Rattlesnakes

[ozark trout fisher]

3 hours ago, likinmo said:

I mean DBF in Missouri

That's awesome! I'm surprised by this. Used to hike out there all the time, beautiful area.

[Harps]

I nearly stepped on this one a couple of years ago in Christian County, National Forest land. The glades and surrounding forests are reported to have good populations of the pygmies in SW Missouri, but this is the only rattler I've encountered in our state. I guessed it at about 20 inches long, so probably fully grown. Hercules Glades Wilderness is supposed to be a good place to find them, and I would assume some Timber Rattlers would occur there as well.

[Keiththom]

Still haven't located a timber. I did find this pigmy while searching for them.

 

[Ham]

People that kill the snakes they happen across are every bit as bad as people that poach deer or turkey out of season. 

[Keiththom]

7 minutes ago, Ham said:

People that kill the snakes they happen across are every bit as bad as people that poach deer or turkey out of season. 

Probably worse. At least when you poach a deer, you do it to for meat. When you kill something like a rattlesnake, you do it because you don't believe that species has a right to exist.

“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant:
What good is it?”
― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There

[liphunter]

Back in my early day, while in the Corp. I had a girlfriend who worked with snakes. The weird lasting affect on me is. Every time I have a seen a snake since those days I have wanted to throw a dollar bill at it.  

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Someone found a two headed snake the other day in Virginia

https://whnt.com/2018/09/21/woman-finds-rare-two-headed-viper-outside-her-virginia-home/

[snagged in outlet 3]

They found a big timber rattler in a subdivision near me in the MO River bottoms.  They had a picture on the neighborhood forum.  The nice guy just let it go on it's way.  To the dismay of a bunch of mom's in the area.

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Keiththom said:

“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant:
What good is it?”

What makes it the "last word"?

If I say "what good are chiggers" do I cease to say ignorant things ?

[liphunter]

6 hours ago, Keiththom said:

Probably worse. At least when you poach a deer, you do it to for meat. When you kill something like a rattlesnake, you do it because you don't believe that species has a right to exist.

“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant:
What good is it?”
― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There

I take it ole Aldo never accidentally squated  in a poison ivy plant.