fast!
I had NO idea that a Rattlesnake could crawl as fast as that one did, after me! And by after me I mean I was running and that snake was not far behind me!
I was stunned!
Finally it stopped after following me 25 feet or so. I would NOT even approach that speedster, to get its picture without the Mole in its mouth!
I had the shakes - bad!
Moral of that story - DON'T mess with a Rattlesnakes food!
Another thing to keep an eye out for is Spiders!
In 2,007 I was Hunting Antelope near Ingomar, Montana and the bunkhouse my partner and I rented had, Spiders.
Sure enough I was bitten on the top of the arch of my foot by a Spider. That Spider bite was located not 2 inches from where the Rattlesnake had bitten me by the way!
I was lucky in that I had already harvested a dandy Buck Antelope and the resulting wound and swelling made it next to impossible to walk!
I got home and the bite got worse. I could not wear a loose shoe let alone a Hunting Boot and it was fast approaching Deer and Elk Hunting season!
I lost the nail on my Big Toe just in front of the wound site and I lost some flesh and the skin sloughed off around the wound.
I then missed the opening two weeks of Deer and Elk season that year as my wound precluded the wearing of Hunting Boots and the missing toenail was very tender!
Fast forward to the next years Antelope Opener.
I am back at the same Ranch (after the Blizzard) and I am signing in at the ranch house. The ranchers wife had realtives in for a visit. As I was paying my fee and making small talk I mentioned that I had been bitten by a Spider the previous year and had lost a toenail etc!
The ranchers, wifes, sister (the visitor) had been bitten by a Spider a few years before - ON THE FOOT!
And she politely raised her pant leg and showed my her artificial foot!
I felt just terrible having brought up such a subject and apologized but the woman (in her 40's?) made light of the situation! Apparently her Spider bite had begun killing flesh and infecting to such an extent that eventually she had to have her foot amputated!
I carry flea and tick repellent for my camping situations now!
October 11th will be the Antelope Opener this year in Montana and on that date you should be vigilant but NOT fearful of being afield there in SE Montana!
I am guessing that Miles City, Montana would have anti-venom on hand for Snake bites but smaller hospitals (in the smaller towns) would not. It might pay to call ahead and find out.
Best of luck to you on your Antelope Hunt.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I worry about my dog in September grouse hunting. Is it a problem for dogs in this area. Thanks Lwr308

A little off subject, but the weather has been so weird this year, we killed a 42� Prairie Rattler in the driveway at work in the second week of January. Denver Colorado.

yeah good plan.....cause if there hasnt been a killing frost, one of the grasshopper species up her sounds remarkably like a rattler if your not familiar with the two, if your familiar its simple to tell the difference.......also if yah hear a sound like yah took a big knife and jammed it into the side of a tire, basically that sound of rushing air....your damn close to a big bullsnake.....harmless but put up a hell of a bluff....they will also rattle the ends of their tails and if there are dry leaves around it sorta, half way sounds like a rattler, more so if your already jumpy about snakes.........

being bit is not going to be a pleasant experience.....prairie rattlers(Crotalus viridis viridis) actually has quite potent venom, they are rather small rattlers though on average so total venom output is low.....if it makes yah feel better to wear snake boots or the like have at it, even as one who likes finding rattlers and messing with them a bit i wont say a word about anyone that feels better doing so, the hospital bill from a bite aint cheap let alone the physical damage......but the biggest risk is during bird season, not the big game rifle seasons so much though as we have said it is possible to run across one......

my ears are so bad that i couldnt hear a 3 foot timber rattler 30 inches from my face 2 years ago... and he was doin' his best to be heard!!!

Thanks for the insights everyone, at least when I head down this fall I will have one eye open. Sounds like there are enough rattlers around in that country to make it interesting during the bow season!