Rattle snakes what have you seen

[arch stanton]

 

[DILLIGAF]

Why are you asking what the rattle snakes have seen?

lol

I haven't seen one yet but they are all around here. Well, except for that one that was trying to get in my garage in Jan-Feb or so

 

[Luvnlife]

I’ve seen two in the last week on mountain bike rides. I’m not riding on any overgrown trails right now LOL

 

[Rondog4405]

View attachment 873142

Saw one of those reds in the pala area a month back

 

[arch stanton]

this one was on the side of the road in Escondido I saw him in the gutter and got the pics as he was headed to the brush, his color was much brighter in person

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

I’ve been struck at 15 times all miss‘s the biggest I killed was over 6’ and as big around as my arm that was at White Sands Missile base .

 

[playdeep]

I've posted this before...
Was trail running in the foothills.
Stopped for water.Heard a noise...looked down&freaked.

 

[Taboma]

this one was on the side of the road in Escondido I saw him in the gutter and got the pics as he was headed to the brush, his color was much brighter in person

Only Red Diamond Rattlesnake I've ever seen was by the Pottery Shop off Del Dios Highway above Lake Hodges. The damn thing was huge, both in length and girth, his damned head was over 3.5" wide. Completely docile, wife and I walked up close and he seemed to just ignore us and just kept slowly making his way. Any other rattler would have felt threatened and assumed a defensive posture.
From everything I can find on the "Field Herp Forum", the snake lovers RDP, in California the Red's have protected status from being collected or killed.
If for some reason you have to whack one for self defense, I wouldn't recommend posting any selfie pics with it.
Living backed up to the San Dieguito River Park, we get a lot of rattlers and I kill my share I find in my yard.
I told my wife the day we encountered that large Red, I was such awe, I'd gladly grant it immunity to cross my property.

 

[beerrun]

We found where a rattle snake shed its skin in our front yard this morning so I know he is around my yard or next door

 

[wishiknew]

We found where a rattle snake shed its skin in our front yard this morning so I know he is around my yard or next door

you might want to go find him before he appears when you least expect it

 

[Taboma]

We found where a rattle snake shed its skin in our front yard this morning so I know he is around my yard or next door

Yeah, finding those always make me nervous --- Hmmmm, now which way did he go and what bush, or rock is he hiding under
I intentionally trim all my bushes and hedges more than a foot up off the ground so I can see under them. But it's almost impossible to see them in the dead avocado leaves in my grove, so I'm diligent about clearing and maintaining paths between the trees.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Saw one a week ago in the middle of the trail on a RZR ride. This was down by London Bridge road.

We stopped for a break, And pulled off the trail. we were there for like 5 mins walking around the RZR, getting drinks, etc. Was looking at the lake with my kid and we turned around, we were 4 feet from the snake in the middle of the trail. My wife was in the RZR, saw it at the same moment. It hissed and slid off the trail in the other direction. Was 3 and a half feet long.

Based on the tracks it left slithering away, I think it might have been sitting there the whole time, 6 feet away from us on the trail. I saw no tracks of it moving to that spot. But it was totally quiet until we saw it.

If it was there the whole time, I literally came within an inch of running it over when we stopped on the trail. My tire track ended right next where the snake was! I had backed up off the trail after stopping.

Eye opening for sure. If it was there the whole time, I don’t know how we didn’t see it

 

[BUDMAN]

This guy was hanging out with us yesterday

 

[Carlson-jet]

They are just there as a reminder.

 

[bagged97taco]

We’ve only had 1 so far this year. Little baby. In-laws live down the street have had 5 good ones. But my buddies dad has had some monsters. Here’s his #5 & 6 of the year. He is 6’5” ish.

 

[wettrthebettr]

The only good Rattler is a DEAD ONE

 

[cofooter]

I've posted this before...
Was trail running in the foothills.
Stopped for water.Heard a noise...looked down&freaked. View attachment 873191

Not before you got IN HIS FACE and snapped a pic! haha, should have done a selfie with you two.........

 

[tostark]

Came across this guy a couple years ago as i walked the wash off acoma south towards the lake. That area is fenced now with the Riviera project. I am sure those living there will be dealing with this issue for a while

 

[JLG614]

Had one in my uncles garage curled up under the can am tire two weekends ago. Little tiny baby maybe 1' long. got rid of it just hope he didn't have any family members hanging around!

 

[Gramps]

Back in the early 70's we were clearing (disking) the main fire break in Toner Canyon above Brea. Pulled the disk with a D8. We counted 27 rattler snakes in one day that we ran over.

 

[Taboma]

Had one in my uncles garage curled up under the can am tire two weekends ago. Little tiny baby maybe 1' long. got rid of it just hope he didn't have any family members hanging around!

Those little bastards are scary hard to see sometimes. I was trimming a tree, saw movement out of the corner of my eye, sure enough a baby right where I'd been stepping.
Ran to my shop to grab a shovel, came back and couldn't spot him --- FUCK !!
Kept searching knowing he couldn't have gone far, finally I spotted movement again, close to my foot. The light colored little prick was camouflaged hiding in plain sight by the light sandy colored rock and DG ---- like looking at one of those pixelated images and finally seeing the hidden image.
Eyedoc sez I must wear UV eye protection when working outdoors, so I now wear yellow lens shooting/safety glasses when I'm working in the yard as they seem to reveal more detail.

 

[Not_Tonto]

was a survivor on the ground working radios for a training flight just north of Mesquite, stopped about a foot away from this little guy. Didn’t rattle or anything.

 

[mash on it]

Out trimming the weeds out in the orchard, found this little guy.
New two piece design.

Dan'l

 

[2Driver]

 

[Wheeler]

I've seen a couple dozen this season. There's some big ones on the golf course.

Found this one this morning. Time for the snake boots.

 

[Taboma]

Out trimming the weeds out in the orchard, found this little guy.
New two piece design.

View attachment 873482

Dan'l

I always feel more confident in my grove when I'm swinging a weed whacker out in front or pushing the grove mower. I've had em light up on me when they've been concealed in the leaf litter and it's a lie that White Men Can't Jump I've easily landed 20' from where I launched and don't even recall doing it

 

[wishiknew]

I always feel more confident in my grove when I'm swinging a weed whacker out in front or pushing the grove mower. I've had em light up on me when they've been concealed in the leaf litter and it's a lie that White Men Can't Jump I've easily landed 20' from where I launched and don't even recall doing it

I worked on a job in Hacienda Hights on Colima rd in a avacodo grove there was rattlers everywhere

 

[WATERDOG]

I’ve been struck at 15 times all miss‘s the biggest I killed was over 6’ and as big around as my arm that was at White Sands Missile base .

Hope you BBQ'd it

 

[Joker]

We saw this on the golf course Friday in Ft Mohave. I’ve got no clue what it is but I’m not going into the shrubs to look for lost balls any more.

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

We saw this on the golf course Friday in Ft Mohave. I’ve got no clue what it is but I’m not going into the shrubs to look for lost balls any more. View attachment 873506

King or gopher snake

 

[rivrrts429]

We saw this on the golf course Friday in Ft Mohave. I’ve got no clue what it is but I’m not going into the shrubs to look for lost balls any more. View attachment 873506

Looks like the same thing that was in my pool this weekend...

Bastard was three times faster swimming in water than it was slithering on the ground.

I suggested to the family we burn the whole damn neighborhood down. Still freaks me out today.

 

[Spudsbud]

and then theres the scorpions.....

 

[Taboma]

Gopher snakes are great to have around, although they're slacking off because I'm still having to trap gophers !! The gopher snakes around here have started mimicking rattlers when they feel threatened. They flatten their heads, coil up and start shaking their tails --- no rattles of course, but if you can't see their tails or get a good look at them, they can fool you.

I've verbally cautioned a couple who were doing their best impersonation of a rattler, "You look like a rattler, you act like a rattler, you might just die like one too !!! "
I tend to get that same blank stare as I get from the Home Depot cashier after she asks if I found everything OK and I say NO I DID NOT and quickly realize she could care less. Gopher snakes don't give a shit what I think

Maddest gopher snake I ever encountered was the day I had my son digging out a gopher hole and showing him how to set a trap. My son had been living with his mom forever and was a "Valley Boy" and it was time for him to get his hands dirty. Every few seconds he'd jump away from the hole claiming something was hissing at him.

I told him, gophers don't hiss you big pussy, now get it dug and set the trap like I showed you ---- nope, no sooner started again, then jumped back again, seriously
Now I'm getting irritated. So I get down on my hands and knees to see WTF he's going on about, sure as shit I hear a loud hiss He wasn't imagining it.
About then this big-ass gopher snake pops his head out of the uncovered gopher hole looking to bite whomever was fuckin with his hole and meal
I was rolling in the dirt I was laughing so hard and my son had already sprinted to safety across the yard ---- and this gopher snake kept coming out and coming out and Jesus for fuck's sake, how long was he ??? By now my son had come back at my encouragement, as the longest and largest gopher snake I've ever seen came out of that hole and was pissed.
To this day, 20 + years later, my son and I share a good laugh over that and after setting countless traps, that's the one and only time I've ever seen a snake come out of a gopher hole and the ONLY time my son ever tried to set a gopher trap. One and done for him !!!

 

[D19]

Found one under the coach at the in-laws. Chopped its head off and it curled up, started rattling at darted up with the head cut off.

 

[77charger]

Only Red Diamond Rattlesnake I've ever seen was by the Pottery Shop off Del Dios Highway above Lake Hodges. The damn thing was huge, both in length and girth, his damned head was over 3.5" wide. Completely docile, wife and I walked up close and he seemed to just ignore us and just kept slowly making his way. Any other rattler would have felt threatened and assumed a defensive posture.
From everything I can find on the "Field Herp Forum", the snake lovers RDP, in California the Red's have protected status from being collected or killed.
If for some reason you have to whack one for self defense, I wouldn't recommend posting any selfie pics with it.
Living backed up to the San Dieguito River Park, we get a lot of rattlers and I kill my share I find in my yard.
I told my wife the day we encountered that large Red, I was such awe, I'd gladly grant it immunity to cross my property.

People I talk to that know that area say below the Hodges dam is full of rattlers and big ones too

 

[77charger]

King or gopher snake

That’s a gopher.

 

[F.U.IRS]

We get a couple every year here, have had them hanging out just outside both fro t and backdoors. Puts you on edge for a while, picked up a tarp last year and there was one right there. Scared the shit out of me. It got a dose of snake shot and a shovel to chop off it head. None yet this year which is suprising because we have a bumper crop of weeds with all the late rain.

 

[Taboma]

People I talk to that know that area say below the Hodges dam is full of rattlers and big ones too

Oh I have no doubt that boulder strewn canyon is chuck full of them bastards. Plus with small captive pools of water still evaporating from the rains, attracting rodents, there's plenty of snake food available. No Thanks !!!!
Years ago when the lake would fill and the dam overflow, it would flush them down into Rancho Santa Fe and their golf courses. Now with the ability to transfer water from Hodges up to the Olivenhain Reservoir they won't let the lake get that high, so the snakes are safe. Certainly from me, I'm not hiking down there that's for sure.

 

[MissHavasuCig]

In rural Vista we periodically find them in the yard. Then hubby has to take care of business I wish they would just get the memo to live outside the fence!! They can be happy and do their snake job away from us and pups...

We came across this guy in a cove down by Copper Canyon... he wanted nothing to do with us and moseyed away...

 

[Lucky Larry]

BUMP ~ didn’t want to start a new thread.

Larry was weed whacking last week when a big guy slithered by. Under the kayaks & out of reach, then gone by the time he got back with the shovel.

Neighbor kids found it today ~ must have beat it with their shoe ? Thank God. Our heads were on a swivel all week and they have a toddler. I like snakes but I HATE rattlers. Good riddance!

“Mrs. Lucky”

 

[DaytonaBabe]

My neighbor got an extra special surprise when she opened her front door (left, dark brown) to get her Costco grocery delivery. Rattlesnake, inches from being in her home... on her feet!!! I would have died on the spot.

I'm opening doors different around here these days.

 

[Wicky]

Couple weeks ago we had about a 4ft, pissed off, wet rattler, swim up to my motor and right up on my jackplate and was headed up on the boat towards my coangler. Coangler takes his rod and tries to repel it from making the transition from jackplate to boat. My buddy manages to get enough mass of the snake to flick it back into the water about 10 ft away, off the stern. Within seconds it is back on the boat. Lather rinse repeat three times. After that, I fired up the big motor as the trolling motor wasn't fast enough to get away. Right then, my buddy manages to flick the snake all the way to shore. No question my pulse rate was elevated. It was funny at first but seemingly got serious when the damn thi g sprinted back on the boat.
My other coangler was fishing a tourney and a rattler fell from the 10 foot overhang right on to the back of the boat. They fought it with their rod tips for a good 5 minutes before it slithered into the gunnel and down into the bilge. They fished the rest of that tourney with the fucker sitting right below them in their bassboat. They ended up winning the tourney. Forgot about the snake....until a week later when the garage started to stink.

 

[Taboma]

Couple weeks ago we had about a 4ft, pissed off, wet rattler, swim up to my motor and right up on my jackplate and was headed up on the boat towards my coangler. Coangler takes his rod and tries to repel it from making the transition from jackplate to boat. My buddy manages to get enough mass of the snake to flick it back into the water about 10 ft away, off the stern. Within seconds it is back on the boat. Lather rinse repeat three times. After that, I fired up the big motor as the trolling motor wasn't fast enough to get away. Right then, my buddy manages to flick the snake all the way to shore. No question my pulse rate was elevated. It was funny at first but seemingly got serious when the damn thi g sprinted back on the boat.
My other coangler was fishing a tourney and a rattler fell from the 10 foot overhang right on to the back of the boat. They fought it with their rod tips for a good 5 minutes before it slithered into the gunnel and down into the bilge. They fished the rest of that tourney with the fucker sitting right below them in their bassboat. They ended up winning the tourney. Forgot about the snake....until a week later when the garage started to stink.

Damn, tension mounts Great stories, both showing their determination when cold and seeking warmth, just as I've read if caught out in the hot sun they can be damned right cranky about reaching shade.

 

[Lucky Larry]

View attachment 1147555

My neighbor got an extra special surprise when she opened her front door (left, dark brown) to get her Costco grocery delivery. Rattlesnake, inches from being in her home... on her feet!!! I would have died on the spot.

I'm opening doors different around here these days.

Oh, hell no. Too close. She’s lucky she didn’t get bit.

 

[Lucky Larry]

Couple weeks ago we had about a 4ft, pissed off, wet rattler, swim up to my motor and right up on my jackplate and was headed up on the boat towards my coangler. Coangler takes his rod and tries to repel it from making the transition from jackplate to boat. My buddy manages to get enough mass of the snake to flick it back into the water about 10 ft away, off the stern. Within seconds it is back on the boat. Lather rinse repeat three times. After that, I fired up the big motor as the trolling motor wasn't fast enough to get away. Right then, my buddy manages to flick the snake all the way to shore. No question my pulse rate was elevated. It was funny at first but seemingly got serious when the damn thi g sprinted back on the boat.
My other coangler was fishing a tourney and a rattler fell from the 10 foot overhang right on to the back of the boat. They fought it with their rod tips for a good 5 minutes before it slithered into the gunnel and down into the bilge. They fished the rest of that tourney with the fucker sitting right below them in their bassboat. They ended up winning the tourney. Forgot about the snake....until a week later when the garage started to stink.

Good stories. You weren’t fishing in Parker were you? This one was about 4’ & he was a bit ornery also.

 

[Starloans]

Being from the Carolinas area in my youth, I always thought the rattlesnakes out west were small vermin snakes kinda like copperheads are back east. Back east there is a copperhead under every piece of debris. In eastern NC where I lived, Cottonmouths were the pain in the ass near any water source. Nasty, aggressive, and would stand their ground. I've been chased by a cottonmouth while fishing. Nasty buggers. Rattlesnakes were rare but not a good encounter. Mostly Timber Rattlers. But the pinnacle of all Rattlers the Eastern Diamondback was a serious encounter. They are among the heaviest venomous snakes in the world. Think Gabon Viper and King Cobra. The couple I ran into were big powerful animals. Not afraid and aggressive. The Timbers were usually more passive. Eastern Diamondbacks' bodies regularly exceed the size of a soda can.

 

[Bugginout]

Angry little guy.

 

[stephenkatsea]

There were occasions when I’d fly elsewhere in the world to work for a month my wife would opt to stay at our 5th wheel on Havasu with our Newfoundland dog. One day I was talking with my wife via Sat phone from the other side of the world. Nice day and she was sitting outside under our trailer awning with our dog. While talking she suddenly stopped and said, Oh no I think we have a water line leaking. I asked if she could see water. She said no, but she could hear it right there under the forward part of our trailer. She had bent down to inspect inside the large forward storage hatch. Next she yells, the damned thing just struck at me!! I said what are you talking about? She yelled it’s a damned snake. The snake was under our trailer. The water leak she thought she’d heard was the rattling of the snake prior to it striking at her. She put our dog inside and went for help. When help arrived the snake had moved out onto our lawn. It was about a 4 ft long Coon Tail Rattlesnake. It was then captured and taken away. She wanted it killed. The park manager claimed they weren’t allowed to kill them. I say BS, kill them.