# Rattler Snakes



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Somewhere, I read that rattler snakes are not found above 7000 feet elevation. Is this true?

In all my outdoors activities I have only saw about 4 live rattlers in about 50 years. I have seen a few dead ones on the side of the roads in a couple of canyons.

Where have you seen the most rattler snakes?


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Fillmore and Kanosh areas, Corn Creek used to have them everywhere.-O,-


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

Saw a dead one on Rays Valley road in Diamond Fork a couple weeks ago. I would imagine it was around that elevation.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

I almost stepped on one a couple years ago on a turkey hunt at 6700'. I was surprised to see a rattlesnake at that elevation at the first of May.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have found them up as high as 8000' or should I say I have seen them that high. 

The most that I have ever seen in Utah has been out in Snake Valley out around Garrison, but unless you are antelope hunting or trying to find some rabbits I doubt that you would go out there. I had a farmer out there tell me that you couldn't spit without hitting one and he was close to being right.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Hog Hollow, the canyon between Alpine/Highland and Draper got its name due to the insane number of rattlers that live there. Pioneers drove herds of hogs through there as the hogs would kill and eat rattlesnakes. To this day you can get up near the "Sliding Rock" area above alpine and run across tons of "danger noodles" on a single hike. I'm surprised more mountain bikers aren't bitten in that area.

-DallanC


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## bowhunter (Sep 10, 2007)

I have seen a few snakes this year just above Rays Valley. Elevation was about 7400.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

I’ve run into some as high as 8700’ out in the West desert. Not many, but there are a few up that high in some places


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

In general your right about them being under 7000' but I've also seen a few in between 7k & 8k.


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

I have seen rattle snakes above 8,000.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

I have a fellow that lives near me who is helping on a hunt in Oak Creek. Says you can't believe the amount of rattlers out there.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

There are a lot of those little slithering snakes around Oak City. But I have never ran into any during the general deer hunt when I hunted down there. Bow hunt is a different matter.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

So with that many around, should there be a season on them? The meat is not bad and the snake skin could be used for boots, wallets, belts and such.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Just looked on google earth for 3 places that I know exactly where I seen three at a little higher elevation, one was at 7600, one at 7800 and one at 7900. All in Southern Utah.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

So it sounds like rattlers are found above 7,000 feet. I guess we can put that myth to rest. 
I know of two guys that were bitten by rattlers and neither sought medical attention. One said he felt like he got the flu and the other one said he never suffered anything but a little pain around the bite area and some redness and swelling around the bite.

Why are we so afraid of them?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

A lot of venomous snake bites are dry bites or very little venom is injected. The snake knows that he can't eat something as large as a human so unless he is really ticked off or being picked up and is in fear for his life you may get a dry bite. On the other hand there are those that go around being ticked off and will give you a full dose of their venom, you just never know. 

My dad was bitten by one when he was prospecting out in Nevada. At the time he just cut a circle around the fang marks and let it bleed real good and was fine. So was it a dry bite or did the snake inject venom, we'll never know. 

As for being afraid of them, they are snakes. I'm not afraid of them but a fast night crawler will raise my heart beat by 100 beats a minute. That is if I am startled by him. Other than that I have no problem with snakes. I even know of a nice den of them down in Arizona that we visit when we are down there hunting javelina. Sometimes they are out of the den and other times they are quite close to it while a few years you can't see a trace of them. 

The big thing with snakes is you have to respect them. Watch where you are grabbing, sitting and stepping when in snake country.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

As for not being affected by the bite, my brother in law wae bittenin San Diego and it took many viles of anti venum to bring him around--we almost lost him. His anti venum bill was 150,000 dollars!! (thank goodness for insurance,) He was reaching for his golf ball in a brushy area.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Dunkem, I remember the post that you made about that story. Glad to hear everything is OK now. 

I have often wondered why golfers will reach into a bush to retrieve a ball when they have a golf club with them, especially when in snake country. 

You hear of a number of golfers down in Arizona that get bit every year doing the same thing.


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## kcmatt (Sep 5, 2017)

Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, Crotalus oreganus helleri, (the likely bite of your San Diego bro in law) are substantially more dangerous than our Great Basin Rattlesnakes, Crotalus oreganus lutosus due to their venom composition. That said, Crotalus o. lutosus bites should be treated as a medical emergency. Zero or minimal reaction indicates a dry bite, not the norm.



Dunkem said:


> As for not being affected by the bite, my brother in law wae bittenin San Diego and it took many viles of anti venum to bring him around--we almost lost him. His anti venum bill was 150,000 dollars!! (thank goodness for insurance,) He was reaching for his golf ball in a brushy area.


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## kcmatt (Sep 5, 2017)

Population assessments aren't made by asking a few people how many they've seen. Based on your observation numbers we'd conversely be ready to list them as endangered. Utah rattlesnakes are all protected, although the Great Basin rattlesnake population is secure in most places. Part of the reason for the existing reg is that most bites happen when people are messing with them and attempting to kill them.



HighNDry said:


> So with that many around, should there be a season on them? The meat is not bad and the snake skin could be used for boots, wallets, belts and such.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

kcmatt said:


> Population assessments aren't made by asking a few people how many they've seen. Based on your observation numbers we'd conversely be ready to list them as endangered. Utah rattlesnakes are all protected, although the Great Basin rattlesnake population is secure in most places. Part of the reason for the existing reg is that most bites happen when people are messing with them and attempting to kill them.


I was just going off the guy who said you won't believe how many are down by Oak City. Calculate that by how many square miles are in the state and then extrapolate it and you can see there are way too many.

It's kind of like the fish survey the DWR does. They electro-shock a section of stream, count the trout, and then tell us we have overpopulation of trout somewhere in the number of 5000 per mile of stream. Then when people go fishing and can't catch any....well, you get the drift.


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## T-Bone (Oct 24, 2013)

If rattlesnakes are edible, what about blow snakes and garter snakes?


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I understand that they are protected, and one shouldn't harm or kill them. Your not suppose to harm or kill a human being either. (Stay with me on this) But, if a Human came at me, or tried to harm me, I would defend myself to whatever means I feel necessary. If a "Rattler" comes at me, and I "fear for my life" It aint going to live to long I promise you that! 


I know this is a crazy analogy, but, it could go down that way. Maybe.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

taxidermist said:


> I understand that they are protected, and one shouldn't harm or kill them. Your not suppose to harm or kill a human being either. (Stay with me on this) But, if a Human came at me, or tried to harm me, I would defend myself to whatever means I feel necessary. If a "Rattler" comes at me, and I "fear for my life" It aint going to live to long I promise you that!
> 
> I know this is a crazy analogy, but, it could go down that way. Maybe.


Utah law says basically the same thing about it's rattlers.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Most rattlers will do there very best to get away from a human.

If you read the stories of people getting bit it is usually a 20 something old man that has been drinking and watching way too many shows on the animal planet. Some others are young children that don't know any better and reach down to try and pick up this little wiggly worm.

Then there are the golfers like Dunkem's brother in law that reaches into a bush to get that golf ball back. The main thing is that if you see them the the odds are way in your favor that you are not going to get bit and if you leave them alone they will slither away.

Some want to relocate them but what about the others that are hidden that come out after you move the one that you plan on relocating?


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## T-Bone (Oct 24, 2013)

taxidermist said:


> I understand that they are protected, and one shouldn't harm or kill them. Your not suppose to harm or kill a human being either. (Stay with me on this) But, if a Human came at me, or tried to harm me, I would defend myself to whatever means I feel necessary. If a "Rattler" comes at me, and I "fear for my life" It aint going to live to long I promise you that!
> 
> I know this is a crazy analogy, but, it could go down that way. Maybe.


 Interesting concept. lol! Man tries to attack you so you kill him and eat him. I look forward to the sequel!
Seriously, I was not asking about eating rattlers as I think they can taste prettu good. But instead non-poisonous snakes. Boas and Anaconas included.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

HighNDry said:


> So with that many around, should there be a season on them? The meat is not bad and the snake skin could be used for boots, wallets, belts and such.


I think that too many people would mishandle a dead snake and get themselves hurt honestly.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

T-Bone said:


> If rattlesnakes are edible, what about blow snakes and garter snakes?


Garters secrete a scent to dissuade predators from eating them. That stuff doesn't wash off easily!

Here is a blow snake that was chilling in the shadow of my bike


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Critter said:


> Most rattlers will do there very best to get away from a human.
> 
> If you read the stories of people getting bit it is usually a 20 something old man that has been drinking and watching way too many shows on the animal planet. Some others are young children that don't know any better and reach down to try and pick up this little wiggly worm.
> 
> ...


That photo gave me the chills.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I hate rattle snakes! They creep me out. That picture that was posted made my skin crawl. 

All that said, I don't kill them, know they do good things for the ecosystem, and thus far we have always agreed to simply leave each other alone. I hope it remains that way...I'm not afraid to admit they scare me. I'm not frightened I'm going to get attacked and die. They are just a scary looking creepy crawly!


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