Be very careful and know your surroundings when hunting or hiking this Fall. Was at my cabin in Centre County, Bald Eagle State Forrest area, this past weekend and came within five feet of the biggest rattle snake I've ever seen. This snake was well over five feet long and the thickest snake I've ever seen. Unbelievable sight and frightening to say the least. Had he not rattled I likely would have stepped right on him in the high grass/weeds. I've seen a good many snakes over the years but nothing like this big boy. Very impressive, indeed.
Deer/Turkey hunters and hikers.....
- Thread starter Cabinpenn
- Start date
Snake did it’s job. You did yours. Always be cautious in the woods.
Also, as a recent diagnosee of Lyme disease (caught early, so treatment is expected to be extremely effective), be extra careful about the critters you can’t see too.
I stepped right over two black phase rattlers about two years ago on the MST up on Jo Hays. They were right on the trail. Hikers know how rocky it is. I just went up to take a quick 2 or 3 mile hike and get back to the car in the evening, wearing sneakers and gym shorts. Big wake up call. One snake bailed into a hole and the other coiled up and defended the red zone. Walked a wide circle back. No problems, but it was buzzing like hell and unhappy.
I'll never walk the MST in snake season without gaiters again. I was probably a mile and a half in, no phone, might have had a big problem if that snake nailed me. Snakes were out in the rocks, not big dropoffs, just the regular trail. They're easy to miss. I was basically straddling the one snake when it started buzzing.
Friend of mine had his wife get bitten by a rattler on 7Mts. They lived up there and were walking their dog. She walked over the snake and it bit her going away. They had a helicopter ride out of that deal. She's fine now. It was a big emergency at the time. They suspect the dog walking ahead of them alerted the snake. Thanks for the post.
I'm not afraid of snakes nor do I kill snakes needlessly but Lyme is what really concerns me. Had several instances of seeing ticks on my bod at the end of a day. Not fun.
I'll never walk the MST in snake season without gaiters again. I was probably a mile and a half in, no phone, might have had a big problem if that snake nailed me. Snakes were out in the rocks, not big dropoffs, just the regular trail. They're easy to miss. I was basically straddling the one snake when it started buzzing.
Friend of mine had his wife get bitten by a rattler on 7Mts. They lived up there and were walking their dog. She walked over the snake and it bit her going away. They had a helicopter ride out of that deal. She's fine now. It was a big emergency at the time. They suspect the dog walking ahead of them alerted the snake. Thanks for the post.
I'm not afraid of snakes nor do I kill snakes needlessly but Lyme is what really concerns me. Had several instances of seeing ticks on my bod at the end of a day. Not fun.
Very interesting. In Bald Eagle in clinton county just 2 weeks ago we came across a nice 4 ft rattler up on the ridge. I’ve never seen one up there that wasn’t sunning itself on the road (usually already hit by car) in my 20+ years up hunting/scouting up there.
Are you sure it wasn't a BOT snake? They are generally found in Centre County, espcially under rocks. Older ones are especially difficult to get of.
I'm positive this wasn't, without a doubt, a BOT snake. The big boy that I saw didn't run and hide......he held his ground and stood up to me. The BOT snakes would never even consider such a stance.
What about us grouse guys? Even though we cover more ground than any other game hunters, it seems no one cares about us
What about us grouse guys? Even though we cover more ground than any other game hunters, it seems no one cares about us
Hunted a few times with a good grouse hunter. They scare the hell outta me and I can hit clay birds pretty regular. The grouse game is for better shooters than me. Props.
Initially, for a few seconds, I was confused by the rattler since the head, for about a foot and a half was black as was the last two feet of the rattler. The entire body between the head and tail had pure rattlesnake markings. Never saw that before. Also, his rattle was about five inches long and light brown in color, a real contrast to the jet black tail. One bad hombre!
Beautiful creatures though. Had an episode at Poe Paddy one time where there was a large black timber rattler lying right across the road where the hunting camps abut the campground. There were several people standing around admiring the snake. Nobody tried to be the hero and smash the thing. It crawled off and I was not only shocked but gained a lot of respect for the people there. Live and let live. The rattlesnake is not our enemy. It's not like a PSU trustee or anything....just trying to live its life.
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