Hello All,
I'm headed out to Colorado from Minnesota in a couple weeks with a small game liscense in hand and am having a terrible time finding spots to hunt rattlesnakes. They are on my very short list of critters to eat and this seemed like an excellent opportunity to make that happen but there is little to no information out there other than season dates.
Legal public land spots around Idaho Springs/Golden would be best since we're staying there for a few days. Anything not far off I76 from the Colorado border up to Denver I would be able to set aside time for a hunting detour on the way in, as well as off 25 up to the Wyoming border on the way out.
I have Onx and have been looking at public land in the area but they are usually closed to all hunting up until deer/elk season. Ideally, I would be using a handgun.
Thanks in advance for any info!

Better check the regs, there is a season for rattle snakes in Colorado, I have no idea why,but can't get after them at certain times. Idaho Springs might be a little high for them. I live at 7650ft and in 43 years have never seen one here.

Prairie rattler Season: 6/15 - 8/15, Daily limit 3, Possession limit 6. Typically not found at higher altitudes, best bet out on the plains around rocky out crops, on the national grasslands.

Brush Hollow down south of the Colorado Springs. Rattle snakes are in the rocks south and lower elevation.

The area around Brush Hollow certainly looks good for Rattlers but I personally have never seen one there (but always on the look out), have seen several large bull snakes, though. Seen many rattlers around Adobe Creek but none really big enough to eat.

Pawnee Buttes....'nuff said

I have seen rattlers in the rocks of the dam. Would not want to shoot in the rocks. It would ricochet.

Not sure if you can hunt them there but outside Loveland CO
There is a place called the devils backbone or at least that’s what I was told it was called and am told there are a lot of rattle snakes there. It’s on the way to Estes Park

Pawnee Nat'l Grasslands is a good start.

Hint: water attracts little critters, which attracts snakes. Windmills are a good place to start......

I live a mile from there. It is LOADED with rattlers (I will never, ever take my dogs there) but 100% off limits to hunting.

There are a few SWA's up off to the west of the 287 corridor north of Ft. Collins that are lower in elevation that I have stepped in a few nests....

Hell of a first post.....welcome Brian.

That's where I saw my first one!

-Jake

A real rattlesnake hunter will reach in there and grab em

Rattlesnake noodling? Not my thing.

Go to TEXAS!!

Find another hobby...

Thanks for all the replies everyone 👍👍
Almost definitely going to Pawnee Buttes, thanks for the recommendation. Looks great for finding snakes, plus we can camp there. Looking forward to possibly trying rattler for the first time!

Rattlesnake noodling? Short live sport.

I like to go where there are little to no rattlers.

need to come to south texas, this one was 5.10

I’ve never seen one in CO, seen and dodged or dealt with hundreds here in OK. I wouldn’t get my hopes too high for eating them. They’re about like one long continuous chicken back! Good luck

yeah i've tried them cooked several different ways. don't care for it. more of novelty thing i think.

I cooked up a 59" coon tail this 4th of July. Deep fried it and it taste like frog legs to me.

Yeah, from my experience Oklahoma is slitherin' with 'em. A few years ago I went early muzzleloader deer hunting in the panhandle and the snakes were so thick it took all the fun out of hunting.

If I drive all the way down to Texas, it will be for piggies!
Deep frying would be the way I would like to try snake 👍👍