Three Cs Loc: Allen Texas

In January of 1946 we move to a place north of Nolan Texas in Nolan county. Nolan County has more than their share of rattle snakes. This was a very rough place and snakes were aplenty. One day in the spring of 1946 my Mother was trying to find when a turkey hen had her nest. Turkeys are very smart about hiding their nest. Mother watched her as to direction she went and then went in the same directions checking under each cedar bush along the way. She was less that 100 yards from the house when she yelled at me to bring the gun, she had found a rattler. I got the gun and one shell and went to her. I killed the snake and was on the way back to the house when she said she had found another one. Since I had only picked up one shell, I had to go back to the house for more shells. To make a long story shorter, she found snakes under the first five bushes she looked under. She then decided she did not care where the turkey was sitting. We later found the den they were emerging from after the winter hibernation. All of Nolan county has rattle-snakes but this was the worst that I had ever seen. On ranches we had worked on before move this this place had rattle snake dens and we knew where lots of them were. We would go by the dens in the warm summer days and shoot as many as we could before they got back into the den. We did not shoot at individual ones but at mouth of den with 12 gauge shot guns loaded with bird shot. I have no idea how many we killed over the course of six or seven years. In 1946 the county was paying $.50 for each rattler that had fresh meat on it. They would send out a check once a month. I don't think they were paying the bounty before 1946 because we never collected the rattlers. I made good spending money in 1946 and 1947 turning in rattle snake rattlers. We moved out of the county in January 1948 so my easy spending money went away. I don't know how many years the county paid the bounty.

The Sweetwater TX Jaycee's started a annual rattle snake round up in March of 1958. When they announced the event there were groups that protested because all the rattle snakes would be killed off. The event is the second week end in March each year so this year make the 62nd it has been held and they are still having no problems in finding rattle snakes. I am sure they don't pay a bounty any longer.

This in the information on March 2020 hunt.

Total Pounds 3092
five top hunter:
1. Andy Lee 1231 (this was a team effort I suspect)
2.Darrel McIntyre 317
3. Hoover and Luna 280
4.Eric Timeus 270
5. Cliff Seekers 194

Just another worthless bit of information for you to chew on.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Thanks ccc. Good story. If they leave me alone, I leave them alone. We've got a healthy population around here too.

mmadoc Loc: santa rosa,CA

I remember ABC Wide World of Sports carried coverage of a rattler roundup in
the 60's.
no espn/Peta then :)

woodguru Loc: El Dorado Ca

We get a dozen or more every year, we don't want them here but don't want to kill them either, so I catch them and take them to a place down from us where there is water and lots of rodents. Our biggest dog (85lbs) got bit in the cheek by a small one, he was swelled up and sick for three days but was fine after that. We gave him antihistamines for swelling and pain pills for the pain.

He's a lot smarter about rattlesnakes now, won't get closer than six feet, he also has an excited bark that we call his rattlesnake bark. The Airedale seems to be smarter than him about them.

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

Rattle Snake is not bad eating. Have had it several times and has always been very tasty.

threeCs Loc: Allen Texas

The horse that I rode most of the time would not go closer than 15 to 20 feet. We suspect she was bitten at some time was the reason. She make it easy to locate snakes. There was so much problems of livestock being bitten every one killed them and it also helped protect people. Did you know they are most dangerous during their shedding? Their eyesight is impaired then so they strike at any thing close by as detected by body heat

threeCs Loc: Allen Texas

I have never had the guts to try rattle snake meat but I am told it is good

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

My cousin in Phoenix got me to try it first. She browbeat me into the first bite - but I needed no coaxing after the first bite.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I've had snake of one kind or another in several different countries around the world and most was not bad, but the rattlesnake I've had did not have me wanting more. I've no aversion to eating snake, hey if it tastes good it tastes good. In my experience rattlesnake does not.

mmadoc Loc: santa rosa,CA

Prairie Chicken:
Tried it in Wyoming. I will pass the next opportunity 🙂

Itonlymoney Loc: Roswell, nm

When I worked in oilfield (I was a
" pumper") here outside of Roswll,NM, rattlesnakes was just part of job risk. Every min,every step was with caution.
Had a couple close calls,and blessed to never have been bitten. One tear me and me son was out riding ATV ,and cross paths with a 6ft western diamondback.
He now hung on a board in my shop.

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

How many rattles did that critter have?

agatemaggot Loc: iowa

If you insist on moving Rattlers you better take them for a SERIOUS car ride. They tagged some ihere in Iowa and found they will migrate up to 21 miles from the den they use ! Better they migrate right up to the dinner table !

smitty Loc: maine

hey ccc
dont worry too much bout rattlers; if you still keep your boat at lavon' cottonmouths what you NEED to watch for.
rattlers prefer to leave you alone; the rattle is a warning , seldom do they bite without warning. nice snakes.
cottons on the other hand will not only chase you for no good reason but they will sneak up on you and even get in your boat. had my boat at eastfork and later at anchor bay marinas and had to fight them with a pole or boathook.
take a good look around before you leave the dock. coupla rat traps might help under the seat

Three Cs Loc: Allen Texas

having grown up in rattle snake country, you develop a sense of always being aware of possible snake presents. When we moved to Callahan County in 1948 it was copperheads and they don't warn like a rattler. You are correct on the cottonmouths are the snake of Collin County. When I first started fishing Lavon, before they raised the lake level and the old flood control levees were still above water lever in the upper end of the lake, my fishing friend, may God rest his sole, and I encounter more cottons then we liked. He had a snake charmer he carried on every trip. It was a 410 single shot with both its barrel and stock sawed off so it was like a pistol. He loaded his own shells with small charges and it was not a loud report. If you heard it you probably would not think it was a gun shot but it was effective. Yes when you got around the levees they were loaded with snakes. They would start following you behind the boat. they raised the lake level beginning in 1962 and all the levees are now under water. I have been at East Fork for 18 years and have only seen two snakes at marina. I always check the boat for snakes first thing. My home is located on a creek that always has water in it so we have to be careful at home also. I think the feral hog population has decreased the snake population around the lake. Thanks for reminding me.