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A rattlesnake with an attitude.....................

K

Kelley (Texas)

New member
A friend of mine that has a small ranch down near Devine, Texas came by the house for a visit this evening. After some small chit chat type conversation, he started talking about how the hot, dry weather was affecting his ranch and cattle.

He said that his stock tanks are starting to go dry and may last another 30 days at best. If we do not get rain soon, he will have to sell his cattle for lack of feed and water. It is becoming difficult to get good round bales of hay and the water is running out.

Joe also told me something that sort of alarmed me...rattlesnakes are coming out of hiding and hanging around the stock tanks in broad daylight. This poses a danger to both the livestock and the rancher.

He said that yesterday while walking up a path to check on some cattle, a large rattlesnake about six feet long started across the path about twenty feet in front of him. When the rattlesnake saw Joe, he immediately coiled up, facing Joe. Joe said what made matters worst was that this is one of the few times he did not have a gun with him. Joe threw a few rocks at the rattlesnake, but missed....everytime he threw a rock it seemed like the rattlesnake rattled even louder. Joe finally connected and hit the rattlesnake with a small rock...big mistake. This evidently made the rattlesnake mad and he leaped towards Joe, bent on sinking his teeth into Joe's hide. Joe wisely retreated and took the long way around that ill tempered rattlesnake, and headed for the stock tank.

When Joe arrived at the stock tank, There were several rattlesnakes at various spots around the stock tank. One was stretched out under a Live Oak Tree...just lifted his head as Joe walked within fifty feet of him. As Joe inched just a few feet closer, the rattlesnake came alive and coiled up, rattles going full blast.

Joe says the snakes are out in force, looking for water. It is unusual to see this many rattlesnakes in one concentrated area and he will be snake hunting tomorrow morning. What is puzzling to him, as well as to me is the fact that these rattlesnakes appear to be very antagonistic, appear to be looking for a fight. They definitely have a bad attitude and should be taught some manners. By tomorrow evening, I suspect that there will be a few less rattlesnakes living in South Texas. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
And I've never seen a rattlesnake. I'd cut a wide path if I ever saw one. It must be awful dry your way Fred. Hope you guys get the rain you need soon. And I hope Joe's a real good shot !
 
If that type of situation were to happen to me, I would at least be carrying my .22 revolver with me.... Or a shotgun!!! :)

calm seas

M
 
don't mind snakes and figure the have their place in the scheme of things but not around stock tanks and people.
 
being forced to expose themselves to get water as you said. They most likely have to hunt their prey there also as the small animals and rodents have no place else to drink either.
Nasty but sounds like a good time to thin them out around the ranch areas. Kind of a tough problem because they are needed to keep the balance. Glad i only have to deal with Bears and Raccoons, but i wish the garter snakes here were big enough to eat the dang rats!:biggrin:
 
it was bad that we were battling ants!!! Our weather has just about killed everything. My flowers that are usually in bloom up until late September look awful. The roses are wilting as quick as they bloom. It just looks depressing!

I am so ready for fall!!!!

Tell your friend to take pictures of his hunt and let you post them.
:)
 
is matted down,two black goats wandered up yesterday,don't know who they belonged to,guess they were out foraging,we need ran bad here to,was about 103 yesterday,and will be at least a 100 today.the humidity was as dry as i've seen it in several years yesterday,18%.
it almost never gets out of the 30% range,the gulf moisture must be getting sucked up into louisiana,and mississippi.
 
......at Lynx Creek, AZ, Wayne. No rain and nothing left of the creek but a few small mud holes surrounded by rattlesnakes just like Fred described. The old timers said they were there for the water and for the hunting and just like Fred said, they were in a bad mood. I decided that the gold could stay in the creek along with the snakes while I took up a different hobby and prayed for the monsoon rains.
 
I'd pull a couple of trailers full of 600# bales down to ya. We're on the third cutting and looks like they might get another.

Dave
 
We are getting some moisture from the Gulf, but no rain...only hot temperatures with high humidity. This air is so thick that the birds have to get a running start to get airborne...takes about ten feet on the average before their feet leave the ground. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
They let you know that you best leave them alone. They think that they are top dog and are of the opinion that the stock tank is their God given turf. They need to be taught a lesson and thinned out. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
scan a photo of my daddy taken on September13,1962, which ran in our little country town newspaper. I found this in our old Family Bible that had been handed down many generations. John Boy and Lil Brother will get a kick out of this too!

Along with his turkey beards and deer antlers, the rattles from a few snakes were mounted on a trophy board and these were the things my poor mother got to decorate our living room with! :) How I miss him and his smiling face. Such a good dad, and hardworker! A dedicated outdoorsman too! Taught us all we know about the great outdoors! But even he didn't like rattlesnakes! :)

[attachment 33137 rattlesnake.jpg]
 
Has them rattlers concentrated around the remaining food/water sources.The increased competition for space has them in a more aggressive mood than usual.Probably makes it a dangerous situation for both man and beast.I don't blame your bud for wanting to thin them out a little....I would do the same. I hope you get some rain soon-that would solve a lot of the problem.We are also in a drought situation here.Many of my friends who raise cattle are already feeding hay as the pastures have withered and dried up.Some will have no choice but to sell out before the winter is over.Thanks for a interesting post Fred.
 
I have never seen it this hot for so long a period of time, and without rain to boot! Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
He sent 17 rattlesnakes to snake heaven today. He shot about a dozen this morning, then came back this evening and shot some more.

Joe said these rattlesnakes are smart. When he went back to the stock tank this evening, unlike this morning, some of them headed for the brush as fast as they could haul butt. He is going to go back tomorrow morning and shoot some more...They need to be thinned out.

Also, Joe said that most of the rattlesnakes are bigger and longer than normal which indicates that they are older rattlesnakes. Wonder where the younger ones are located? Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
Regardless of the snakes, there are too many illegal immigrants coming across the South Texas ranches and you best be armed at all times. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
We had several years of above average rain and now it is getting back to normal...hot and dry periods. I must admit that I do like the hot weather better than the cold weather, but that may be because that is all I have ever known. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
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