All in a day's work,,,

[contender]

I don't get many calls about these critters, but occasionally I do,,! He sure was a pretty specimen of a nice WNC Timber rattler. And,, no I didn't kill him as the state of NC has them on a list of "species of special concern" meaning they have protected status,, and it's illegal to kill them. The main reason is loss of habitat,, and we are losing them to development.

 

[Slanteyedshootist]

Looks like you could use a pair of snakeskin boots. :lol:

 

[seeemmiss]

He shoots with no shoes on. Kinda crazy up his way. Aparently he does not know there are on two kinds of snakes. Those that rattle are rattle snakes, everything else is a Cobra!!!!

 

[kd4rgwml]

Gorgeous snake, but Dude bear footed :shock:

Ya'll run outta snakes you can have some of ours :wink: :wink:

 

[BlkHawk73]

8) I like snakes but not something I'd pick up and snuggle with. I'm happy to respect most at a distance.

 

[sixshot]

I think Tyrone is experienced enough he could catch one with his feet if he had too!

Dick

 

[callshot]

I thought that I saw two snakes in that picture. One hissing and one grinning. Steve

 

[Short Barrel]

Nice.That's about as pretty as they get.

 

[mike722]

as tasty as they are all battered and fried.. I see fewer and fewer rattlers these days.. the last few I ran across I didn't have the heart to kill.. with the "roundups" they have I really believe they are a tad endangered..

 

[rugerguy]

oh- oh, Ty has that grin on his face and the next thing you know ,he'll be kissing it and wrapping it around his shoulders....... 8)

Poor Miss Penny, she has to put up with this.................... :roll:

 

[ajw65]

I think you need a pair of snake proof crocks. See if sixshot has a pair.

 

[contender]

Don't y'all know us poor hillbillies only get one pair of shoes??? We wear them in the wintertime,, and only when we are made to wear them!

Yes,, I do go barefoot as much as I can. I shoot USPSA matches barefoot,, and do quite well as my feet are tough enough to handle all surfaces.
This rattler was actually very calm,, and I didn't manhandle him. In fact,, I had already caught him,, put him in the bucket and later was showing him to a neighbor,, and asked him to snap a few pics. This rattler barely buzzed only once when I first caught him.
Yes,, they are delicious,, but the last ones I ate were eastern diamondbacks.

 

[gunman42782]

I would have had to killed it!

 

[tookalisten]

I can just imagine someone rounding that corner and coming upon a barefooted, grinning, snake handler .... quick u-turn :lol:

 

[J Miller]

The poor snake! That had to be the height of insult. Being caught by a barefoot guy in shorts and dumped in a cat litter bucket.

The snake will need counseling after that. You harmed his self esteem.

Joe

 

[Sheriff]

Poor snake was worried he might just wind up 'thong' material. :lol:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That snake looks almost friendly.

...but I can't help remembering that fable about the girl and the almost frozen snake.

The snake then bites her, then says to her as she lies dying in disbelief, "Silly woman, you knew I was a snake when you brought me home!"

...jimbo

 

[contender]

I have found rattlers to be "tame" compared to copperheads around here. We have a saying; "A copperhead will lay in a trail waiting on someone to bite!"
This rattler had his counciling,,, I told him as I released him to find a peaceful old log to sleep in,, & conjure up an amazing tale to tell all his buddies about his misadventure of riding in a cat litter bucket!

 

[messerist]

My 8-year old is in Awe! He thinks you are "Super Brave!" He wants to know if you've ever been bit on the toe?

 

[contender]

Nope,, never been bit on the toe.
The only snake to ever bite me was a black snake. I had rescured it from a barking dog,, and the snake was focused solely on the dog as I picked it up.
Well,, as it sat coiled up in my open palmed hands,, it decided that the dog was no longer a threat,, and decided to take out it's frustrations on the biggest thing it could find,, my nose. I saw it about to strike,, and was in the process of just gently tossing it back on the grass, when it barely got the tip of my nose. The 3 of us standing there got a good chuckle,, as I didn't have hardly any marks. (But my nose is big enough to make it an easy target!)
Tell that 8 yr old youngun' that it's not necessarily brave,, it's just that I understand the critters,, and I was NOT harming or threatening it in any way.

 

[hr2lrn]

I have found rattlers to be "tame" compared to copperheads around here. We have a saying; "A copperhead will lay in a trail waiting on someone to bite!"

Ha! Copperheads are pretty mean bitches!
On another note, can you imagine if you are a poor ole rattler coming to your demise under the pressure from one of those size 14 bare footed 260 lb mush mashers? UGH!

Contender is a merciful guy!

 

[contender]

I may be full of it,, but I ain't that big! My foot size is 11,, and I'm only around 210.
Oh,, if I catch any copperheads tomorrow on that job,, I'll see about some pics of them as well. ( I have a
complaint of a copperhead living in a couple of rocks close to a gentlemans home. )