I have killed my fair share of rattle snakes, but not any more!
Here are some FACTS!
Of the 10,000 or so rattle snake bites per year in the USA, the average number of deaths from being bitten/envenomed is ONE per year.
The majority of rattle snake "bites" on humans and animals do not include envenomization! Most often, when a rattle snake strikes, its fangs will only break the skin, or penetrate very slightly. While this may cause an infection, it is usually from the open wound, not an envenomization. Rattle snakes really have to "work" to pump their toxic venom through their fangs.
The majority of rattle snake bites are caused by being STOOPID....handling them as if they're not dangerous! You are probably aware of the "cults" that use rattle snakes in their "rituals". Lots of "macho" folks will think that they can capture a rattle snake with their bare hands....if they can sneak up on them from behind! I know, for I've DONE it....but was also successful! I haven't been STOOPID for many years, though!
Rattle snakes will NOT (generally) strike at you unless they are coiled. Even when they are coiled and can strike, they are limited in the distance that they can strike....the rule is that they need 2/3rds of their length on the ground, as a "base" for their strike. If you run into, say, a 6-footer that is coiled, a safe distance is a minimum of 2 feet....but even better if you're further away!
Rattle snakes do NOT go looking for humans to bite! For that matter, their eyesight is very poor! They can sense you through smell and vibrations in the ground, though. Their forked tongues are their "sniffers" that enhance their front-mounted nostrils.
Rattle snakes are NOT cold-blooded! While they may "sun" themselves, it's not to get a tan! During the hottest point of the day, they are usually in their dark and cool dens. Most of their hunting is done during the evening hours.
Anywhere you can find lizards, chances are that there are also rattle snakes. Lizards aren't exactly the favorite prey of rattle snakes, but they're both reptiles.
BENEFICIAL FACT! Rattle snakes eat rodents, and rodents often carry diseases! Snakes are IMMUNE to those diseases, including rabies! Funny thing, a buddy of mine was attacked by a rabid kangaroo rat in the desert! The furry, long-tailed little critter was "cute", but had some milky froth on its mouth, and since it had been so aggressive, it caused my buddy to realize that it probably had rabies. Any fur-bearing animal can get rabies (bats have fur, and are often found to be carrying rabies).
MYTH! "Small, young rattle snakes are more venemous and more deadly than full-sized adults". WRONG! It's just that the smaller, younger rattle snakes tend to be more aggressive than the full-sized adults.
MYTH! "If you are bitten by a rattle snake, you will need to go through the anti-venin innoculation procedure". Well, only if venom was introduced into your blood stream.....and not even ALL the time! Most often, if a rattle snake bite victim remains calm, and the bite area is immobilized, treatment will be relatively simple. By the way, the anti-venin doses are VERY expensive....$800 per dose....and usually 7 or 8 doses are necessary!
MYTH! "A snake bite kit, followed by a tourniquet, then rushed to a medical facility will work". I think that most physicians have agreed that the "good old" snake bite kits are USELESS, as are tourniquets. Personally, I think that levelling the bite area, with it held downward, so that it can bleed freely is probably the best. Of course, immediate medical treatment is necessary, but that doesn't mean that you need to do "warp" speed to get there! Many rattle snake bite victims have driven themselves to the nearest medical facilities, but it's best if someone else does the driving.....safely!
As I said, I used to kill rattle snakes. I often go out to the desert, so I've done a lot of homework on rattlers for my own education. Now, if I run into a rattle snake, and it's too close to my camp, I'll relocate the slithery thing....and try to find a "happy hunting grounds" for it....where there are signs of desert rodents! Heck, I even made my own snake snare that doubles as a walking stick! So far, I've relocated about a dozen Mojave Green rattle snakes, which are supposedly the most venemous of all the rattle snake species.
In closing, I think that the chances of survival from having been bitten by a rattle snake are BETTER than your chances of surviving hanta virus....which is in dried-out rodent poop that can become airborn and inhaled into your lungs without you knowing it!
