Texas Rattler Tangles With a Benjamin Marauder Carbine Pistol

[Ezana4CE]

The title tells the gist of the story. Let me say this, you DO NOT want to have to depend upon a Prod against a rattler. Did it take care of business? Ultimately, yes. But let me explain. 

I went out to get a couple of hours of squirrel hunting in. I got a late start and it took me what felt like forever to slowly walk into the area I wanted to post in. It’s so dry everything crunches and cracks. It was a slow 35-40 minute creep as I attempted to move with the intermittent breezes. Suffice it to say I saw no squirrels in my intended hunting location.

I crossed paths with a rattler on the way out I heard a noise in the brush thinking it may be a rabbit trying to sit still I went to investigate. As I moved the brush back to see if I could get a clear shot, I hear the rattling. I’m not sure about letting this one go because of livestock in the area and it’s not something I want to have to worry about slithering up on me while sitting beneath an oak tree. 

Let me tell you, I’d rather machete or knife these snakes than to have to shot them with a small pellet. I think a .25 would’ve taken it out in a single shot to the head, but I can’t say for sure. There’s a second hole beneath the tip of my thumb. 


This is NOT an exemplary hunt. I wasn’t out hunting snakes, but I did what I could think to do under the circumstances. 
I had intended to eat the snake, but after shooting it the head and attempting to retrieve it, it struck its own body trying to bite my Trigger Stick. So I shot it in the head again up close. I’ve read that snakes still move after death. I’ve seen one cut to pieces still moving parts of its body, so I didn’t want to take a chance. After it appeared to bite itself I asked an old timer if I could still eat it and he said it’s best not to if I thought it bit itself. So I had to toss the meat to be safe. That sucked because it looked like good meat. 

 

[Skydivingmiami]

wow, thank goodness you were able to take care of the snake humanely. Good shooting btw! How long was it?

 

[moodyblues]

I’m not a biologist!!!! Don’t drink snake venom!!!!

BUT snake venom is a protein that will be broken down by cooking and/or in the stomach. It’s only dangerous if it gets into your blood stream. I’ve read an ulcer could be a potential problem with ingesting it though. If you didn’t like the idea of it taking out the bite area would have been sufficient also. Since you had already destroyed his/her/they/them/whatever cns the heart SHOULD not have been pumping blood/venom throughout the snakes plumbing. We need a full picture. They are very good eating, white and flaky.

Beau

 

[rkm]

Looks like fish, tastes like pork.

 

[Ezana4CE]

wow, thank goodness you were able to take care of the snake humanely. Good shooting btw! How long was it?

@skydivingmiami Around 4’ long. 


@MoodyBlues I’m not a biologist either and I don’t see rattlers often. Looking back I’d have preferred to let the snake live, but the property owner has told me for years to kill them if I see them. An adjacent property owner definitely doesn’t want them around his animals. As for the venom, I honestly don’t know a lot about it which is why I asked a senior rancher if it was safe to eat. I thought about cutting out the section around the holes, but I thought that the venom would’ve moved through its body some within an hour’s time.

@rkmcvey Yes. It does look like fish. 

 

[pnwairgunner]

The sunshine sure is bringing them out now. Ive been shooting copperhead snakes in a rock pile across the creek in front of our new house the past couple weeks with the Kratos.22. Plenty of snakes around here for sure and it makes for good target practice. I’ve probably killed a couple dozen so far. This .22 has no problem doing them in with just one shot to the head at about 20yds. 

 

[Maineiac]

Nice shot! You’re braver than I am. Snakes creep me out and my wife hates them even more. They’re shoot on sight for her and usually with a 12ga loaded with bird shot to make sure it is dispatched promptly.

 

[Raden1942]

I don't think it accidentally bit itself. I shot one with a 357 years ago and was 15 feet away. It promptly turned around and bit itself before expiring. I can't imagine why it would do that but this is the second time I have heard of a rattler doing this. Perhaps it's a survival mechanism of some sort. Perhaps it's just a reaction from being mad with pain. I will have to look into it. I don't kill rattlers anymore. I spent 2 years at a reptile rescue center and got an appreciation for them. Plus I have the skill now to remove them off my path safely with a long stick in the rare occasion that I can't walk around. I don't think you did anything wrong. After all you planned on eating it just saying for me I just lost my taste for it...... I didn't eat mine after it bit itself either although I heard that in India they milk cobras and drink the poison for an interesting high. It's probably not a problem. I still wouldn't recommend it lol. 

 

[boscoebrea]

Snakes are good for the most part,they have become very rare around these parts, the last time I saw two were in the talons of Red Tail Hawks...

Lot of rattlers were around,used to get good road kills,skin them and make head bands out of them.

Wonder how all the fires around these parts have affected their populations.

For sure you always want to feel safe,never been afraid of snakes,or spiders.

 

[broay73]

I have eaten a couple of snakes and they taste like really fishy chicken. Plus snakes are mostly bones. I have tanned several hides and laminated them on my beloved recurve bows.

 

[cea1960]

For the past few weeks they have been removing the woods around the house. So far about 6 acres worth. The neighbors have been complaining of moccasins and rattlers about because of the deforestation. Last week 2 women in town were bit by moccasins and the papers put out a warning to all. So far, we've been lucky and haven't run across any snakes. If we go out after dark, we stomp on the wood steps and shine a bright flashlight under the vehicles just in case.

 

[cwcarrera]

For the past few weeks they have been removing the woods around the house. So far about 6 acres worth. The neighbors have been complaining of moccasins and rattlers about because of the deforestation. Last week 2 women in town were bit by moccasins and the papers put out a warning to all. So far, we've been lucky and haven't run across any snakes. If we go out after dark, we stomp on the wood steps and shine a bright flashlight under the vehicles just in case.

Where in NC are you located?

 

[JimD]

I had rattlesnake as an appatizer in a resterant in Arizona. It was deep fat fried and I thought the consistency was about like lobster. I liked it. They had taken out the bones.

I shot a water snake recently with my Prod. It climbed the rope up to the purple martin house I have. I saw the birds going crazy first. I don't like snakes but I leave them alone if they aren't hurting anything. But this one was trying to eat the eggs of the purple martins and I like the birds more than the snake. He was around 6 feet long. I was pretty happy that I hit him with my first shot at about 25 yards. I hit him at least another half dozen times but not in the head and he swam off. I'm sure his egg sucking days are over.

 

[A&P251]

Nice shot! Think you made the right call on not eating it. Maybe it would have been ok, but better safe than sorry. 

 

[Ezana4CE]

I wanted to address something in this post. I’ve thought long about this since my encounter. I believe that the snake I killed was a protected species. I did not know that we had a protected species of rattlesnake at the time and from my discussion with some of the older ranchers and property owners in the area neither those that I spoke with. I’m pretty sure that the snake was a Timber Rattlesnake also known in some parts as a “Canebreak” Rattlesnake. From what I’ve gathered, they are protected in many states including Texas. This protection puts me and others like me in a difficult spot. I almost didn’t post this and felt so lousy about killing it that I didn’t hunt yesterday evening. Instead I’ve taken time to further educate myself on venomous snakes and protected species in my region. I’ve also contacted a local warden to get clarity on how to handle protected animals that can be problematic in proximity to livestock. I’d like to share some information that I found and post it in this thread.

Information on Timber Rattlesnakes and their protection. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/timberrattlesnake/

Here are some photos to help other members and visitors better identify this snake if you encounter one. Note the rust colored stripe down it’s back. After doing some digging to identify it, this stripe is what pretty much confirmed the species along with its length and the number of “chevron” patterned black marks along its body. The description of the eyes matched as well as the black tail. (See photo further down in the post to see its eyes up close).

The culture in the region I live in has been to kill snakes when you see them. People literally will drive out of their way to crush snakes crossing the road in order to kill them. I have not been this type of person and I’m not using it as an excuse. When I encounter snakes I generally let them be in the woods if they retreat or are non-poisonous. I’ve even gone as far as to pick snakes up with sticks and poles and moving them elsewhere when found them in areas on my property that I didn’t want them. When I found where some non-venomous snakes lived on my place I left them alone and would only kill them if I caught them in the hen house. 


As for hunting, a lot of the land that I hunt around here is privately owned. The greater majority is used to raise livestock, mainly horses and cows. Sometimes livestock get bitten while grazing which can be a problem for ranchers when a yearling, calf, or colt is bitten. I’ve been told that adult cows swell up around the bite and can fall ill, but usually survive. I’m not certain if rattlesnake bites are fatal to young horses and cows. There were both types of young animals in proximity to where this snake was killed, hence my conundrum. Part of the reason I am allowed to hunt on these lands is to help control problematic animals. I also read that this snake could have killed me if I was bitten. I was wearing snake boots thankfully, but the snake was long enough for me to be concerned about being bitten above my boot. I don’t know how high they can spring to bite. My boots cover my calves. I learned that some of the first-aid information that I’ve been told concerning snake bites is incorrect. Here is some first aid info I’d like to share in the event that one is bitten. 
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/snakes/symptoms.html

I think the “take a photo” of a snake that has bitten you is odd. If I’m bitten I’m trying to kill it, if possible without getting bitten again, to make sure it can be identified so I can receive the correct anti-venom. I thought that writing the time you were bitten near the bite was a good idea I don’t recall hearing that before. So now I need to keep a pen on me when I go out.

In the photo below you can get an idea of how long their fangs are. If you think regular rubber rain boots and denim jeans are adequate protection I’d urge you to reconsider and purchase some proper snake boots.

A few of you mentioned environmental changes that bring these animals out. From what I’ve observed with other animals like wild hogs and coyotes, I would agree. My reading also supports this assessment. There has been significant timber cutting in the region within the last couple of years (on pine plantations and to prep land for oil and gas exploration). I never even thought about how it affects snakes and other small animals aside from birds and squirrels.


Someone mentioned shooting snakes for target practice. I think this is a bad idea and a cruel activity. I shoot paper for practice. I would encourage you all to do the same or find some spinners or other reactive targets if you find paper targets boring. Another member mentioned having to shot a snake multiple times with an airgun. That’s what happened here. The first head shot was the second or third shot because the snake tucked its head while simultaneously rattling and coiling up. When I moved some of the brush back this is what I saw after I heard the rattling. It all happens very fast.

I have entered this brush many times and may have that day after hearing the barking squirrel. Had I not heard the rattling I don’t think I’d have known it was there. By the time I heard a squirrel barking about 10 yards south of me and I had one pellet left in my mag out of 8. I chose to take a close head shot to be sure this snake was dead and didn’t continue to suffer as opposed to taking the squirrel. Just before I shot it for the last time I attempted to drag it out with my Trigger Stick. I actually thought it was dead by this point. When I began to drag it, it bit itself after appearing to try and bite the Stick. I figured the first head shot had it disoriented or something. Ultimately I am not happy with my decision to kill it. I hope that my poor judgement and lack of knowledge serves as a lesson to others. Stay safe and make an honest effort to be informed before hitting the field or the woods. 

 

[fuznut]

That is a really big timber rattler for Texas colors are so bright must have shed recently. Beautiful but yeah don't keep the skin.