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Death in the wood pile...

D

Dan-MO

Well-known member
I witnessed one of the most amazing terrifing things I ever saw yesterday.I was in the rear part of my property plinking targets with my .22 rifle.Suddenly I heard the terrified screams of a neighbor lady across the field about 1/4 mile away.Along with her screams were the frenzied barking and growling of a dog.My first thought was that the dog was attacking her.

I took off at a run and got there in a minute or so to find the neighbor screaming her head off on the porch and the dog circleing and barking madly at a HUGE timber rattler that was backed up against the wood pile in her back yard not 50 feet from her house.

The snake was P.O.ed big time and was coiled up in the strike position rattling fiercely and looking for a chance to nail the dog.I was shocked to see such a sight for while I know that rattlers exist in fair numbers a dozen or so miles south and west of here-I had never heard of one being sighted in this immediate area.In a lifetime of traveling in the woods here this was only the second live timber rattler I have ever seen-and by far the largest.

Forcing myself to calm down a litte I got in a position where I could safely shoot-but not too close-then had to wait for the stupid dog to get out of the way.When I got the chance and got the crosshairs on the head end of his body,I commensed fire and didn't stop until the semi-auto was empty and the threat was gone.It was a slight case of overkill-14 hollow points hit where they were supposed to-but I wanted to make sure.

I normaly don't get very exicited about snakes and such but the sight of this monster and the thought of all the times I have walked outside barefooted at night and of my grandsons playing and riding bikes in the nearby field-sent a chill up my spine.

Snakes are protected in MO. but you can protect your property and life if threatened.A conservation agent was called and he came out asked a few questions and took it away.Before he removed it we took some photos and measured it.It was 50 inches long,13 inches around the thickest part of its body and had 14 rattles.The agent said it was probably at least 10 years old.

Probably one of those rare things that will never happen again-but I will never again go out after dark without a flashlight!
 
Nature can be beautiful and it can be nasty. Those things tip the scale on the nasty side. Glad it didn't get a chance to hurt anyone or any animal. Excellent post Dan. That's something we out here never get a chance to see.
 
They are especially dangerous when around the house or barn area and should be killed. However, we usually leave them alone when out in the brush unless they are in the camping area. That dog is lucky you were there, sooner or later the rattlesnake would have nailed him. As big as that snake was, the dog would probably not have survived very long after being bit. Thanks for sharing this story. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
That skin would have made a fancy belt or couple of hat bands. Wonder what the government man did with it?

Thanks for sharing such an event.

aj
 
you hadn't killed it! I am sure yhis WILL make you rethink a walk in the daytime, much less at night! :)
 
n/t
 
grinnin' a little bit,but the images of a stirred up dog,an irate rattler,and a squallin' woman watching a guy shoot a snake with 14 hollow points does have some humor to it,only i'm glad i wasn't you:biggrin:.
 
there is a snakeskin, I know there is a snake! I accused the brothers of planting it there to scare me since they paid me a visit yesterday! They were both really rather indignant about this accusation!

Still, I will be keeping my eyes open! :yikes:

[attachment 30947 snake1.jpg]
 
Would sink to such a low down trick do you?

(Even though you did nearly cut John's hand off when you were kids,I'm sure he has long since forgiven you for that!:lol:)
 
Marksman with a rifle. But,I would have felt much more safer and confident if I had been packin' the old scatter gun at the time!
 
Many times I have caught and released unharmed non-poisonous ones that showed up around the house.We have copperheads,cottonmouths,and rattlers with copperheads being by far the most common of the poison ones.I have killed as many as 4 or 5 copperheads a year in and around our yard.I don't bother any snake I find while in the woods.
 
Nice shootin son!

Dave
 
Personally I have never liked killing them. That is just me though and have no problem with other doing what they feel they should.

I usually catch them and haul them off a ways but we do not deal with huge diamondbacks up here. I have caught rattlers though and hauled them off.

I figure that snake is full dead though :D Once you start a shooting a snake it is not dead until you run out of ammo it seems :D

Thanks for the post.
 
one third of the way back from the head? Wonder if the rattlesnake had eaten a mouse. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
And although I didn't check,I suspect he had made a meal out of a ground squirrel that are plentiful around here.
 
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