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I used to hunt them. I was coming back from 4x4 ing near Pleasant Lake when a good 6 footer was crossing the road. I slid my land cruiser to miss grabbed my Luger and ran after it into the bush. Everything was fine until I realized I did not know where he was. Crapola, fortunately for me he moved and single round I used caught him behind the head and severed his spine.
Grabbed my prize and tossed it into the cooler. Got home girl friend was bubbleguming about the dirty cooler on the kitchen counter, I knew better. I got a fresh cold beer and took the top off and placed the snake with the head hanging on by skin on the counter. GF walked over and touched it. It moved. This carcass had been in ice water for a couple of hours. Got a fork and prodded the head and the mouth opened with fangs down. Fairly impressive, I thought. I had to put back in the cooler and in the garage before I could go to bed. She put a large brick on the lid. I skinned it and had it on the wall for several years.
The head will kill you weeks after it's cut off. It's always best to bury the head right away
 
When I was a kid my dad shot a rattler with his High Standard 22mag derringer, the snake actually struck at the birdshot, which took it's head almost clean off--dad used the other shot & it blew the rest of the snake's head off.

I was very impressed and got me a High Standard 22mag derringer of my own, when I grew up

 
Lived on 1000 acre ranch in Western Nebraska. Dad killed one rattlesnake with the reins on the bridle. Horse was well behaved. Another time he used fencing pliers. Afterward he carried a Smith and Wesson .44 Special. We boys used rocks, until we were afforded access to .22 rifles. Taught to be mindful, if there was one snake around, it wasn't always alone.
 
I had a huge 6 1/2 foot mohave as a pet for a while. She was mean when I got her and mean when I let her go. I've never seen one that big again. She got out once and scared three years off my life when I entered my bedroom in the dark and she started buzzing two feet from me. I backed out got my snake hook and put her back in her cage. I released her 2 days later.
 
I had a huge 6 1/2 foot mohave as a pet for a while. She was mean when I got her and mean when I let her go. I've never seen one that big again. She got out once and scared three years off my life when I entered my bedroom in the dark and she started buzzing two feet from me. I backed out got my snake hook and put her back in her cage. I released her 2 days later.
Please don't take this as an insult But, "STUPID is SUPPOSED TO HURT."
 
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Where Im at in southern Colorado, those green rattlers are considered diamond-backs and are an invasive species as our climate warms up.. Our native rattlers are the brown prairie type and not as aggressive as diamond backs. Used to think that all rattlers were for killing, until my Cheyenne spiritual counselor suggested that based on my dreams and visions, the prairie rattler is my spirit totem... yeah I know. Go figger.
 
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Where Im at in southern Colorado, those green rattlers are considered diamond-backs and are an invasive species as our climate warms up.. Our native rattlers are the brown prairie type and not as aggressive as diamond backs. Used to think that all rattlers were for killing, until my Cheyenne spiritual counselor suggested that based on my dreams and visions, the rattler is my spirit totem... yeah I know. Go figger.
Deadly old bear eh ?
 
According to my experience the black Mohave was the most aggressive, but not as common as the diamondback which could be pretty aggressive in its own right. I've always felt a dead rattler was a good rattler, and I've never been convinced otherwise. There are plenty of the nonvenomous variety to take care of the rodent population which is the usual argument in their favor.
I figure the less are around the less likely someone is in stumbling into one and being bitten. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Gabby
 
Is it not a general rule that where's there's one, that means there's at LEAST two?

My grandma used to say that.
Not necessarily only during breeding season will you regularly see more than one at a time, the only exception is when the young ones are hatching, and they usually disperse pretty quickly otherwise there is too much competition for the small prey they will be searching for.
Mama doesn't hunt for food for the little guys, they are on their own! She only hangs around to protect them for a little while.
A good friend and I were Archery deer hunting up near Pct, and he stepped down over a small stone ledge a few inches high, and suddenly heard a bunch of rattles, under the stone overhang.
He kind of freaked out as there were about a dozen babies guarded by mama, He killed the whole bunch yelling snakes at the top of his lungs the whole time. I thought it was pretty funny! If they had just stayed quiet, he would never have known they were there! As I recall the babies can't reall rattle yet, but can thrash their tails and hiss, the adult could though. I've observed Gopher snakes trying to mimic a rattler by flarein their heads and thrashing their tails against the grass and leaves. I always try to get a look at the tip of the snakes tail as the non venimouse gopher snakes tail tapers down to a long fine point whereas the rattlers tail always ends bluntly because of the new buttons are always forming even if they have lost their rattles for some reason. The Gopher snake can be pretty convincing, which can get them killed by mistake!
Gabby
 
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Not necessarily only during breeding season will you regularly see more than one at a time, the only exception is when the young ones are hatching, and they usually disperse pretty quickly otherwise there is too much competition for the small prey they will be searching for.
Mama doesn't hunt for food for the little guys, they are on their own! She only hangs around to protect them for a little while.
A good friend and I were Archery deer hunting up near Pct, and he stepped down over a small stone ledge a few inches high, and suddenly heard a bunch of rattles, under the stone overhang.
He kind of freaked out as there were about a dozen babies guarded by mama, He killed the whole bunch yelling snakes at the top of his lungs the whole time. I thought it was pretty funny! If they had just stayed quiet, he would never have known they were there!
Gabby
Unfortunately a lot of them don't rattle anymore. Thier learning to stay quiet.
 
I kind of doubt they have enough intelligence to reason that out, and how would they pass that information along?
I would suspect that they weren't suitably concerned that they would be stepped on. The rattle is there to say don't tread on me, after all.
Think about it.
Gabby
 

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