I spent a good amount of time hunting rattlers when I was a young lad, now it' s illegal in my state to disturb them. I suggest that you focus on locating the dens and do your hunting in the spring/ fall when they are concentrated there. Talk to the old timers. They are usually glad to share their considerable knowledge. If you can' t find any old timers, they are getting hard to find, try talking to your state' s regional biologist. The state boys might not be willing to talk though if they think you will harm the snakes. Good luck and be careful!