Rattle Snake Warning

Bouldering near Pig Dog in Eldo Canyon East Draw? Be aware, today we saw a pile, herd, pack of rattle snakes to the left of the formation.  As the day wore on two individuals slithered from their den along the base of the climbs on separate occasions.  My best guess is that there is a den of snakes at the left of the formation and they were sunning themselves after a cold week.

Thanks for the heads up! Was in Eldo today myself and wondering if the snakes would be out - now I know.

I think the proper collective term is a “nope”.   If not, it should be.

 pile of snakes would have mad a good photo

nope rope

True story: this past April I was up there working on pigdog. Beautiful, warm late afternoon sun. I'm sitting on my pad in between go's with my shoes off enjoying the afternoon. All of a sudden something comes flying from above me (either from off the Boulder or mayyybee from a bird?) and lands less than a foot from my bare feet...I look down and its a motherf'n juvenile rattlesnake! And he was pissed! Understandable, I suppose, given that he had just airmailed himself from at least 15 feet...but I got the hell out of there!

That problem is ultra classic. BUT, I'm saving it for cold weather.

Damn a Ball the EXACT same thing happened to me at pigdog/infinite last winter. Scared me pretty good. Took me a big stick and took care of that thing. I hate rattlesnakes, used to raise pigs, goats n sheep in the mountains up in northern Cali and it wasn’t that uncommon for a sheep or goat to get bit every now and then. They’d swell up like beach ball in about 5 minutes and wouldn’t last much longer than that.

That would make a good picture of someone highballing above a pile of rattlesnakes!  The new free solo movie.

Corey Flynn wrote: Damn a Ball the EXACT same thing happened to me at pigdog/infinite last winter. Scared me pretty good. Took me a big stick and took care of that thing. I hate rattlesnakes, used to raise pigs, goats n sheep in the mountains up in northern Cali and it wasn’t that uncommon for a sheep or goat to get bit every now and then. They’d swell up like beach ball in about 5 minutes and wouldn’t last much longer than that.

So you "hate rattlesnakes" and you "took care of that thing", meaning you killed it.    Corey, that's paranoid, ignorant, morally wrong and probably illegal in a state park.   And what's worse, is that you're proud of what you did.  

"Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain."  -- Friedrich Schiller

The reality is, our prairie rattle snakes are not that dangerous to humans.  leave them alone and you will be fine.

Interesting Curt, what do you mean?  I have seen quite a few at crags and trails, but they’ve never become aggressive, so maybe that’s what you mean and proves the point.

But there are also some deaths, like the jogger at Mt. Galbraith a couple years ago.

Jim Turner wrote: Interesting Curt, what do you mean?  I have seen quite a few at crags and trails, but they’ve never become aggressive, so maybe that’s what you mean and proves the point.

But there are also some deaths, like the jogger at Mt. Galbraith a couple years ago.

im actually trying to find the paper i read, but cant locate it. years ago jeffco wrote up a nice summary about the snakes in this area and it included a lot of common misconceptions. it was a good read, and i'll post it up if i can locate it. here are some of the take-aways i recall, but don't quote me:

-adult snakes tend to use venom when hunting, not for defensive bites (there were stats in the paper, and i remember something like an 80/20 ratio)
-there is an increasing number of prairie rattlers without rattles in the jeffco area due to a genetic defect that has become a desired trait
-you are more likely to receive a venomous bite from an adolescent snake because they cannot control the release of their venom as an adult snake can

curt86iroc wrote:

im actually trying to find the paper i read, but cant locate it. years ago jeffco wrote up a nice summary about the snakes in this area and it included a lot of common misconceptions. it was a good read, and i'll post it up if i can locate it. here are some of the take-aways i recall, but don't quote me:

-adult snakes tend to use venom when hunting, not for defensive bites (there were stats in the paper, and i remember something like an 80/20 ratio)

And in addition, defensive strikes are often just feints; not intended to make contact.

Last year I unknowingly sat down next to a rattlesnake to put on my climbing shoes. When I stood up I realized I was sitting only about 12 inches away from it. It was slowly moving away for me at that time. They generally will move away from humans, not towards them.  Be careful with your dog though. Dogs may get to close for their own good.

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/112142761

John Byrnes wrote:

So you "hate rattlesnakes" and you "took care of that thing", meaning you killed it.    Corey, that's paranoid, ignorant, morally wrong and probably illegal in a state park.   And what's worse, is that you're proud of what you did.  

"Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain."  -- Friedrich Schiller

Wait, so where is Biker Jim sourcing the meat for the snake sausage?

Mason Stone wrote: Corey gets to decide how he deals with a rattlesnake, or a cute bunny. The Schiller quote also works perfectly for your comment.

• Any person may kill rattlesnakes and skunks when necessary to protect life or property.

Source:
https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/NuisanceWildlife.pdf

I disagree.  Read that more closely, specifically "the determination that a species has become a nuisance and should be removed (or killed) is the prerogative of the landowner."  The key word is landowner.  Note also, throughout the piece since it's a FAQ, the repeated use of "on my property." 

So, Corey cannot go on someone else's property and legally kill a rattlesnake.  He's bouldering on public land so it's not his property to protect.  And I seriously doubt his life was in peril.   All he had to do was take that big stick, pick up the snake with it and carry it 20ft away to a good hiding spot.  

Greg D wrote: Last year I unknowingly sat down next to a rattlesnake to put on my climbing shoes. When I stood up I realized I was sitting only about 12 inches away from it. It was slowly moving away for me at that time. They generally will move away from humans, not towards them.  Be careful with your dog though. Dogs may get to close for their own good.

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/112142761

For what it's worth, there is a "vaccine" available for dogs. It's not supposed to eliminate the need for treatment but rather reduce the severity of a symptoms. 

Trail running in the Boise Foothills a couple years ago at dusk and my foot hit the ground less than 6 inches from a rattlesnake. It rattled about the same time that I saw it but did not strike. This spring I accidentally ran over one in the middle of a trail in Carson City, it struck at my wheel. Sample size is pretty small, but I am taking it to mean you generally have to seriously provoke them to get them to strike. At least I hope that is what it means! I have shared belays with snakes before, and it didn't bug me. Don't think I want to share one with a rattlesnake!

The collective noun for a group of rattlesnakes is a coil or a rhumba. A group of any kind of snakes can be called a knot, den, pit, nest, or bed of snakes.

What is a group of rattlesnakes called? | Study.com

study.com/academy/answer/wh…

curt86iroc wrote: nope rope

Ever been bit by a venomous snake?? I have. Anti-venom will cost you 70k and 24 hours in the hospital, 10 years ago, fyi...