I use to be an amature herptologist in catching snakes and relocateing gators and did this for the injured wildlife santuary in fla. Ipossesed alicensed poisonous snake permit. I would capture rattlers, cottonmouths, rat snakes water snakes and sale many reptiles to Bill Haas whom owned the Miami Serpentuirm and to George Van Horne at Reptile world in Kissimmee, fla. In persueing these reptiles I have been bitten 4 times by rattlers and once by a cottonmouth. Both snakes have a hemotoxin venom and even though death by snake bite is rare, amputation is another concern. The bite of the cottonmouth was the worse one for me as it bit my left index finger and swelling and discolortion and intense pain worked its way up towards my heart that was a main concern . After about 10 days in the hospital and skin grafts my left index finger still has no feeling and is just numb. But at least I still have a finger since I'm a left handed bow shooter. Thats why I'm a 9 finger typer. I also had a 21 ft. bermese python that I use to go to various functions and at schoolsto conduct seminars with her.
When hunting in snake country I'd use snake boots because a lot of times in thick terrain you can't see where your walking, especially if a blood trail takes you in a place in no man lands. Good luck.

Bobby