Holy crap - Rattlesnake.

[kirkelli]

When I camp at Lake Isabella, I always open the Fresh water petcock as very 1st thing when packing to head home. I don’t want to carry the extra water weight through the canyon heading home. This time I had a HUGE surprise when I got on my hands and knees to crawl under to open the petcock. I was eye-t-eye with a damn rattle snake, probably about 3 feet from my face.. He was coiled and ready. I did the quickest barrel roll out from under letting out the loudest scream ever. Neighbors came quickly and got the snake in an ice chest. It took me awhile to recover as the encounter scared the **** out of me. I can guarantee this will never happen again. Folks, you need to keep alert at all times whenever you are in areas with rattlesnakes. I should have known better, living in the desert most my life. Don’t let your guard down, be careful out there.

 

[RDTC]

Great warning and good timing.

Tomorrow morning we are leaving Cave Creek AZ. Numerous snake sighting this weekend. I will take extra precautions when dumping tanks tomorrow. Including the fresh water tank.

Thanks

 

[Big1]

Oh man, I'm with you I do not like snakes, glad it didn't strike you.

 

[CAG-JAY]

We have our share.

 

[Jagiven]

I use to do a lot of mountaineering when I was young. Big rattlers did not bother me nearly as much as young little ones. Little ones are not as patient nor can they control their venom. We were told they always fully discharge venom if they strike.

I always give every rattler lots of room.

 

[CAG-JAY]

Little ones are not as patient nor can they control their venom. We were told they always fully discharge venom if they strike.

Snakebitefoundation.org says otherwise. A myth that has been disproven by numerous studies. Their bite is almost always less lethal than adult but that does not mean they are not dangerous.

 

[travelingjw]

Glad you are OK. We live in an area with Rattlesnakes. At the dog park where we always have snakes I purchased (and hid from the Rangers) an "approved" snake grabber. Can't tell you how many we removed over the years. We had to hide it because the Rangers decided that since it is "their territory we have to leave them be and risk having the dogs get bit. 2 dogs have died, 5 dogs have been bit. Every year we get the dog vaccinated; it only gives you more time to get to a Vet.

 

[kirkelli]

I just ordered one of these. They're cheap,. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the RV industry started installing them.. No more eye to eye with snakes and not more hands and knees to drain the fresh water tank.

 

[FISTEP]

There are only a few places in Canada where rattlesnakes live and most of them are in and around the Okanagan Valley and southwestern BC. They can grow up to about 5 feet at most. I was about 16 when I learned this and that they were present in the hills we were hiking in so I was more than a little nervous about it.


I was trying to be careful but sure enough, I stepped over a log and was met with a lightning bolt of searing, stabbing pain in my ankle. I think I saw my life flashing before my eyes as I screamed out in a combination of terror, panic and maybe a little despair.


That's when I learned that we also have prickly pear cactus. Cactus fatalities are exceedingly rare.

 

[CAG-JAY]

There are only a few places in Canada where rattlesnakes live and most of them are in and around the Okanagan Valley and southwestern BC. They can grow up to about 5 feet at most. I was about 16 when I learned this and that they were present in the hills we were hiking in so I was more than a little nervous about it.


I was trying to be careful but sure enough, I stepped over a log and was met with a lightning bolt of searing, stabbing pain in my ankle. I think I saw my life flashing before my eyes as I screamed out in a combination of terror, panic and maybe a little despair.


That's when I learned that we also have prickly pear cactus. Cactus fatalities are exceedingly rare.

Now that is funny!


I have hunted, fished and hiked the Plains and SW from the time I was born. I have never been bit and I have seen hundreds of rattlesnakes. Fall hunting in Arizona means snakes. I just know that when you step on a log you wait at the top, when you reach for a dead quail you look first. You understand that like coyotes, javelina, bobcats, and scorpions, this is their country. They were here first. I love the comments from snowbirds, but you need to understand desert nature.

 

[madmaxmutt]

 

[FISTEP]

Now that is funny!


I have hunted, fished and hiked the Plains and SW from the time I was born. I have never been bit and I have seen hundreds of rattlesnakes. Fall hunting in Arizona means snakes. I just know that when you step on a log you wait at the top, when you reach for a dead quail you look first. You understand that like coyotes, javelina, bobcats, and scorpions, this is their country. They were here first. I love the comments from snowbirds, but you need to understand desert nature.

Sure, you laugh, and my brother still finds it hysterical half a century later but that cactus had a mean streak a mile wide!

 

[kirkelli]

Sure, you laugh, and my brother still finds it hysterical half a century later but that cactus had a mean streak a mile wide!

I remember being at the Mammoth Moto Cross Races back in 1980. The starting line was wide that funnels down very narrow at turn one. On one of the starts a rider was pushed off the track, he landed head-on with a Cactus Josha Tree.. I remember seeing him laying there motionless, blood everywhere. He was airlifted to the hospital. Next day we heard he didn't make it.. Now they have removed all the cactus away from the track.. Yes,, Cactus can be deadly,.

 

[CAG-JAY]

Sure, you laugh, and my brother still finds it hysterical half a century later but that cactus had a mean streak a mile wide!

You don't know how many golfers shoot balls into the cactus rough around here and come back with cholla as a gift from the desert. And that stuff does not come out easy.

 

[FISTEP]

I remember being at the Mammoth Moto Cross Races back in 1980. The starting line was wide that funnels down very narrow at turn one. On one of the starts a rider was pushed off the track, he landed head-on with a Cactus Josha Tree.. I remember seeing him laying there motionless, blood everywhere. He was airlifted to the hospital. Next day we heard he didn't make it.. Now they have removed all the cactus away from the track.. Yes,, Cactus can be deadly,.

Oh, Sheesh!
That's a buzzkill.

 

[FISTEP]

You don't know how many golfers shoot balls into the cactus rough around here and come back with cholla as a gift from the desert. And that stuff does not come out easy.

I'm thinking a mulligan would be discretion over valor in that case.

 

[PhyerPhyter]

Geez I feel much better about camping in Grizzly country. Snakes are a hard NOPE.

 

[JudyK-JAY22rb]

There are only a few places in Canada where rattlesnakes live and most of them are in and around the Okanagan Valley and southwestern BC. They can grow up to about 5 feet at most. I was about 16 when I learned this and that they were present in the hills we were hiking in so I was more than a little nervous about it.


I was trying to be careful but sure enough, I stepped over a log and was met with a lightning bolt of searing, stabbing pain in my ankle. I think I saw my life flashing before my eyes as I screamed out in a combination of terror, panic and maybe a little despair.


That's when I learned that we also have prickly pear cactus. Cactus fatalities are exceedingly rare.

And they make a lovely drink...which could help with the pain.

 

[JudyK-JAY22rb]

When I camp at Lake Isabella, I always open the Fresh water petcock as very 1st thing when packing to head home. I don’t want to carry the extra water weight through the canyon heading home. This time I had a HUGE surprise when I got on my hands and knees to crawl under to open the petcock. I was eye-t-eye with a damn rattle snake, probably about 3 feet from my face.. He was coiled and ready. I did the quickest barrel roll out from under letting out the loudest scream ever. Neighbors came quickly and got the snake in an ice chest. It took me awhile to recover as the encounter scared the **** out of me. I can guarantee this will never happen again. Folks, you need to keep alert at all times whenever you are in areas with rattlesnakes. I should have known better, living in the desert most my life. Don’t let your guard down, be careful out there.

That's scary and amazing, to me: the girl from CT. Snakes in general don't bother me in the least, of course if I know they're not the dangerous variety. In CT, I exited the underneath of my camper before, in the same manner, but my 'monster' was a spider.

 

[Happy wife / happy life]

DW and I went to Stillwater TX for the rattlesnake round up. DW took this picture. I don’t think rattlesnakes bother her all that much! She’s about 3 feet away from it when she took this picture.