Texas Rattlesnakes Changing Behavior

[choctaw]

Got this in an E-mail.............be careful!!!

My fellow friends and family,

We have killed 57 rattlesnakes on two separate ranches this year.
24 @Southbend & 33 @ Murray , since mid May.
Not one has buzzed! We provoked one fair sized boy with a stick
and he coiled & struck at the stick a couple of times before he buzzed up and
rattled.


The purpose of this explanation is that I have been hearing the same from fellow
ranchers and hunters in regards to the lack of warning with rattlesnakes.

I had lunch with a friend today and he offered a theory about the fact that
these bugs aren't rattling anymore. He raised pigs for years and reported
that when he would hear a rattlesnake buzzing in the sow pen, the sows
would 'bee-line' to it and fight over the snake. For the uninformed, pigs love to
eat rattlesnakes. Therefore, the theory is they are ceasing to rattle to
avoid detection, since there are plenty of pigs roaming the countryside.

I have a neighbor ranching lady who was bitten 3 weeks ago 2 times by the
same snake without any warning....she spent 5 days in ICU, after 22 vials of
anti-venom she is back at the ranch and still may lose her foot or worse yet
her lower leg.

The days of perceived warning are over. Keep your boots on and use a light
when out and about. As you all know, one can pop up just about anywhere!

You may wish to forward this to anyone that would be interested.


Sincerely,
Norman D. Stovall 3
Agri-Ventures Corp.
Managing Partner
Sid Palmour
Texas Energy & Equipment LLP

[Jarrod B]

that is good to know. we are in the fields and firewood so we will be on the look out more.

[choctaw]

This explains a lot......on opening day of dove season a couple of the guys I was hunting with were walking a fence line and nearly stepped on a rattler...he never rattled or anything. They thought it was due to the large rat he was after and the somewhat cool morning.

[OneBigDoofus]

Its freak'n January right?

I was walking around in some knee high weeds about 10am this morning and all of a sudden I stepped down on this sneaky snake that was sunning himself. Totally caught both of us off guard! No rattling! When I felt the squashyness under my foot and heard his rattles come alive, it was my 48 year old cat like reflects (LOL) that kept me from getting bit (NOT) Actually he nipped the back of my pants leg as I was trying to hop off him.
Kinda makes me rethink the "winter no snake season!"

You can kinda see where I stepped in the middle of him

[choctaw]

Prolly need to borrow some of that stuff I smear in my beard...I bet it turned your hair white.

Doof' you was real lucky...

[OneBigDoofus]

Originally Posted by choctaw

Prolly need to borrow some of that stuff I smear in my beard...I bet it turned your hair white.

Doof' you was real lucky...

Lmao! I was wondering if you ever read your FB page!

The snake was a wake-up call for me cuz I trash around out doors in the winter without even thinking about snakes

[Ryan Rønning]

That is lucky not getting bit Doof. Glad you are all good. At least these things still hole up for the winter back home in Oregon but I wonder if they are up in Lawton where my wife is. She is always out in the Refuge up there hiking when I am deployed.